Eddie Johnson Signs With Fulham!
Wednesday, 23 January 08, 07:03 PM · Comments(6)
Well I got what I wanted, now let's hope the guy proves me right! Today Eddie Johnson signed a 3 1/2 year deal with Fulham FC. Johnson will join fellow U.S. National Team members Carlos Bocanegra, Kasey Keller, Brian McBridge (former Nat Captain) and best buddy Clint Dempsey.
The following was nicked from the Fulham FC website:
Following a hearing at a tribunal held in London earlier today, Fulham Football Club is pleased to announce that Eddie Johnson has been granted a work permit. The US international striker has signed a three-and-a-half year deal from The MLS that will see him remain at the Club until the summer of 2011.
23 year-old Johnson joined the Kansas City Wizards in the 2006 season and scored on his debut. He received his first cap and scored his first goal for the senior US national team against El Salvador on 9 October 2004, becoming one of an elite group of American players to get his first international goal in a World Cup Qualifier. He then scored a hat-trick in his second appearance, all in a 17-minute span against Panama, just four days later. Johnson scored a total of seven goals in his first six World Cup Qualifiers and has been the source of much speculation linking him with a move to the Premier League.
Roy Hodgson said:
"I have made no secret of the fact that I believe the squad lacks a certain balance in specific areas of the team and following the loss of Brian McBride to injury, this is true of our strike force.
"At 6’1'' inches tall Eddie has the presence that will complement the other forwards within our squad and he has the ability to offer us another dimension to our attacking play. I am delighted that he has joined us and am grateful to the representatives from the Home Office for granting him the work permit which will enable him to play for us as soon as possible."
I'm beyond thrilled to hear this news. I think Eddie is a great fit for the squad and will provide speed that our club currently lacks. I've argued at length with fellow supporters regarding this move and in most cases, people shouted me down. I'm telling you, Eddie will be a great addition to this squad and a year from now, I will say "I told you so" every chance I get.
Welcome to Craven Cottage Eddie!!!
Source: Try Gol
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Jason Gatties said:I dunno, I think MAF loves the club. I just don't think he knows football.
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TryGol
Saint Joseph, US
Views from an American Fulham supporter. For more soccer & rugby news & opinion, visit http://www.trygol.com.
6 Comments · Add yours
Should have gone abroad when he was below 20.
The MLS doesn't really improve the players in it, and instead of going abroad as a raw 18 year old, he's going abroad as a raw 23 year old.
I fear Marvell Wynne will suffer the same fate - great talent, great athlete, but good tactics and quality coaching are near absent in the MLS. If there had been the opportunity for him to play abroad as a youngster, he would have had a good chance of ending up at a top Champions League club.
Here we go, another knock on the MLS. I'll reserve blasting you mate because I'm in a good mood tonight!
Why should you blast him for telling the truth? If you asked me about Cho Jae-Jin I wouldn't lie and say he'll score 20 goals in the English Premier League, just because he happened to play for my club last season...
You don't really have anything to blast me about TryGol, the MLS is rubbish, and the funny thing is that people keep going on about how Europeans are scared to play MLS teams, and how the MLS is in the top ten leagues in the world.
It's not. I encourage you to watch football live around the world, and compare live MLS games to it. The standard is piss poor.
It's not a knock on the MLS, you only regard it as a knock because there is some over inflated sense of ego with MLS fans.
It really is awful stuff, and it's shocking to see a talent like Juan Pablo Angel standing around doing almost nothing on a football pitch and scoring loads of goals, he must be ashamed at having given up on his career.
The MLS is growing, and improving, but it's mostly full of beefheaded athletes, and the overall standard is just about English League One.
But please, blast away, i'm interested to hear.
I don't think the MLS is the worst league in the world but as Mike and SM know I come from Brazil, where skills, tricks and intelligence comes long before strategies, tactics and discipline. I normally go to Home Depot Center to watch Chivas USa or LA Galaxy and I get bored to death. The game is so predictable. Talents are forced to refrain their skill plays in the name of the strategy and that takes a lot from the magic. I remeber telling Mike that football in the USA (and Australia, and everywhere) need to stop using the British style as a reference. The Premier League is great because there are talents from all over the planet but the English Team is outdated in its style of playing the game. I just wished that the MLS brought more competitivity into the league (relegation system, partipation in the Copa Libertadores, etc...) to force the teams to really improve their game.
and about Eddie I really hope all the best for him because he is a talented player but he needs consistency. He had lots of up and downs last season ... some incredible games followed by some forgettable ones... Good Luck to him on this new challenge!