While I hope that DC is smart enough to fill EJ's contract with incentives, in order to motivate him, I think EJ's reputation (based on skillset) would be enough to help the team out, at least in the beginning. By this I mean, other teams know what EJ is capable of in a game. In the run of play, other teams can't play as high of a line against him or they could be burned by his speed. DC hasn't had someone up top with that kind of speed for a while and the added space this will give to the midfield could be huge. On set pieces, EJ will most likely be double-teamed. This will help others, like Boswell and Pontius, find some room to put some in the back of the net.
I'm guessing that he'll get traded on his old deal (which is not a DP deal), which is then going to be ripped up and GAM will be given the DP deal that a GAM thinks he deserves.
Huge this. After KC played DC, I was certain they would get killed playing that high line against other teams. As it turns out, they didn't play that high line against teams with speed. Against NE in the playoffs, they sagged because Fagundez earned respect. It occurred to me they only played that way against DC. Who would be scared of Doyle, DeRo or Silva getting behind? DC's biggest (only?) threat was a 30 yard bomb from DeRo, Silva of Jeffrey, so it made sense to play the high line and take that away. Smart coaching. Well, they won't play like that against EJ.
he might not be a locker room leader/rolemodel but "pay me" has NOTHING to do with it... there are plenty of players who would have kept quiet under the same circumstances but everybody has differrent personalities the fact that EJ was vocal about his discontent doesnt mean he's a poisonous influence trying to use that as evidence weakens any argument (which may actually be valid)
Well we've needed someone to make runs in behind the defense for like, almost 10 years. If EJ solved that problem, it would be our best acquisition in all that time. But you also need someone to put the ball there. As far as MLS being involved, I immediately suspected it had something to do with them paying out some cash to retain a national team player in the league. Funny business, but not random for this league. And that's probably what's holding things up-- who pays for what and how do we make it work under the "rules." Oh, and for us not really wanting him, I'd like to think we're that well positioned, but my guess is we're not. Seattle clearly has the money to keep him, so why don't they? Because they can have someone better. Apparently we can't. And there you go.
I would guess the same. The contract DCU are negotiating with EJ would be a separate concern -- the trade wouldn't be contingent on that deal going through. Perhaps both things need league approval. -- first, trading allocation; and second MLS, which approves ALL contracts, giving its approval of the new contract.
I don't think they have the money to keep him... arent they having to get rid of a whole bunch of players to get their cap situated? They also don't have a DP slot for him. Yeah they might have the money, but MLS won't let them spend it.
Realistically this is a pretty good pickup. We had to get a decent starting forward - starting the season with Conor Doyle up top is tossing out any pretense of trying to compete. Doyle is still a young guy, hope he develops into a good MLS forward but he is not ready to be the man yet. And we picked up a USMNT forward (granted with issues) who has shown he can score in MLS and has size, strength and speed. We were not going to do better. Who would have rather seen the front office scout a striker from South America or Eastern Europe? Just hope it works out - maybe it will maybe it won't. Still a bunch of other holes to fill.
They may not have the money for EJ now, but that's only because they just spent it replacing him with Kenny Cooper. If they wanted to keep him, they could. But they don't, because of this: http://www.soccerwire.com/news/leag...ders-eddie-johnson-set-for-stunning-d-c-move/ (That link should be a prerequisite for posting in this thread.)
Yeah, but it's not the money. They could get rid of someone else if they wanted to do so, but they don't. He's expendable to them. And apparently essential to us.
As I think about this signing, the slender reed I'm holding on to is that DK and Benny, as limited as they might be, are surely as aware of the possible negatives than are we and soccer writers.
Except all the reporting has been that the Seattle clubhouse was a disaster after Dempsey came and now we have reporting about how negatively the front office felt towards Johnson. They don't want him back at any price -- but that doesn't mean it will go badly in DC.
Depends on how much you guys are paying him, but honestly he's a good forward when he wants to be, it really comes down to whether Olsen can keep him motivated to play at a high level.
"I was in the restroom with Q*Bert Jones III when he leaned over to glance at my penis" - Anonymous bathroom user who has pee'd with Jones III before. "On occasion, he doesn't simply not wash his but has been seen smelling them and smiling deviously before leaving the bathroom" - Anonymous person who could not be named due to confidentiality concerns. Anonymous quotes, like the ones at the USMNT camp about how morale was low and people hated Jurgen Klinsman? Quotes like that? That turned out to be bullshit? So yea, basically Johnson was being paid less than Pajoy, less than Rolfe, Buddle or Hassli etc. and contract negotiations were going poorly because Seattle wants to game the system and get big names and win Cups. I wouldn't just burn the bridges but piss on the ashes too.
The fact that the Seattle FO hates him only makes me like him more. But yes, I understand the overall point, he may be a major a-hole.
I would think that he'd be pretty motivated, at least in the 1st 1/2 of the season, as he's still looking to book his ticket to Brazil. The latter half is another matter.
As usual, you're just making shit up. EJ was being paid poorly in Seattle because when he arrived his career was washed up. He had four years in Europe doing absolutely nothing (7 goals in 4 years) and then he got kicked out of Mexico before he'd even played one game. He had a bad contract in Seattle because he was a bad player before he arrived in Seattle. DC will be his 8th team in 7 years. Pardon me for being unsympathetic to his terrible plight. The fact that you seem to support this move validates my cynicism. I can't imagine a scenario where Olsen will tolerate EJ's pompous laziness for more than a couple of months. PS. Not that it's relevant to anything at all but Strauss didn't just pull those quotes out of thin air as you imply. PSS. Bite me.
Seattle's Johnson exposed to other teams Seattle's Johnson to fill hole in DC front line. MLS plays calvinball with Seattle's Johnson. You're welcome. And I'm sorry.
What more support do you need than the guy scoring not 23 goals in 2 season, but 23 goals in 49 games, and also 7 international goals (including game winners)? Given what he can actually do on the field, why should his bad contract and experiences prior to 2012 be relevant when drafting a new contract for him for 2014? That's what I don't get. It's like here is the logic people use with Johnson: Was shit in 2011!->Deserves a shitty contract in 2014. Well, what about 2012 and 2013? Your position is even weirder given DC's penchant for paying people for not producing (see Pajoy, Pontius and on).
i didnt even think of that forget being underpaid in comparison his teammates...unbelievable that anyone would look down on him for screaming "PAY ME"