I had a thread on here last month entitled Please God send us a finisher. Well with 4 goals in his first 2 caps Eddie Johnson is looking like an answer to prayer. I'm sure that I'll get stick for getting ahead of myself...blah blah blah. Still the fact remains 4 goals in 2 caps.
This is an easy one. The "grownassman"(tm) is a finisher that's NOT afraid of the back of the net. What a wonderful thing to be able to say about a current USMNT member that's young?! He has the killer instinct that forwards are supposed to have. He naturally (from what we've seen so far) looks for / creates positions for scoring opportunities. Then he buries the shot. I've been reading comments like "he was in the right place at the right time". well duh. That's his job. Sure it's only 4 goals. But he's been on the pitch for what...30-40 minutes total? I think that's a decent work rate. Only time will tell if he can keep it up. The next thing is to start him. Oh yeah, and team him up with that Buddle kid also.
I'm looking forward to the inevitable 'Wayne F. Rooney' comparisons... I'm also looking forward to seeing EJ start. If he maintains his current rate, he will surely score 9 against Jamaica, right? But, GOD, I'm hoping to eat crow on this one...
Rooney comparisons would be silly. I live in England and watch Rooney all the time and he's just on a different level. Still EJ's finishing is what the US needs. I'd be happy with just one against Jamaica if it meant not a lot of missed chances. One thing that has really angered me about the US team over the last several years is all the missed chances we have...no finishers. Well EJ looks like he can be that finisher we've been missing. Wouldn't mind seeing Buddle up in the next match to see what he can do either.
How about pairing him up with Brian West who's been tearing up the Norwegian League with his club Frankenstein.
Also let me add that if Jermaine Defoe (striker for England) scored a hat-trick as a sub vs Azerbaijan (FIFA rank 114) England would be going wild but I can't comment how it is great that EJ does it against Panama (FIFA rank 103)? Weak very weak.
Re: God sent us Eddie Johnson And Brian Ching - And Buddle - And Eskadarian - And others - A new generation of Forwards for the US But mostly we got a midfield that swarmed all over Panama and served up great crosses and passes - One of Johnson's goals was the end of 6 passes around the Goal Box
Excellent observation. It was awesome to see 3 and 4 guys swarming all over that ball whenever a Panama player got it. Just overwhelming soccer.
God has nothing to do with it. It's applied quantum physics theory. Believe in your own reality, and it will be yours.
Ha! Nice one Grunt. I think I will copy and paste the same comment in all the threads I look at today: Some folks jump to conclusions like they're Bob Beamon or something. Oh yeah, fire Bruce it should have been 7-0. EJ has done great as a late sub against teams already beat up like a piece of meat in Rocky's freezer. Playing the first half against a team like Mexico, Costa Rica...is a whole different ball of fish.
fans of manchester united went NUTS when rooney scored a hat trick in his debut against a small turkish team that panama probably could have beaten. Nobody is calling Eddie Johnson the savior of US soccer. we are just saying we had a damn good game. Panama was playing ok, but the US was just playing great soccer. far fewer mistakes than normal and fewer backpasses made it exciting attacking soccer that got us 6 goals and a clean sheet. whether we are playing panama or mexico or brazil. 6-0 is a very good result no matter who you are playing.
It is simply impossible to scoff at what Eddie Johnson accomplished last night. 22 minutes after entering the game Eddie Johnson had a hat trick in world cup qualifying. It was the first time that an American substitute has ever notched a hat trick. We play crappy teams all the time and this doesn't happen, anybody downgrading the accomplishment saying "But it was Panama" should just seriously examine their motives in posting. Who did they think it would come against, Brazil? The last time an American player scored this many goals in his first 2 appearances was 1936 ! His name was Aldo "Buff" Donelli. Good info here Scroll about halfway down.
It is exciting anytime an American forward gets a hat-trick. When was the last one? EJ did it as a sub in his second game. His performance last night was impressive. I don't think he is the answer to anything, but it is exciting to have a guy come off the bench and get a hat-trick. Remember, a month ago (+/-) Panama held us 1-0 until the end when Cobi saved a point. Last night was a different game and it wouldn't have been a rout without EJ.
I agree. Eddie Johnson shows lots of promise, but his real test will be in the final round taking on a team like Mexico.
I was wondering the same thing -- does anyone know? I seem to have some vague memory of McBride getting a hat trick within the past four years against some CONCACAF minnow (maybe Cuba?). But maybe it was just a brace . . .
I grew up in London watching EPL and this US team is quicker and fitter than any team Maybe not as skilled and technical as they need to be. Too many bouncing ball when passing and too many touches but speed kills and that swarming defense is going to give some teams problems in the World Cup Speed and Fitiness will wins some WC matches for US Go US
I totally agree with this comment. It seems a number of BS posters project the US needing to play a "type" of ball that is not our style (yet). We don't have C. Ronaldo type players...at this moment (this is only an example!). What we have is athletes. Sure, we all get it. A lot of us are happy with it...today. But some seem to forget the big picture for the immediate moment. The big picture I'm talking about is pounding all opponents into the pitch with shear, unrelenting athletic prowess. Few teams in the world can withstand such an attack. Hello Hex. Hello WC 2006.
id like to see Eddie Start with Brian McBride (back in coulmbus) then let Edson come in at some point for McBride.
It was in the first 21 minutes of the match, vs. El Salvador. We won the game 4-0. McBride also had three (!) more goals disallowed.