23 For January Camp
Stuck on a So-So Squad, Sean Johnson Must Step Up
The Chicago Fire's poor run of form hasn't helped Sean Johnson's national team ambitions, which is why January's United States training camp is so important for the six-foot-four goalkeeper.
Editors note: A group of ASN staffers have created a 23-man roster for the January U.S. national team camp. These are not our predictions—these are the players we would like to see named to Jurgen Klinsmann's squad.
WHEN YOU PLAY ON A BAD TEAM, it’s tough to get noticed for individual accomplishments. And it’s even tougher when you play one of the deepest positions in American soccer.
Such is life for Chicago Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson, who, through little fault of his own, spent a lot of time picking the ball out of his own net this year as the Fire missed the Major League Soccer playoffs for the third time in Johnson’s four seasons as the club’s first-choice goalkeeper.
It’s not that he played badly. After all, Johnson’s 1.48 goals-against average, while not great, was nearly identical to that of Stefan Frei and Luis Robles, both of whom backstopped their teams to within a game of an appearance in MLS Cup.
And his shot-stopping, long the calling card that intrigued fans and scouts alike, has never been better. Still, there’s a perception that Johnson, 25, hasn’t progressed as much as was once hoped for a goalkeeper who earned his first cap at 21—a very young age for his position. Is Johnson dramatically better today than he was four years ago?
Though still young for a goalkeeper, Johnson has yet to progress past fourth on the U.S. national team’s depth chart, stuck behind the more experienced 30something trio of Tim Howard, Brad Guzan, and Nick Rimando. But none of them—despite Howard’s self-imposed one-year national team respite—have shown an indication of not being a part of the next World Cup cycle. Johnson will have to leapfrog one of them to get consistent meaningful games for his country.
Of course, that’s not the only competition Johnson faces. D.C. United’s Bill Hamid, 24, whom Johnson had once edged past in the national team pecking order—Johnson got four caps before Hamid got his second—was just named MLS’ goalkeeper of the year. If Hamid’s starting assignment against Ireland last month was any indication, his strong season has moved him up in Jurgen Klinsmann’s pecking order.
And there are up-and-coming goalkeepers in Europe with youth national team pedigrees like Cody Cropper, Zack Steffen, and Ethan Horvath, all of whom will be nipping at Johnson’s heels. And that’s not even counting competition from within MLS from the likes of late-bloomers like Steve Clark and Chris Seitz.
In short, the time for Johnson to step up and stake a permanent claim to a place with the national team is now. At six-foot-four and with athleticism to burn, as well as four years of solid play as an MLS starter, there is much Johnson can offer the U.S. if he plays to his potential. It behooves the national team to find out now if Johnson should be part of the program for the next couple of years.
2. Lee Nguyen
3. Robbie Rogers
4. Matt Besler
5. Gyasi Zardes
6. Bill Hamid
7. Matt Hedges
8. Luis Gil
9. Steve Clark
10. Charlie Davies
11. Perry Kitchen
12. Andrew Farrell
13. Miguel Ibarra
14. Jermaine Jones
15. Clint Dempsey
16. Kelyn Rowe
17. Graham Zusi
18. Omar Gonzalez
19. Sean Johnson Agree? Disagree? Tell us in the Comments section below. Brooke Tunstall is an American Soccer Now contributing editor and ASN 100 panelist. You can follow him on Twitter.
It’s not that he played badly. After all, Johnson’s 1.48 goals-against average, while not great, was nearly identical to that of Stefan Frei and Luis Robles, both of whom backstopped their teams to within a game of an appearance in MLS Cup.
And his shot-stopping, long the calling card that intrigued fans and scouts alike, has never been better. Still, there’s a perception that Johnson, 25, hasn’t progressed as much as was once hoped for a goalkeeper who earned his first cap at 21—a very young age for his position. Is Johnson dramatically better today than he was four years ago?
Though still young for a goalkeeper, Johnson has yet to progress past fourth on the U.S. national team’s depth chart, stuck behind the more experienced 30something trio of Tim Howard, Brad Guzan, and Nick Rimando. But none of them—despite Howard’s self-imposed one-year national team respite—have shown an indication of not being a part of the next World Cup cycle. Johnson will have to leapfrog one of them to get consistent meaningful games for his country.
Of course, that’s not the only competition Johnson faces. D.C. United’s Bill Hamid, 24, whom Johnson had once edged past in the national team pecking order—Johnson got four caps before Hamid got his second—was just named MLS’ goalkeeper of the year. If Hamid’s starting assignment against Ireland last month was any indication, his strong season has moved him up in Jurgen Klinsmann’s pecking order.
And there are up-and-coming goalkeepers in Europe with youth national team pedigrees like Cody Cropper, Zack Steffen, and Ethan Horvath, all of whom will be nipping at Johnson’s heels. And that’s not even counting competition from within MLS from the likes of late-bloomers like Steve Clark and Chris Seitz.
In short, the time for Johnson to step up and stake a permanent claim to a place with the national team is now. At six-foot-four and with athleticism to burn, as well as four years of solid play as an MLS starter, there is much Johnson can offer the U.S. if he plays to his potential. It behooves the national team to find out now if Johnson should be part of the program for the next couple of years.
ASN's January roster so far
1. Tesho Akindele2. Lee Nguyen
3. Robbie Rogers
4. Matt Besler
5. Gyasi Zardes
6. Bill Hamid
7. Matt Hedges
8. Luis Gil
9. Steve Clark
10. Charlie Davies
11. Perry Kitchen
12. Andrew Farrell
13. Miguel Ibarra
14. Jermaine Jones
15. Clint Dempsey
16. Kelyn Rowe
17. Graham Zusi
18. Omar Gonzalez
19. Sean Johnson Agree? Disagree? Tell us in the Comments section below. Brooke Tunstall is an American Soccer Now contributing editor and ASN 100 panelist. You can follow him on Twitter.
