It's so easy to do so. Once the most promising young striker the US had ever had, then failed continuously in international games and in Europe. But now his career is back on the rise and still has the same potential he always had. Its easy to see EJ being worked back into the team during the Gold Cup and/or before next year.
EJ has always seemed to me to be a player whose effectiveness depends a lot on his confidence. When he's playing with confidence he's a world beater. See, e.g. that amazing run he had with the nats when he first broke into the squad. By contrast, when he's playing without confidence, he's atrocious. See, e.g., his form over the past few years. Let's hope this is the start of a rich vein of form for him...
I've been a biting critic of EJ... But hearing that he was working hard, just looking at his celebration run to the side, and to see the glint in his eye, and to hear that the local fans chanted his name in unison... Well, truthfully, I honestly teared up. Redemption is one the sweetest things. I wish EJ all the best luck moving forward! Just keep working hard!
Dave Jones just now on SSN ... "He's such an honest boy. He's worked his socks off." Maybe he's finally becoming a GAM.
lol. yes, things are getting a bit overdone here, eh? Let's see what this week brings. He has it in him to deliver a strong week. Let's hope so.
the news is encouraging.....but we need to see much, much more of this. I think Cardiff fans, Fulham fans, and US fans agree with this. he needs to close out the season like this. Not necessarily scoring a goal every game obviously, but need to be finding the net much more consistently. The plus is, when he gets done, AJ and Zamora have been crap. Its wide open competition more or less when he gets back. He's lucky in terms of that.
Exactly. That boy found the bottom, and is now trying to bring himself back up. Love that he hasn't given up
Because Bruce "I want all US players to succeed" S. for some reason has never liked the guy. When he won the golden boot we were told he finishes like a 12 year old, and just the other day we were told he has zero skills to speak of. He feels the same about Gooch I believe. But let's face it, we're not just excited about the goal - it's the MOTM in a game where he didn't score. That's what I was hoping from him - to learn from McBride that you don't always have to score to have a big influence on a game.
Since someone else has already started raining (thanks Bruce), I'll jump in too-- he's played two good games in a row. By all means be happy for him-- let's hope it sticks and he becomes a real footballer. Please, though, no mention of the USMNT. He's still miles and miles away from that. Don't fall into that trap again. Let him play his way up, if he can. Until then, just cheer for him and hope he does well.
Forget the Nats. EJ needs to just focus on club football. As Appoo said, he reached bottom and is now finding his way back up to the top. We should support him because it is clearly helping him. Look at the support from the Cardiff fans, they ********in love him and it is doing wonders for his confidence.
A player who is completely in the dog house, who works his butt off, adapts to his surroundings, wins his coach over and gets on the field. Other young US players might want to pay attention. Sometimes talent alone isn't enough.
Honestly I'd say he should continue concentrating on his form with Cardiff and forget about the Nats during the remainder of the English season. However, I don't think he's quite so far from the Nats as "miles and miles". I'll never understand why some people "hate" players (don't mean you Firststar, but I've heard it said). No spot is guaranteed in the Nats, if the player is performing at a certain level they deserve to be called. You're talking about a team that periodically calls up Brian Ching to be the target guy. No offense to Ching, but really the best you can say about the guy is that he's gutsy and a hard worker. Absolutely not terrible things to be, admittedly, but not speedy or quality or with a natural nose for goal. The Nats are in desperate need of two quality strikers, whether it turns out to be Jozy (not looking likely until he gets more time), or Cooper, or EJ or whoever filling a spot alongside LD. I don't care where it comes from. The mantra of the national team is 'what have you accomplished lately?' If Eddie's come back on track and paired his quality of play and speed with a real work ethic, then that's no trap, that's progress for him, for the Nats. I'd fully expect to see EJ back in the team by the summer if he continues this way. The main point though is to see some improvement of the strikers group for the US. It remains the biggest and most glaring problem at the moment.
This is a legitimate point. I think, however, the excitment about the goal is not merely that it is a goal (well, right now, the EJ only goal in Europe), but in reports that he didn't just score it, he really earned it. What we're hearing is doing a lot of the little things that he's sometimes been criticized for not doing in the past. If true, that means he is improving. If he's improving, does it matter whether in the second or the first? But, true, more would be nice.
hey, I hope he succeeds. I am very skeptical but for sure I hope he lights it up. DK, it was never about "liking the guy". I just thought his game was unsound. Here's hoping he goes on a tear! ps-Gooch has improved.