MLS - 2012 Season

[dallasbill]

Just a quick shout out to Eddie Johnson who looked pretty impressive in the first few minutes of the game tonight. It looks like he's back on the right track.

It did strike me though that AT TIMES he still looks like the Fulham Eddie that could find those creases in the channels for through balls and use his speed to get around defenders but not sure what to do after that.

But, for a former Fulham AND FC Dallas guy, I gotta pull for him. Good luck Eddie!

[Clevelandmo]

Just a quick shout out to Eddie Johnson who looked pretty impressive in the first few minutes of the game tonight. It looks like he's back on the right track.
!

Glad to see someone else thought enough of EJ's play to post that. I've watched him in about 3 games for Seattle and he is a good all around useful forward now but is still constantly testing the other side's defense with his speed. The added dimensions to his game are no doubt thanks to his time in England, Wales and Greece. I think he needs to be right up there on US MNT team forward list. After Altidore and Herculez, but before Agudelo, Wondo, Bunbury, and the rest. Basically the third choice. Thank you Sigi and EJ, keep it up!!

[DCHeather]

I dunno about 3rd choice, Mo. He'd have to be a bit more consistent over longer stretch to make his was way onto the team again, imo.

Here's the MLS All-star team (so far):

http://www.mlssoccer.com/all-star/2012/ ... -selection

2012 MLS All-Star First XI

Goalkeeper: Jimmy Nielsen (Sporting Kansas City)

Defenders: Steven Beitashour (San Jose Earthquakes), Aurélien Collin (Sporting Kansas City), Jay DeMerit (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Heath Pearce (New York Red Bulls)

Midfielders: David Beckham (LA Galaxy), Dwayne De Rosario (D.C. United), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)

Forwards: Thierry Henry (New York Red Bulls), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)

Head coach will be Ben Olsen.

[Clevelandmo]

I dunno about 3rd choice, Mo. He'd have to be a bit more consistent over longer stretch to make his was way onto the team again, imo.
.

You dont have complete and utter trust in EJ? I cant imagine why.

[SoCalJoe]

Joe, I probably should have answered this question before the game I just watched. I want to like the kid. And I do...off the field. Like many professional athletes, he's good in the community with charity work and such and I was actually there with my daughter (who played for the youth club) when he was introduced as the clubs #1 draft pick. Really nice kid and home grown here in Texas.

That said, he has become the proverbial kid with all the talent in the world who you're just waiting for him to figure it out (also known as the Tony Romo syndrome around these parts). I find myself scanning my mental thesaurus for synonyms for the term bonehead so that I can stop yelling the same word at the TV over and over. I keep wanting to blame it on age but he has several caps for the USMNT and that draft WAS over 4 years ago. This is not a kid without experience. I'm sure you saw the nice "set piece" into the chest of the AR for which he was suspended 4 games. But there's something like that in just about EVERY game. Coincidentally (or not), this has really taken shape since he starting getting some starts with the USMNT and trained for a cup of coffee with Arsenal, who quickly said to him "thanks, but we have a sufficient number of boneheads here, thank you very much". He is like the poster-child for everything this team is about. Even coach Hyndman can't figure it out. It shows too because-don't quote me on this-but I believe he has not had the same starting XI in something like 10 games. He's just rolling in pieces to see what sticks.

Also, my apologies to Quakes fans who witnessed how a team this poor can make even the best team in the league look like a bunch of journeymen hacks. Just bad soccer all the way around. Which is why this team has not posted 3 points since April. AAAPPPRRILLL!!!

btw...Roget's has given me dunderhead and schnook and I think I'm leaning toward the former. "C'MON SHEA, YOU DUNDERHEAD!"
perfect.

Thanks for the insight Bill. Saw something about him a year or so ago where he gives a tour of his bachelor pad he shares w/his agent and a few homies which was a little disconcerting. I'm sure he has received advice, lectures, and diatribes about what he needs to do to go to the next level, but ultimately he needs to decide for himself.

[SoCalJoe]

Portland fires the coach and instead of having a rebound effect the Galaxy go up to the Timbers' sold out house and put 5 on the board. Watched the highlights and what an embarrassing effort. For LA it looks like Arena has the team on the upswing and peaking at the right time. 2 Beckham benders, 2 for Keane, and a Landycakes PK.

[nevzter]

Quakes bring it for 5 against RSL. Chippy match and was lucky to attend with my little guy (root beer float nite !!!). Wondo is amazing...needs another real shot with the Nats based on his form - come on you quakes!!!

[dallasbill]

I had a crazy dream that FCD won a game this season. Please don't wake me. It was so refreshing. Zzzzzzzz...

[WhitesBhoyMIA]

Potentially the biggest acquisition of the season,...Kenny Miller to Vancouver Whitecaps.

[WhitesBhoyMIA]

Quakes bring it for 5 against RSL. Chippy match and was lucky to attend with my little guy (root beer float nite !!!). Wondo is amazing...needs another real shot with the Nats based on his form - come on you quakes!!!

Wondo is great........for the Quakes.

Unfortunately and sorry to say, he shrinks when he puts on the USMNT kit. In a play on the famous words of Jock Stein, "The [USA] jersey does not shrink to fit inferior players."

Not ready to dismiss him completely, but he only gets so many chances. No matter how short they are.

[Clevelandmo]

Potentially the biggest acquisition of the season,...Kenny Miller to Vancouver Whitecaps.

OMG whitesbhoy are you freakin' kidding me - Miller - good but he will not do better than Mattocks and many other non DP forwards in MLS including Wondo and EJ. Especially since that slow Scottish whiner, and other Vancouver underserving DP slot consumer named Robson, will be attempting to provide service in vain. Serious mistake on Rennie's part.

[nevzter]

San Jose squeaks by Dallas 2-1 as Dallas missed a penalty in stoppage time (and earlier in the match, Wondo had a made penalty called off for a teammate's encroachment into the box). Story of the night though was Brek Shea losing his mind, yelling at his coach and then sitting at the end of the bench with a towel draped over his head after he was subbed. That, and he sucked last night too.

http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/mls/st ... f-carlisle

[nevzter]

For 'mo:

By FRANCO PANIZO

UPPER MONTCLAIR, N.J. -- Eddie Johnson may seem like a confident player for the Seattle Sounders these days, but that's only because of the belief his new team has had in him.

After spending eight months without a club and rejoining MLS this past winter, Johnson has shaken off a rough start to the season by finding the scoring touch that made him one of the most lethal forwards in MLS prior to his departure for Europe four years ago.

The 28-year-old striker, who has scored five times in his last five league matches and has earned a place in the MLS All-Star Game, attributes most of his recent success to being able to settle in with the Sounders and the confidence that head coach Sigi Schmid and the rest of the club have given him.

"When you go into a new organization, it takes time," Johnson told SBI. "Some people adapt earlier than others, some people adapt later. But one thing that helps bring the confidence in your ability is the people around you.

"The coach has been positive with me, my teammates have been positive with me, I've been working hard. [Fitness coach] Dave Tenney, I worked with him in Kansas City. When you have a bit of downspell in your career, it's about getting back with the people that helped you get to the top."

Johnson's downspell was a big one. After transferring from the then-Kansas City Wizards to Fulham in January 2008, Johnson immediately struggled to consistently get playing time with the Cottagers. Some chalked it up to him needing to get accustomed to life abroad while others believed he just was not good enough.

The following years saw him bounce around different leagues and clubs while on loan from Fulham. He did enjoy some success with Greek outfit Aris Salonika in 2010, and that resulted in then-U.S. men's national team head coach Bob Bradley calling him into a 30-man preliminary roster prior to the World Cup.

Unfortunately for Johnson, he did not make that World Cup quad, nor did he ever find a stable situation in Europe. In fact, he almost called it quits altogether after his contract with Fulham expired after the 2010-2011 season because of a death to a close relative in the family.

Still, Johnson does not look back on his time in Europe negatively.

"I can't say as a player that I played much, but I did learn a lot and I got better as a soccer player," said Johnson. "I'm happy for the experience. I'm one of the few Americans that has had the opportunity to play in the Premiership and I wouldn't change anything with that whole experience.

"You live and you learn. It made me stronger as a player. I had a chance to play some of the best players in the world and learn from some of the best players in the world, and it's made me into the player I am today."

The player Johnson is showing he is today is an improved version of the one that was creating havoc for defenses around the league just over four years ago. Johnson still has that trademark blazing speed that so many know him for but he is also a more polished and well-rounded goal-scorer, with his team-high eight goals standing testament to that.

"He's certainly done what we think he could do," said Schmid. "It took him a while to get fit, get his touch and rhythm of play but I think he's gotten that behind him now, so it's good."

Johnson admits that not being with Seattle for much of the preseason left him with a lot of catching up to do, especially considering he had gone the last eight months without playing soccer at a competitive level (though he did train on his own in Florida during that time in an effort to maintiain some of his fitness).

The move to join the Sounders, however, came about after Johnson and Mexican club Puebla had a falling out. Johnson had verbally agreed to a deal to join Puebla last winter, but the club later went on to withdraw their offer.

That opened the door for the Sounders to make a deal with the Montreal Impact (who were atop the allocation order at the time) to grab Johnson, who is now solely focusing on continuing to repay the faith the club has shown in him.

"Sigi, [general manager Adrian Hanauer], [technical director] Chris Henderson, they've all had my back and I just want to pay them back for them believing in me," said Johnson. "National team call-ups, whatever other things come on the side is a bonus. I just want to be as consistent as I can as a player and when you're consistent, good things happen."

http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_by_i ... nders.html

[nevzter]

Quakes bring it for 5 against RSL. Chippy match and was lucky to attend with my little guy (root beer float nite !!!). Wondo is amazing...needs another real shot with the Nats based on his form - come on you quakes!!!

Wondo is great........for the Quakes.

Unfortunately and sorry to say, he shrinks when he puts on the USMNT kit. In a play on the famous words of Jock Stein, "The [USA] jersey does not shrink to fit inferior players."

Not ready to dismiss him completely, but he only gets so many chances. No matter how short they are.

Oh snap - I missed this so allow me to retort, kind sir.

I still don't think he's ever received the shot he deserves in a competitive match - a handful of minutes in the Gold Cup and a couple of friendlies does not a complete picture make and he hasn't had very many opportunities at all. Sure he missed that "sitter" in the Gold Cup, but the fact is, he knows where the goal is. Against Concacaf competition, I believe he could do a job if given a shot, problem is as you say, he may have had that shot... He has obvious scoring instincts - give him some more time with the first team and he may surprise. Obviously, he faces some stiff competition now that Gomez is back, Aguedelo will be healthy, Altidore, Boyd and EJ rounding back into form.

[Clevelandmo]

Like the article on EJ Nevzter. EJ's not perfect but it sounds like he has his head on straight now. I hope things continue to go well for him. I was pretty sure when Sigi picked him up that things would work out. Sigi is a good guy and knows what he is doing, imho.