He had very poor skills for a pro striker-I am not sure if you mixed him up with someone else or you were smoking reefer when you watched Eddie play. I root for all USA players, but Eddie was rarely called skillful in his career. He could not dribble, his touch was weak and his shot was average; he WAS fast in a straight line.
Either this is a troll or a result of complete ignorance. It's not like Eddie Johnson is ancient history. It's not like speculating if Johnny Unitas could compete in the modern NFL. He played at the same time as Dempsey and Donovan. He's actually younger than both of them. So we can compare them quite easily. Also, Eddie Johnson did play in Europe. He was with Fulham - but ended up being loaned out to Cardiff, Aris Thessaloniki, and Preston North End, and generally failed to make much impact anywhere before coming back to MLS. Are you sure you mean Eddie Johnson? Not some other player?
EJ could have been very huge to attracting more Black kids to the sport. I suppose Jozy has helped in some way. I figure if he had moved from MLS maybe in 06 he might have done far better for himself. Maybe not to the PL, maybe La Liga or Ligue 1. Shame that he became more of a joke, though he did well in Greece if that counts for anything.
from wikipedia it shows 2 games. I wasn't around for the 06 WC so i've no idea how good McBride, Wolff, EJ, Convey were at the time. I can just guess based on some videos and stats.
It's actually not all that hard to imagine or remember Eddie Johnson because we currently have an Eddie Johnson clone on this team in Gyasi Zardes. Did anyone watch him (Zardes) against the Sounders last night? lol Geezus if he isn't an Eddie Johnson clone then there isn't one.
Eddie was better than Zardes. For one thing, Eddie could actually get shots off. Is first touch wasn't great, but it wasn't Zardes's brick foot. Zardes' attitude is better, but the flip side of that is he lacks Eddie's (at least occasional) fire and determination. Eddie is no way top ten, let alone top three. But the comparison to Zardes under estimates Eddie too much.
Robbie Findley was brought to the 2010 WC by Bradley for the same reasons. Why is this surprising to you?
Naw, Zardes and EJ are not that much alike. Zardes is a much smarter and harder working player. EJ was far more athletic and a better natural finisher when he found himself in front of goal. The problem with Zardes is his touch and he has poor finishing instincts. Their common problem is their lack of quality runs to open up space for themselves and teammates.
I think Zardes is better. FAR higher work-rate and his "bad touch" is exaggerated. And Zardes can take people on and beat them. When did Eddie ever take anyone on and beat them?
At his best, I thought he was a solid 2nd striker and good sub off the bench for Mcbride. I think most of us thought he was a lock to play significant minutes in the 2006 and 2010 World Cup. I always thought he seemed kinda aloof and his weakness was his ability to dig in and grind it out when things got tricky out on the field or if the game wasn't really finding him. I never thought he maximized his talents for the USMNT and was always passed over for chances to play by Bob Bradley. Bradley cut him before going to South Africa for Edson Buddle, Herculez Gomez and Robbie Findley. That's gotta be a huge shot to the ego.
I guess I should've been more clear, Zardes draws my ire and stirs my pi$$ and vinegar just like Eddie Johnson used to. Johnson used to make me throw things at the t.v, Zardes just makes my jaw drop at how a kid his age still hasn't developed any feel at his feet or feel when sending the ball towards the goal. He's (Zardes) just shocking. And I thought that about him BEFORE watching him last night. Sweet Mary in heaven.
Even with all the mocking of EJ in this thread due to the overbearing first post and title, he probably should have been on the 2014 team (along with Donovan).
as i stated before, I was not around for the 06 WC. Don't blame Findley, blame the coach for bringing him. Though Jozy did play quite well having Findley to play off him.
Agree on work rate, and frankly I have been thinking of them as center forwards. I think Zardes takes on guys when he's out wider,which Eddie seldom played (one famous sub in excepted). Zardes works hard as a wing or wide forward in a 4-3-3 - might have been interesting to see Eddie used that way. All n all, depends on the job. To repeat what I said earlier in the thread, if Johnson came up today and got the better technical training we can see in the U20s, he might have been very very good. The post I was responding too think was unfair to both. I actually like both. Saying they are not top five or ten isn't meant to insult them.
I certainly thought so at the time. He was huge for us in qualifying, and that EJ would have been a good backup for Jozy. But the fact that his career ended with a heart problem a few months after the Cup suggests there might have been signs in camp that he wasn't up for it. (Not that Aron Johannsson was either, but that's another issue.)
The promise that Eddie Johnson showed in the run-up to the 2006 World Cup was certainly exciting and disappointing at the same time. I think it's a good point that somebody brought up, in that if Johnson would have come up in the current program if he would've been a little more developed and far along.
I love the nickname GAM. He and Dempsey seemed to have a natural friendship and playing style together. 19 goals in 63 matches. Not too shabby for a US striker.
EJ wasn't a scrub. When people talk about how our best athletes don't play soccer, they mean dudes like Eddie Johnson. He was strong, fast and great in the air. He also was more skillful than he gets credit for: he was a good finisher and used his speed to make very good timed runs behind the backline. You could make the argument he's in the Top 5 all-time, behind LD, Dempsey, Jozy, Wynalda, McBride.