After a four-year sojourn in Europe and Mexico, former US international Eddie Johnson has returned to MLS. 

Johnson signed with the league on Feb. 17, and was allocated to Montreal Impact. In an attempt to remedy their own striker needs, the Impact sent Johnson to Seattle Sounders for Mike Fucito and Lamar Neagle. 

Seattle finally has a strike partner for last season’s top scorer, Fredy Montero, and a player with experience in MLS and Europe.

The Sounders haven’t had a quality partner for Montero since the signing of Swiss international Blaise Nkufo. However, Nkufo only appeared in 11 matches and decided to hang-up his boots in March 2011.

Johnson joined MLS as a teenager in 2001. His early years were marked by inconsistency, something that has plagued his career. In seven MLS seasons, Johnson tallied 41 goals for Dallas Burn (FC Dallas) and Kansas City Wizards (Sporting KC). 

Johnson’s inconsistency followed him to the US national team as well. Though he had success at youth levels, he could not hold down a place in the senior team. Johnson’s international form was much like his club form, one good match followed by a series of poor performances. 

Johnson’s overall form improved in 2007, when he scored 14 goals for the Wizards, allegedly thanks to the help of a sports psychiatrist. Johnson called time on his first MLS experience following that season, and accepted a move to American-friendly Fulham.

What followed was four years of sitting on the sidelines, inconsistent form and constant loan moves. Johnson only made 18 appearances for Fulham, and most of those were as a substitute. 

In 2008-09, he was loaned to English Championship-side Cardiff City, where he appeared in 30 matches. Johnson’s form was so up and down he was regularly the focus of the supporters’ ire. In one instance, he was substituted in the second half after coming on as a substitute earlier in the same half.

A slightly successful loan move to Greece in 2010 gave many hope; however, that hope faded as Fulham again loaned Johnson out in 2011, this time to Preston North End. His luck didn’t change as he featured in 16 matches, scored zero goals and Preston was relegated to League One.

Johnson’s strange career had one more stop off before returning to MLS. Reports from Mexico stated he had signed for Primera side Puebla but was released only days later due to fitness issues. 

Johnson now finds himself with the three-time US Open Cup-winning Sounders, a club with fervent support and a desire to improve on and off the pitch. The club finished last season with the second best points total in MLS, but failed to impress in the playoffs for a third consecutive year. 

Last season Alvaro Fernandez, Mauro Rosales, Brad Evans and Osvaldo Alonso attributed for 23 goals from midfield. This equaled the output of strikers Montero, Roger Levesque, O’Brian White and Lamar Neagle.

Meanwhile, former target-man Nate Jacqua failed to find the back of the net, and was subsequently not re-signed by the club. Johnson is now tasked with the role of target man. 

Johnson must rediscover the form he showed in his last season with Kansas City, rather than the form he displayed while in Europe.

After starting his professional career in MLS at an early age, Johnson is headed down the same rocky road as Freddy Adu and Danny Szetela: a promising talent that hasn’t fully flourished.  

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