Eddie Johnson's Uncertain Future

Photo credit: USA Today

There was once a time when the name "Eddie Johnson" signified the future of American soccer. Today, after 8 months of inactivity due to injury and being out of contract, his time as a potential player for Puebla FC of Mexico's Primera came to an abrupt halt. Lack of fitness and pace doomed his entry to the team and Puebla refused to sign him. This after shunning an MLS return during the summer transfer window.

As a youngster with the U-20 USA team, Johnson scored 23 times in 25 games during 2000-2001. He soon caught the eye of Bruce Arena, then manager of the US national team. Johnson scored 7 goals for Team USA during the World Cup 2006 Qualifiers and cemented his spot as a forward in Germany 2006. He would make two appearances at that tournament and also helped the US win the Concacaf Gold Cup of 2007.

His playing career started with FC Dallas of MLS in 2001 where he was an outstanding attacker amassing 24 goals in 84 games. He transferred to Kansas City in 2006 and scored 17 goals for the team before a blockbuster transfer to Fulham FC of the English Premier League. This was the team of Kasey Keller, Carlos Bocanegra and Clint Dempsey. A Team America in the Premier League? So it seemed until Bocanegra and Keller exited and when Johnson failed to impress.

Johnson was loaned out to Cardiff City for the 2008-2009 season and played 30 games, scoring twice. He became a journeyman, a-la-Adu, when he transferred to Aris Salonika of the Greek League. He scored on 5 occasions for the Greek team but his contract was not extended. Another loan to Preston North End and brief, goal-less times with Fulham concluded in a termination of his contract with his parent club at the close of the 2010/2011 season.

Eddie Johnon had all summer of 2011 to search for a new home in Europe. It did not materialize. It could have been a return to his homeland with MLS but he pulled out of an agreement late in August and thus remained in limbo during the closing months of 2011. No one heard of him until a possible deal with Puebla surfaced earlier in December 2011. Would this be a new beginning for Johnson? A revival like DaMarcus Beasley has been able to attain with the same team? No. And for all the wrong reasons.

Johnson is in danger of becoming a cautionary tale in US Soccer. He is now in a worse position than Freddy Adu was. Adu remained confident and humble at the same time. He was unafraid to rejoin the MLS ranks. Johnson had been in personal decline since his time at Aris ended in 2010. Never recovering both mentally and physically from journeying through Europe at a time when worldwide competition and expectations surpass most player's attributes.

It is sad to see this once-promising young talent slowly fading from view. His decline came as a whimper, not a crash. He will now need to revive his career by joining a team in the lower leagues of US Soccer, perhaps at the NASL or even the USL. Blatant, shocking, to some, were his views about MLS. The league is likely not to pick up on his services while he reconditions himself.

There is a certain mentality to playing abroad and the right conditions at the right team to continue player development. Altidore had to learn this the hard way but his age and international play served him enough to earn a contract with AZ Alkmaar, where he has flourished this past season. Dempsey never went to a bigger club and is happy making history at Fulham. Even Donovan found it hard to play abroad when he tried in Germany. It wasn't until he was mentally ready that a stint with Everton in 2010 brought light that yes, he can cut it abroad. Not all contracts in bigger leagues mean player growth. Sometimes it's just as good to remain home, cement your place with the national team and enjoy playing with the stars at the FIFA World Cup. Just ask Donovan, Ricardo Clark or Sacha Kljestan.

Choosing MLS: Adu and Eddie Johnson

Photo credit: MLS

Freddy Adu made headlines in the American soccer media last when he rejoined MLS and suited up for the Philadelphia Union over the weekend. There was a general applause as the "prodigal son" returned to the stage that saw him rise as a promising young star. This week comes word that Eddie Johnson might also join the league. Things turned sour, however, for "EJ" and now his future in the American league is in peril.

But what does a return to MLS mean to our young soccer stars? For Adu it's a chance to rekindle his talents, which as we saw at the Gold Cup, are just as impressive as US fans had hoped. Adu's insertion into the Union lineup gives coach Nowak significant freedom as far as player combinations and formations. Nowak's team can function in any number of 4-4-2 (diamond or flat) or even in an attacking-minded 4-3-3 with Adu as a withdrawn forward.

Adu has been requested by many fans to rejoin the league mostly because we are all aware of his talents and because the European market grew more and more concerned about his performance. Benfica worked great for the first few months but he soon became surplus. A loan to Monaco meant almost no playing time since the coach saw him only as a fringe player. The same happened with Belenenses. Adu seemed to have found a home at Aris Salonika of Greece but financial troubles meant his loan could not be extended or taken up as a transfer. Freddy finally realized that playing time was more important and Rizespor of the Turkish second division gave him what he needed.

In twitter conversations a few years back I realized how important Adu could be for the game in the United States. He was a "failed star" to the media and critics. Too young to appreciate the game and his talents. Perhaps it was true. But he also had the ability to "run at the defense" and not "run around the defense" like our other prodigy--Donovan--does. Jamie Trecker made this observation.

In MLS, Adu has the freedom to play his way but under the tutelage and boundaries determined by Piotr Nowak, his first professional coach. And let's face it, Donovan also had trouble playing in Europe when he was a young up-and-coming star with the national team. Now Landon is known worldwide and a bone fide star. Adu can do the same by keeping his head cool and focusing on the game. He might one day return to Europe as Donovan did.

There were a couple of other names this season and last that returned from Europe to play in MLS. Jay DeMerrit had his time in the old continent and did the most with it. Benny Feilhaber, a mainstay with Bob Bradley, also saw his time in Europe come to an abrupt end when his team was relegated. He has had a quiet but active time with New England this season.

There have also been a few snubs towards MLS. DaMarcus Beasley, for one, chose to join the Mexican Primera instead of his home country. Games are still more competitive there due to the history of each team and the established style of play. How do we take this? I say it's just a player looking to do something different in a new league. I don't think it "makes MLS look bad" that he chooses not to play in the United States.

The latest MLS returnee, Eddie Johnson, was set to undergo the league allocation utilized to evenly distribute national team players throughout the various teams. Many fans [and media] were glad to see another special player return to America. Johnson played only sparingly for Fulham (owner of his rights) and had stints at Cardiff City and Aris Salonika. But just today it was revealed that no deal had been reached, perhaps due to his requested salary, and that he would ultimately not join the league. What does this mean for the league? Potentially the loss of another talented American. For Johnson it may mean fighting for minutes in Europe unless the team he joins makes him a starter.

It is increasingly visible that MLS is becoming a great option not just for experienced players but also for former American stars in the league. Stars like Adu and Feilhaber are able to further develop by playing their trade in an increasingly more competitive domestic league. For Adu, his age and talent increases his chances of one day playing in a big team. But is this necessary? Players like Donovan have proven it's not necessary to leave MLS to become American soccer stars.

Adu: Is Freddy ready for MLS?

Is Freddy Adu good enough for Europe? Could the once-prodigy USA star be headed back home? After failing to impress at Portuguese giant, Benfica, in 2007, the Ghana-born midfielder/forward was loaned out for two consecutive seasons and three different clubs. Not the best case scenario for the "next Pele." Was it too much hype too early in his career? Did he try to leave home too early? It's likely we won't know the answers to these questions any time soon. We can, however, make some educated guesses about his future and perhaps analyze his stunted growth as a player.

Adu was born in Tema, Ghana, before emigrating to the United States when he was just eight years old. He became a citizen in 2003. Oddly enough, this was the same year he signed a contract with MLS and became available for the US national team. Adu opted to play for DCU at the age of 14 and MLS began its trial of experiments to capture American audiences; one that ultimately culminated in the signing of David Beckham and the advent of the Designated Player rule.

Should he have joined the league so young? We will never know. Piotr Nowak was always apprehensive about using him in his lineup, even if team and league officials as well as myriad sponsors clamored for the teenager to be on the pitch. Even Pele wasn't officially a player until the age of 16.

Adu was traded to Real Salt Lake in a move that I feel recognized the youngster's shortcomings as a player. If he had remained a star, DC would never have cut ties with him. Adu impressed as a US international, however, and a good showing at the 2007 U-20 World Cup (with Altidore, incidentally) catapulted him to Benfica of Portugal for a $2 million fee. There was little playing time, however (11 appearances) and he managed to score just twice. Loans to Monaco (2008-2009), Belenenses (2009) and Aris of Greece (2010) also failed to grant him playing time, although the latter did offer more chances and scoring opportunities.

I admit that by the end of the 2010 season, things were starting to click for Adu. His mood was right, the playing time was there, he was scoring and the fans were behind him. Not enough for South Africa. Not with the likes of Holden, Feilhaber, Torres, slightly higher in the pecking order. We have to attribute this to consistent lack of playing time for at least 3 years (a whole World Cup cycle). Europe was clearly not the best option for it.

Now comes word that Swiss club Sion has passed on the American and Adu is left without a team and under contract at Benfica. Will the club waive him? Where will Adu turn next? Another European club ready to take a gamble on an unfinished product? Could Freddy come back to MLS?

There was another youngster that impressed with the national team youth and senior system: Landon Donovan. Yes, the Galaxy man started his career with Bayer Leverkusen of the German Bundesliga. After just 7 games with the German team, it was clear that Donovan was not ready for Europe. He returned triumphantly to MLS and won the domestic tournament with San Jose and the Galaxy. Flash-forward 8 years later and Donovan is synonimous with US soccer and the general media in the US. It is possibly a fate that Adu could mirror, were he to return to the United States and rekindle his football.

Many American soccer critics [see Fox Soccer, ESPN Soccernet, etc.] are adamant about Adu being one of the best prospects US soccer has to offer. He just needs some stabilization, they argue.

USA is in dire need of a true #10 that can pick up where Donovan leaves off (assuming Donovan will still play in 2014). It happened with Reyna before when Donovan took the job. Adu is a playmaker that can score. He is also not afraid to run at defenses instead of speeding around them (like Donovan). A few years of solid MLS first-team action may just do the trick.

We here at the FutbolUSA desk wish the best for this 21-year old. It brought attention back to the league in 2004. We are all older and wiser about the game nowadays. It's time to play at home, to play with the best of this country, to build a better team USA. We are waiting for you, Freddy. We are ready.

Adu scores his first for Aris of Greece

Freddy Adu, once branded as the American Pele, scored his first competitive club goal today in over a year. Maybe it was coming all along. Maybe we wrote him off too early. Could he make the World Cup team? Not so fast. Not yet.

Adu first signed with MLS at the tender age of 14 and played for DCU under Peter Nowak. He was never as dominant as expected and scored 11 goals in 87 games. A brief stint at Real Salt lake followed before he moved to Benfica of Portugal on a free transfer in 2007. Whilst at the Portuguese team, Adu scored twice but quickly fell out of favor. He would appear only 11 times for Benfica. Next came an unsuccessful loan to Monaco of Ligue 1 during the 2008-2009 season. He only made 9 appearances. For the 2009 fall semester, Adu was loaned to Belenenses of Portugal. He played in only 4 games.

Many in the US soccer media thought that Adu was on his way out of Europe and back to MLS. Then came news that Aris Thessaloniki FC of Greece would snatch him up on loan along with Eddie Johnson of Fulham. This was his last chance, many though. Maybe he can start silencing his critics now... but let's not jump to conclusions. If, however, he continues to dominate, he may sneak his way into the national team, especially if injuries continue to strike top players like Edu, Dempsey, Torres.

His goal: