Black And Red United - Eddie Johnson to D.C. United - All our CoverageThey can't hold us back. We are United.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47471/blackandred-fave.png2013-12-18T09:45:02-05:00http://www.blackandredunited.com/rss/stream/49838892013-12-18T09:45:02-05:002013-12-18T09:45:02-05:00Reax: Other responses to EJ joining DCU
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<p>By now, most of us know how D.C. United fans are responding to the news that the GAM will be in Black-and-Red next year. But how did others react?</p> <p>To say that yesterday's trade sending <span>Eddie Johnson</span> from the <a href="https://www.sounderatheart.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Seattle Sounders</a> to <a href="https://www.blackandredunited.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">D.C. United</a> was the biggest American soccer news of the day would be overstatement. Hell, it essentially relegated <a target="_blank" href="http://dcist.com/2013/12/dcu_stadium_proposal_piece.php">a really well-reported story on the latest in United's ongoing efforts to build a stadium at Buzzard Point</a> to the D-Block. And we here at Black and Red United obviously weren't the only ones talking about the Grown Ass Man. Here are some other reactions from around the web.</p>
<p>Let's start with our fellow United fans, like <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/soccer-insider/wp/2013/12/17/soccer-insider-is-wary-of-d-c-uniteds-acquisition-of-eddie-johnson/" target="_blank">Jeff Maurer, the Washington Post's Soccer Outsider</a>, who was hoping for something more than EJ - proven MLS goal-scorer that he is - at the #9 spot next year:</p>
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<p>To me, Eddie Johnson represents a definite upgrade but also a lack of ambition. United is getting a proven-good MLS player but seem to be punting on getting a possibly great MLS player. Even if Drogba or Berbatov aren't on the way - and as long as the stadium situation is in limbo I highly doubt that they will be - finding an <span>Alvaro Saborio</span> (quality player from a lesser-known league) or a <span>Marco Di Vaio</span> (aging star who still has something left) is what scouts are paid to do. With Johnson taking up a designated player spot, it's unlikely that another striker is on the way.</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/66/united-states/2013/12/17/4486602/eddie-johnson-traded-from-sounders-to-dc-united?ICID=SP_HN_1" target="_blank">Thomas Floyd of Goal.com</a> got some new quotes out of Dave Kasper:</p>
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<p>United coach <span>Ben Olsen</span> is familiar with Johnson after the two were teammates on the USA's squads at the 2006 <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/world-cup-2014" class="sbn-auto-link">World Cup</a> and 2007 Copa America. Olsen also selected Johnson as a coach's pick for the 2012 All-Star Game, in which the striker scored the game-winning goal for the MLS side over Chelsea. "It always helps, that chemistry, that relationship," Kasper said. "It's definitely a plus. It's not a dealbreaker, but the starting point will be much better because they know each other."</p>
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<span class="blog-links-star"><img src="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/assets/3608771/star.png"></span> More from our team sites <span class="blog-links-star"><img src="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/assets/3608771/star.png"></span>
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<a href="http://www.sounderatheart.com?utm_source=sbnation&utm_medium=bloglinks&utm_campaign=blogs">Seattle Sounders blog Sounder At Heart</a> <a href="http://www.lagconfidential.com?utm_source=sbnation&utm_medium=bloglinks&utm_campaign=blogs">LA Galaxy blog LAG Confidential</a>
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<p>Over in Seattle, <a href="http://www.sounderatheart.com/2013/12/17/5219192/eddie-johnson-official-dc-united-sounders" target="_blank">Jeremiah Oshan and the gang at Sounder at Heart</a> are pretty pleased with the transaction, even if they recognize that <span>Kenny Cooper</span> & Co. have some big shoes to fill:</p>
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<p>As for the actual on-field effect, this will surely be felt. Whatever you may have thought of Johnson's personality, he was a force to be reckoned with. He'll leave the Sounders having scored 28 goals across all competitions, second in Sounders MLS history to Fredy Montero. Three of Johnson's goals came in the playoffs, which is more than any other player in the club's MLS history. He also had a tendency to score in big games, finding the back of the net five times in seven career games against the <a href="https://www.stumptownfooty.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Portland Timbers</a>.</p>
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<p>The <a href="https://www.lagconfidential.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">LA Galaxy</a> were the other MLS club reported to be in the finals of the Eddie Johnson Sweepstakes (well, them and <a href="https://delete.sbnprivate.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Chivas USA</a>). While <a href="http://www.lagconfidential.com/2013/12/17/5221100/la-galaxy-lose-out-eddie-johnson-dc-united-trade" target="_blank">Josie Becker of LAG Confidential</a> would have preferred adding a Grown Ass Man to the Gals roster, she's pretty okay with the way things ended up:</p>
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<p>Eddie Johnson going to DC United is sort of a best case scenario for LA if they weren't going to land the striker. The Sounders are making a number of deals this offseason so it's hard to know exactly what they'll look like next season, but they won't have Johnson to burn LA on set pieces anymore. Nor will rival Chivas USA, who have been making a fair number of deals on their own.</p>
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<p>At the league website, the <a href="http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2013/12/17/armchair-analyst-reason-think-dc-uniteds-offseason-plan-working" target="_blank">Armchair Analyst Matthew Doyle</a> is very high on this move for the Black-and-Red. As is his wont, he focuses on the tactics, noting that service shouldn't be a problem for the new target man in RFK:</p>
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<p><i>The Bad: </i>United were near the top of the league in crosses from open play, but near the bottom in crossing accuracy. And only three teams attempted fewer headers.</p>
<p><i>The Good:</i> EJ was fourth in the league in total headed shots, and third in headed shots on target. He will do all the stuff that they had <span>Lionard Pajoy</span>, and <span>Carlos Ruiz</span>, and <span>Casey Townsend</span>, and <span>Conor Doyle</span> doing last year, but he will do it better. This will not be a stylistic adjustment: this will be a "holy crap, we have somebody there who can actually finish one of these!" adjustment.</p>
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<p>We'll wrap up with <a href="http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2013/12/17/eddie-johnson-seattle-sounders-d-c-united-trade-major-league-soccer/" target="_blank">ProSoccerTalk's Richard Farley</a>, who focused on the big personalities involved - Eddie Johnson, of course, and Ben Olsen:</p>
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<p>Of course, everybody will be wondering about personalities. Rightly or wrongly, Johnson's acquired a certain reputation throughout his Major League Soccer career, flames of which will only be fanned by how he's leaving Seattle. Olsen, a former U.S. international himself, is not known as somebody with a high tolerance for player entitlement. On the surface, this seems like a potentially combustable relationship. While that's certainly the case, implying Olsen can't handle egos seems to short-change him as a coach. Perhaps, at 36 years old, Olsen still lacks the type of man management experience Schmid brought to bear on Johnson, but he won't be completely ignorant of the need to employ different approaches with different players. That doesn't mean one set of rules for E.J., another for the rest of the team (something Olden would probably frown on), but if it means having to go the extra mile to make sure you're always on the same page as a key player, Olsen's certainly capable of doing it.</p>
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<p>Now that we've all had time to sleep on it, share your day-after take on the EJ acquisition down in the comments.</p>
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https://www.blackandredunited.com/dc-united-transfers/2013/12/18/5222424/eddie-johnson-trade-dc-united-seattle-soundersAdam M Taylor2013-12-17T12:45:20-05:002013-12-17T12:45:20-05:00Eddie Johnson on DCU is a thing.
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<figcaption>USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>You asked for it, and you got it. D.C. United has traded allocation money to Seattle for Eddie Johnson. Hang on to your hats.</p> <p><i><b>UPDATE:</b> Goff and Maurer are both now reporting that it's a done deal, with United sending allocation money to Seattle for Johnson. Now we just wait for official confirmation.</i></p>
<p><i><b>UPDATE #2: </b><a href="http://www.dcunited.com/news/2013/12/dc-united-acquires-eddie-johnson" target="_blank">It's official</a>:</i></p>
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<p>Welcome to DC, EJ! <a href="http://t.co/TgOusHVE6P">http://t.co/TgOusHVE6P</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23DCU&src=hash">#DCU</a> <a href="http://t.co/7y9RhBx9xc">pic.twitter.com/7y9RhBx9xc</a></p>
— D.C. United (@dcunited) <a href="https://twitter.com/dcunited/statuses/413051379960131584">December 17, 2013</a>
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<p>I've had this written all morning, waiting to hit publish, but the official word just doesn't seem to be dropping at the moment, so at the risk of jinxing everything, I'll run this post a bit prematurely. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blackandredunited.com/">D.C. United</a> has done what many fans this off-season have asked - and what many other fans have asked them not to do - and gone out and got themselves a Grown Ass Man. Pending league approval of the deal, <span>Eddie Johnson</span> will wear Black-and-Red in 2013. <a href="http://www.blackandredunited.com/rumors-speculation/2013/12/15/5211628/dc-united-trade-eddie-johnson-seattle-sounders-la-galaxy-chivas-usa">Rumors have been swirling for a couple days</a> and only <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/soccer-insider/wp/2013/12/16/united-close-to-acquiring-johnson/" target="_blank">heated up overnight</a> as it became apparent that a deal was imminent. Once the trade and a new contract are finalized, Johnson will <a href="https://twitter.com/SoccerInsider/status/412981976304332800" target="_blank">reportedly be a designated player</a> for United, who sent what must be assumed was a very large pile of allocation money - and zero draft picks - to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.sounderatheart.com/">Seattle Sounders</a> for the U.S. international. There is some speculation (mostly among Seattle fans, from what I've seen) that MLS will add some amount of allocation to United's offer in order to facilitate the trade and keep Johnson in the league, but I haven't seen any reporting on that issue. (Moreover, with reports that Johnson rejected an offer from a foreign team, I'm not sure there actually was a viable offer from outside of MLS.)</p>
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<span class="blog-links-star"><img src="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/assets/3608771/star.png"></span> view from the other side <span class="blog-links-star"><img src="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/assets/3608771/star.png"></span>
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<div class="blog-links-compact-link-container"><a href="http://www.sounderatheart.com?utm_source=sbnation&utm_medium=bloglinks&utm_campaign=blogs">Seattle Sounders blog Sounder At Heart</a></div>
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<p>EJ brings something to the table that United was sorely missing last year or two: goals. Over 48 games for the Sounders the last couple seasons, Johnson has scored 23 times. If you combine United's leading scorers from the last two years - 2012 <span>Chris Pontius</span> and 2013 <span>Luis Silva</span>, <span>Dwayne De Rosario</span> and <span>Kyle Porter</span> - you get two fewer goals (12 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 21) in two more player-seasons. After adding to the defense in stage 1 of the Re-Entry Draft, United was left with striker as obviously its greatest position of need. Dave Kasper & Co. just addressed that need.</p>
<p>Adding the GAM follows a similar theme to every signing United has made since midseason 2013: American. It started with young guys Luis Silva, <span>Jared Jeffrey</span> and <span>Conor Doyle</span> and shifted toward experience this offseason with <span>Davy Arnaud</span>, <span>Bobby Boswell</span>, <span>Sean Franklin</span> and now Eddie Johnson. Not a single international roster slot has found itself suddenly filled through all these transactions. Whether that pattern will continue or not we'll see over the rest of the winter. (But seriously, scout and sign an international, guys. We've got the whole world to draw from, not just Texas, California and Florida.)</p>
<p>Obviously, Johnson is an upgrade over every other forward we have on the roster. Just as obviously, he is potentially a huge risk. Charles Boehm has some <a href="http://www.soccerwire.com/news/leagues/mls/raw-talent-bridges-burned-with-seattle-sounders-eddie-johnson-set-for-stunning-d-c-move/" target="_blank">fantastic reporting with behind-the-scenes details of the GAM's downfall in the Emerald City</a> - the phrase "bridges burned" is in the headline - that could be a preview of what <span>Ben Olsen</span> is getting into with this signing. (It also notes that Johnson spurned a big offer from Liga MX to stay in MLS and essentially guarantee himself playing time in the lead-up to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/world-cup-2014">World Cup</a>.)</p>
<p>We'll be back over the coming days with tactical implications of EJ's pending signing and other knock-on effects it could have. For now though, let us know your reaction in the comments. What does this mean for D.C. United in 2014?</p>
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https://www.blackandredunited.com/dc-united-transfers/2013/12/17/5219724/eddie-johsnon-dc-united-trade-seattle-soundersAdam M Taylor2013-12-15T07:00:01-05:002013-12-15T07:00:01-05:00Goff: DCU pursuing Eddie Johnson
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<figcaption>Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The USMNT striker won't be in Seattle next season, and the Black-and-Red are reportedly among the final clubs still in the running to land the GAM.</p> <p>On Saturday, the Washington Post's Steve Goff confirmed what many of us have suspected for weeks: <a href="https://www.blackandredunited.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">D.C. United</a> are <a target="_blank" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/soccer-insider/wp/2013/12/14/d-c-united-pursuing-u-s-national-team-forward-eddie-johnson/">actively pursuing a trade</a> for the <a href="https://www.sounderatheart.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Seattle Sounders</a>' <span>Eddie Johnson</span>. The Black-and-Red are reportedly among the final three teams still in pursuit of the United States international, along with the <a href="https://www.lagconfidential.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">LA Galaxy</a> and - probably - <a href="https://delete.sbnprivate.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Chivas USA</a>.</p>
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<p>We've been speculating all off-season about the potential destination for EJ, with word that Seattle were shopping the striker coming shortly after their playoff exit. This week's trade sending the rights for <span>Kenny Cooper</span> to the Sounders added fuel to the fire and all but guaranteed that Johnson will not be in Seattle come the 2014 preseason. With Goff's report, we now have confirmation that D.C. United are in the running.</p>
<p>The Grown-Ass Man would be the type of top-line talent United need in the #9 spot providing the prototypical goal-scoring target forward Ben Olsen has coveted since taking the reigns at RFK Stadium, though there are legitimate worries based on the player's personal history (both distant and immediate). Check out the Must Reads section in this story for the point-counterpoint we ran on what was then United's purely speculative pursuit of EJ earlier this offseason. <i>(Edit: And also be sure to check out </i><a href="http://www.blackandredunited.com/2013/12/14/5211062/dc-united-dave-kasper-need-to-pull-the-trigger-on-the-eddie-johnson">Phillip Quinn's FanPost pleading with Dave Kasper to pull the damn trigger</a><i> on this trade.)</i></p>
<p>With the report that United would send allocation money Seattle's way in exchange for the well-traveled, what are your thoughts on the potential trade? Is the deal still worth pursuing if D.C. have to make Johnson a Designated Player to land him? Share your thoughts in the comments.</p>
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https://www.blackandredunited.com/rumors-speculation/2013/12/15/5211628/dc-united-trade-eddie-johnson-seattle-sounders-la-galaxy-chivas-usaAdam M Taylor2013-11-20T07:30:01-05:002013-11-20T07:30:01-05:00Filibuster pod: You're a hedging magic 8 ball!
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<p>On tap from this episode: a rye manhattan, Red Hook ESB, and an after-dinner brandy.</p> <p>The Filibuster guys are back for their first episode broadcast live on YouTube, where you can find the unedited version of this show. We start off with a <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blackandredunited.com/">D.C. United</a> news roundup, talking about the missed stadium deadline, Michael Williamson, and Henry Kalungi. We then talk about whether or not the team should trade for <span>Eddie Johnson</span> and then the Orlando City expansion news. We follow up that expansion news with talking about further expansion in the Southeast (including the Dixie Wanderers). We then end the episode with talk about the NCAA College Cup, the MLS Cup Playoffs, and the Cake or Death and Benny Awards series.</p>
<p>Give us a listen, and let us know what you think in the comments!</p>
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<p><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/filibuster-black-red-united/id512096585">iTunes Link</a> | <a target="_blank" href="http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/ben-bromley/filibuster-the-black-and-red-united-podcast/">Stitcher Page</a> | <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/FilibusterDCU">RSS Feed</a></p>
<p>Thanks for listening. Get in touch with us with any questions, comments, concerns or anything else via Twitter - <a href="http://www.twitter.com/FilibusterDCU" target="_blank">@FilibusterDCU</a> - or by emailing us at <a href="mailto:filibusterpodcast@gmail.com">filibusterpodcast@gmail.com</a>. Or just leave a comment on this post.</p>
<p>Our theme song is Pocket, by Beau Finley, used with permission.</p>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.blackandredunited.com/benny-awards/2013/11/19/5122270/the-esky-award-for-the-d-c-united-fan-favorite?utm_source=blackandredunited&utm_medium=nextclicks&utm_campaign=blogs">The Esky Award, for the D.C. United fan favorite</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blackandredunited.com/offseason-of-our-discontent/2013/11/19/5120548/dc-united-trade-targets-possible-attack-?utm_source=blackandredunited&utm_medium=nextclicks&utm_campaign=blogs">D.C. United Trade Targets - Possible attacking pick-ups within MLS</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blackandredunited.com/offseason-of-our-discontent/2013/11/19/5111726/dc-united-cake-or-death-kyle-porter?utm_source=blackandredunited&utm_medium=nextclicks&utm_campaign=blogs">Cake or Death? D.C. United's youngest Canadian international, Kyle Porter</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blackandredunited.com/rumors-speculation/2013/11/19/5121326/michael-williamson-inter-milan-chief-financial-officer-dc-united?utm_source=blackandredunited&utm_medium=nextclicks&utm_campaign=blogs">Michael Williamson visiting Inter Milan to investigate relationships</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blackandredunited.com/dc-united-reserves-richmond-kickers/2013/11/18/5118900/henry-kalungi-richmond-kickers-carolina-railhawks-uganda?utm_source=blackandredunited&utm_medium=nextclicks&utm_campaign=blogs">Henry Kalungi of the Richmond Kickers to join D.C. United for their Indonesian tour</a></li>
</ul>
https://www.blackandredunited.com/podcasts/2013/11/20/5124100/filibuster-podcast-episode-57-youre-a-hedging-magic-8-ballBen Bromley2013-11-14T08:45:02-05:002013-11-14T08:45:02-05:00Should DCU trade for Eddie Johnson? Well...
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<p>The Seattle Sounders are trying to trade US national team attacker Eddie Johnson. D.C. United has the means to make a deal and needs a proven striker, but given how vital landing the right striker is for the Black-and-Red, can the club afford to roll the dice on EJ?</p> <p>It's something everyone with even tangential interest in Major League Soccer knows: <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blackandredunited.com/">D.C. United</a> needs a truly capable striker. Ben Olsen's squad also needs to make some other big moves, but any soccer team whose leading scorer(s) over an entire season managed only three goals is a soccer team that needs a goalscorer. Actually, that sort of team needs more than one goalscorer, but slow your roll for a minute. Let's do this one at a time.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/soccer-insider/wp/2013/06/16/d-c-uniteds-foreign-signings-2004-13/">It's been established</a> that United has struggled to sign players from other leagues. We all know the reality of the situation: For every Christian Gomez or Luciano Emilio this club has brought in, there are ten guys like <span>Marcos Sanchez</span>, Danny Allsopp, or Lucio Filomeno. Even when the players are actual good soccer players - and I think it's fair to say that <span>Hamdi Salihi</span> was good at soccer - they end up being the wrong fit for the roster, or the head coach's overall plan, or both. That makes this desperate need for United a tough one to fill, because "other leagues" mean over 99.9% of the world's professional players. If we can't get this right, we're going to have problems, and recent history points to United having about a one-in-ten chance of getting this right.</p>
<p>So United needs a striker, and United's best bet is to find a guy already in the league. Oh, and <a href="http://www.blackandredunited.com/offseason-of-our-discontent/2013/10/25/5026376/thanks-parity-dc-united-2014-allocation-money-mls-superdraft-re-entry-draft/in/4671203">United is flush</a> with allocation money, draft picks, and every other mechanism a team can use to acquire things in MLS. Sounds to me like it's time for United to start pursuing some trades within the league!</p>
<p>All we need is a partner in this dance, and right now it looks like the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.sounderatheart.com/">Seattle Sounders</a> are standing on the other end of the dance floor all alone. As you <a href="http://www.blackandredunited.com/offseason-of-our-discontent/2013/11/14/5101964/dc-united-eddie-johnson-trade-seattle-sounders">probably saw on the site earlier today</a>, or elsewhere on the internet yesterday when the news broke, the Fightin' Inventors are shopping striker <span>Eddie Johnson</span> around. That's Eddie Johnson, USMNT regular and a guy closer to "lock" than "on the bubble" for a spot on the US <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/world-cup-2014">World Cup</a> roster in Brazil this coming summer (yes, it's that close).</p>
<p>Being a regular for the national team is always good on the resume, but let's talk numbers for a second. EJ has scored 23 goals in the last two seasons for Seattle, which in a vacuum is a merely "good" record rather than a truly impressive one. However, due to national team duty and occasionally being rotated out of the lineup to keep him fresh at the end of a congested Sounders schedule, Johnson only started 44 games in those two years. In terms of goals-per-minute, the "Grown-Ass Man" has scored roughly one goal every 167 minutes played.</p>
<p>Assuming he were to maintain that rate over a full 34 game schedule - big assumption, but bear with me - he'd score about 18 or 19 goals. Oh, and he's got 3 goals in 6 playoff appearances (5 starts) with Seattle, so that rate holds at crunch time. If you'd turn down that kind of production on this United team, you must be crazy, right?</p>
<p>It also seems fairly likely. <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/news/20130727/eddie-johnson-us-mens-team-role/">Johnson almost came here back in 2011</a>, and two-thirds of the United brain trust that made that offer is still in place. Maybe the move was 100% Kevin Payne's call, but that seems a bit far-fetched to me. Adding to the familiarity is the fact that Johnson was Ben Olsen's teammate on the 2006 World Cup squad.</p>
<p>United also has the means to make this trade happen. Seattle is probably going to have to move Johnson at below what his apparent value is because of the issues I've laid out, and it's not like every single team needs him. The market, in my opinion, is smaller than it would first appear (especially if <span>Darren Mattocks</span> also ends up being shipped out of Vancouver). Offering the Sounders a player probably doesn't make much sense, but allocation money? We've got plenty, and such a deal lets the Sounders plausibly save some face since the trade will be for an unknown sum. Everyone comes out looking smart, or at least not dumb.</p>
<p>Not so fast. Let me play Devil's Advocate for a second here.</p>
<p>The main issue is history, which I heard you should pay attention to if you don't want to repeat it like we just did after redoing 2010. Johnson was signed at 17 for <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bigdsoccer.com/">FC Dallas</a> back in 2001, and after being an oft-used sub for three seasons he had a breakout 2004. EJ scored 12 goals in 26 games at just 20 years old - not to mention a hat trick for the USMNT right here in DC against Panama - and was said to be the subject of a huge (possibly as high as $5 million) bid from Portuguese giants SL Benfica. That deal was rejected, because at the time it looked like Johnson would be worth even more down the road.</p>
<p>Long story short, it looked like Johnson had made it to the big time. Unfortunately, he appeared to believe his own hype, and his 2005 was a disappointment. He scored just 5 goals, and ran into some injury trouble to boot. Dallas traded him to Kansas City after that season, and looked pretty smart when he managed only two goals for the entire season. The hype had dried up, and Johnson was more or less written off.</p>
<p>Things changed in 2007. EJ came back with a vengeance, scoring 12 goals in the first 11 games of the season for the then-Wizards. The foreign bids and the calls from US Soccer came in again, with <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20070930022353/http://www.teamtalk.com/football/story/0,16368,12878_2614692,00.html">Johnson reportedly turning down</a> Derby County's $6 million offer. And once again, the attention and the hype was soon followed by Johnson's season going downhill. He managed just 3 goals over the second half of the season while often looking disinterested.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, EJ moved to Europe with Fulham and struggled mightily for most of his four years across the Atlantic. He never scored a competitive goal for the Cottagers and found himself loaned out three times. Now, there's no shame in failing to succeed in the Premier League, but there is a bit of a problem when an MLS striker of some renown can't score goals in the English Championship, and that happened to EJ twice (2 goals in 49 appearances at Cardiff City and Preston North End).</p>
<p>Other than a brief burst of form during a loan spell at Greek side Aris Thessaloniki, Johnson looked like a complete and total bust. It only got worse after that: He was alleged to have signed in Mexico with Puebla, but it turned out to be more of a trial. Rock bottom came when that trial was abruptly ended, with the club publicly claiming that Johnson was simply not fit enough (<a href="http://seattletimes.com/html/soundersfcblog/2017557772_johnson_explains_what_happened.html">an allegation the player has strongly, and in my opinion convincingly, denied</a>).</p>
<p>By now, you're sensing a pattern. At low ebb, Johnson took a low-ball deal with Seattle and has resurrected his career as spelled out by Adam earlier today and earlier in this post as well. He's now well-liked by USMNT boss Juergen Klinsmann for his ability to play two roles in Klinsi's system and is in his longest stretch of quality play. He's being praised - <a href="http://www.sounderatheart.com/2013/11/13/5101092/sounders-are-shopping-around-eddie-johnson-report-says">Sounders fans certainly don't want him to leave</a> - and as I've said, seems like a sure thing to play in the World Cup. His public "pay me" celebration, if this trade rumor is 100% correct, appears to have worked like a charm.</p>
<p>Every time Johnson appears close to true stardom, he takes his foot off the accelerator. Every time he's written off, he shows his best stuff.</p>
<p>In other words, it's precisely where the wheels have come off twice before for GAM. The hype is there, the money is assured, next summer's business trip to Brazil is penciled in on the schedule...so there's nothing left to work at, right? Job's done. Or, to put it another way: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ux3DKxxFoM&feature=player_detailpage#t=46" style="background-color: #ffffff;">Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, you can't get fooled again</a>. <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/news/20130903/eddie-johnson-goal-celebration-mls-salary/" style="background-color: #ffffff;">More noteworthy writers than myself</a> have noticed the same thing. Every time Johnson appears close to true stardom, he takes his foot off the accelerator. Every time he's written off, he shows his best stuff. United would be trading for a guy who could be about to hit a valley again rather than a peak.</p>
<p>There are also more practical concerns here. If Johnson makes the World Cup roster, he'll be gone for somewhere between six and eight weeks (roughly late May through early July, barring a miracle run to the final). Over that period this season, United played eleven games (eight in MLS, three in the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/us-open-tennis">US Open</a> Cup). It seems safe to assume that the league will thin the schedule out during the World Cup, an out-and-out break from play seems doubtful.</p>
<p>Even if United only plays two or three league games during that span, what about the Open Cup, a tournament that this club was at the forefront of taking seriously? Or how about the stretch run? If Johnson comes here and starts during the spring, then spends a month and a half in the most serious and demanding soccer environment he's seen in his entire life, is he going to have anything left in the tank come October?</p>
<p>I'm not going to sit here and tell you that Johnson to DC is definitely going to fail. He's been consistently good for two years running and his USMNT success wouldn't be happening if Klinsmann had questions about his character. In terms of his profile as a player, the skill, athleticism, and work rate are all there to make him look like the right kind of forward for this United team.</p>
<p>However, this proposed trade is loaded with enough risk that I'm not sure we should put all of our eggs in the EJ basket. Every signing is a risk, and United's inability to sign a dominant striker since nailing it in 2007 is worrisome. Part of me wants to look at the reasons for signing Johnson and get excited, but another part of me is worried that United would be catching Johnson on another downswing, and that would mean - at best - a longer trip back to being a respectable soccer club that actually wins games and leaves the laughingstock status to the teams that deserve it (sorry TFC and Chivas, but when grouped with United, the one that isn't like the others wears black).</p>
<p>Plus, United has spent plenty of time scouting elsewhere. Olsen just spent time with Borussia Moenchengladbach, and while he was there trying to learn best practices from their coach Lucien Favre, there's no way he left evaluating players and making contacts for another trip. Dave Kasper and <span>Kurt Morsink</span> flew to Serbia earlier this year to watch a Red Star Belgrade - or Crvena Zvezda, if you want to use their actual name - match in person. With prep for 2014 starting once this season went off the rails, the list of potential #9s damn well better be lengthy, and we should probably already be having quiet preliminary talks with more than one name on that list.</p>
<p>If Johnson is better than anyone we've come up with and the deal can be made, that's fine. There's no arguing that United will be improved starting Johnson over anyone currently on the team. However, "better than 2013" for United is a low bar, and there's probably a solution out there for United that involves less risk. The issue is whether we can find that solution. Given his past, a move for Johnson is high risk/high reward, and United has been rolling snake eyes over and over again recently.</p>
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https://www.blackandredunited.com/offseason-of-our-discontent/2013/11/14/5102866/dc-united-eddie-johnson-trade-seattle-sounders-usmnt-mls-rumors-devils-advocateJason Anderson2013-11-14T07:30:03-05:002013-11-14T07:30:03-05:00D.C. United should go out and get Eddie Johnson
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/4SQvLHSmG4zNKjEqCsFB693ZoNs=/0x0:4000x2667/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/23116873/20130910_ajl_ar7_186.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>David Richard-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>With word now that the Sounders are shopping U.S. international Eddie Johnson on the MLS trade market, D.C. United should take the initiative and make sure they bring the prolific striker to RFK.</p> <p>It almost makes too much sense. <a href="https://www.blackandredunited.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">D.C. United</a> need a physical, goal-scoring striker in the worst way and have tons of allocation money and salary space to play with. They're trying to build a team that is first and foremost American and hard-working. And now, SI's <a target="_blank" href="http://soccer.si.com/2013/11/13/source-sounders-shopping-eddie-johnson/">Grant Wahl is reporting</a> that the <a href="https://www.sounderatheart.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Seattle Sounders</a> - with the help of MLS (first the Dempsey signing, now this? Seattle must have invented not doing any personnel work on your own) - are shopping around <span>Eddie Johnson</span> for a trade within the league. Johnson is angling for a pretty sizable bump in pay after a couple successful seasons in the Northwest and on Juergen Klinsmann's United States National Team. D.C. United are a natural fit as a trade partner for the Sounders: the need is there, the means to make it work are there, and the two teams are in opposite conferences. It almost makes too much sense.</p>
<p>Let's take a step back, though, and establish why it would work. First, the need. In 2013, D.C. United scored 22 goals in MLS play, and no player on the team scored more than three. Eddie Johnson led the Sounders in scoring for the second straight years, tallying nine times in just 20 appearances in the league, plus a goal in CONCACAF play. Those go with his five goals for the USMNT in 15 appearances this year. United needs a guy who can score in MLS - and in Open Cup and CCL, for that matter - and Eddie Johnson is that guy. He is basically what we've all come to think that Ben Olsen wants in a striker: he's fast, physical, good with the ball at his feet and good in the air; he'll work on defense, and he's a finisher. As much as his reputation says otherwise, Johnson is an unselfish player, making the near-post run that allows teammates to make the second and third runs that make team goals happen. (And that first run is something that United's been sorely missing for the most part since <span>Hamdi Salihi</span> stopped starting in mid-2012.)</p>
<p>What about the means to bring him over? Well, we know that United will have a potentially unprecedented amount of allocation money - <a target="_blank" href="http://soccer.si.com/2013/11/13/mls-reinvests-the-league-dp-bayern-for-all-star-game-more-insider-notes/">Wahl is also reporting</a> that the "you suck" and continental allocations United will receive should total $500,000 in 2014. Combined with the newly freed up salary cap space from the ongoing player purge and the <strike>Monopoly</strike> allocation money MLS will pay United to compensate the team for the sale of <span>Andy Najar</span> and Alain Rochat, that's a lot of moolah that needs to be spent on improving the roster.</p>
<p>That helps in two ways here. The first is the ability to absorb a salary like EJ's. Johnson, who earned a guaranteed $156,333 last year, is going to push for a Designated Player salary and is likely to end up earning close to the maximum on-budget cap hit ($350,000) whether he gets that DP status or not. United has both the Designated Player slot and the salary cap space to give Johnson what he wants. The other way the allocation money comes into play is in trade talks with the Sounders. The big reason they're offloading the Grown Ass Man is their lack of salary cap space. Allocation money will give them the flexibility they'll need - and demand - to make signings to replace the #7-shaped hole on their team sheet.</p>
<p>Speculation is also that the decision-makers in Seattle want to find an Eastern Conference team to deal with, just so they won't have to go against Johnson three or more times each season. I only mention that because it means that if the GAM isn't in Black-and-Red, it's likely we'll be seeing him multiple times a year. I have no problem saying that scares me, more than just a little bit.</p>
<p>But I don't just want EJ to join <span>Ben Olsen's</span> side so we don't have to play against him. He would be a huge asset to los Capitalinos, providing the target striker that <a href="http://www.blackandredunited.com/rumors-speculation/2013/10/23/4884650/dc-united-offseason-priorities-rank-vote/in/4671203">B&RU readers voted as one of United's two greatest needs this offseason</a> and in a mold that we know Ben Olsen will be inclined toward playing. He doesn't use up an international roster spot, and - all things considered - he won't be as expensive as other options to lead the line.</p>
<p>Moreover, he's hungry. He wants to go to Brazil next summer and will work to keep scoring goals and forcing his way onto Klinsy's roster. He wants to get paid, and I think he will reward whichever team pays him the same way <span>Dwayne De Rosario</span> repaid United for being the one team who was willing to pay him (after similar protest/demand goal celebrations, no less). It might not be an MVP season like the one DeRo gave us in 2011, but why shouldn't he score 15+ goals for us next year?</p>
<p>I'll tell you why. Well, no I won't. Because there isn't a reason why the GAM shouldn't score a boatload of goals for somebody in 2014, and there's no reason why that somebody shouldn't be us.</p>
<p>To my mind, the only question that remains is what United should give up to get him. We'll have to send some allocation money Seattle's way; of that I have no doubt. But given the interest other teams will certainly have, Monopoly money might not be enough. How much more D.C. would have to part with is where this deal could break down. If Adrian Hanauer demands a real part of the DCU core - say, <span>Chris Pontius</span> or <span>Nick DeLeon</span> - the deal becomes a lot harder to make work. But what if Seattle demands <span>Dejan Jakovic</span> or one of our reserve 'keepers - pieces with obvious value but that many D.C. fans wouldn't mind parting with for various reasons? Whether the deal will work obviously comes down to details like that.</p>
<p>I still say United should make a go of it, though, and make an inquiry, an offer, a sacrifice - whatever - to get Eddie Johnson into Black-and-Red next year. It just makes too much sense not to, but that won't stop B&RU's own ChestRockwell from <a href="http://www.blackandredunited.com/offseason-of-our-discontent/2013/11/14/5102866/dc-united-eddie-johnson-trade-seattle-sounders-usmnt-mls-rumors-devils-advocate">telling you why I'm wrong</a>. Go check out that piece, and then let us know in the comments where you come down on the question of whether to EJ or not to EJ.</p>
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https://www.blackandredunited.com/offseason-of-our-discontent/2013/11/14/5101964/dc-united-eddie-johnson-trade-seattle-soundersAdam M Taylor