Eddie Johnson receives a lot of respect for a 21-year-old American soccer player.
Johnson has become a one of top forwards in Major League Soccer and a likely choice for the United States squad for this summer's FIFA World Cup in Germany.
The Wizards acquired Johnson is a Valentine's Day trade with FC Dallas and now have, potentially, the best strike partnership in MLS with Johnson and Josh Wolff, himself in the running for a spot on the U.S. roster that will compete in this summer's World Cup.
Johnson still needs an ice bag after training because a foul tackle Feb. 19 by Guatemala's Julio Giron in a U.S.-Guatemala friendly. The foul tackle was no big deal for Johnson, who had just scored his ninth goal in 12 appearances for the U.S. just minutes before.
"He showed some respect," Johnson said.
Johnson scored 12 of his MLS career 24 goals in 2004 as a 19-year-old. He scored in his debut with the national team just four minutes after stepping on the field against El Salvador on Oct. 9, 2004.
"In large part acquiring Eddie Johnson is something from a Wizards standpoint that goes a long way to solidifying our offense, creating a team that's dangerous and comes through in the clutch," Wizards general manager Curt Johnson said.
Last season, Johnson was the subject a multi-million dollar transfer offer from Benfica that both the league and he rejected.
Right now, Johnson does not sound like a player who is going anywhere soon. He had a two-week trial recently trying to impress Manchester United. But it was Johnson who was not impressed.
Friends were thousands of miles away while he was in Manchester, an unfamiliar place and for only two weeks. So as far as any transfer offers, Johnson did not sound as if he was going anywhere in the near future.
"I was very excited about the opportunity but at the same time I was over there for two weeks and I wasn't happy," Johnson said. "Right now MLS is the league for me. The league has grown and it's getting better every year. I still think I have more to prove over here before I go abroad and play for a big club like Benfica."
With the MLS season opener less than a month away and the World Cup approaching, Johnson gives no more thought to transfer talk.
"Not even concerned about it," Johnson said. "I just want to stay healthy and enjoy this sport and the talent God has blessed me with."
Wizards head coach Bob Gansler believes he knows what kind of player Johnson is.
"When the good Lord was handing out the physical traits in terms of quickness, agility, speed and coordination, he was at the front of the line and maybe he went in line a couple of times for some of them," Gansler said. "But he knows how to use it. For a young man of 21 he's got a pretty decent set of technical skills. He can score with either foot. He can score in the air."
But at least as important is what kind of player Johnson will become.
"I don't know who in this room had their stuff together at 21," Gansler said. "There are going to be lesser days. That's what the coaching staff, Curt and his veteran teammates are here for. It's a support system."
Wizards midfielder Kerry Zavagnin has already teamed with Johnson on the national team and said the Wizards have a rare talent.
"He's one of the very few guys I have ever played with that sometimes I hold my breath when the ball is played to him," Zavagnin said. "Because he has that potential to create something very exciting."
Johnson will be teamed with Wolff up front, although Gansler made it clear that Wolff will be continue to be the focal point of Wizards attack.
When both are with the Wizards and one or both are not away with the national team, defender Jimmy Conrad said the direct approach may now be the Wizards best way to score goals.
"Now that we have Eddie Johnson on our team I think I can bypass passing the ball to Kerry at all," Conrad quipped. "With the parity that the league tries to create it's amazing that we have both of those forwards on our team."
Even with such a potent strike partnership, even thinking about lifting the MLS Cup is premature for Johnson.
"All I can see is everyone getting better. Hopefully the impact I can make around here makes other players better," Johnson said. "With the impact Josh Wolff and Kerry Zavagnin and Jimmy Conrad have here, if we can all make players around us better, we will be very, very good."
Robert Whitman is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
