Wow. I Didn't See That Coming..

It was a few days ago when I heard that Eddie Johnson would be returning to MLS. I didn't give it any thought until I heard that Colorado was a potential landing point. Then I got giddy knowing that I would be able to give my cousin Jason some shit for signing a player who has not only always underwhelmed, but one who I felt had a serious attitude problem. Having just lost their back-up striker and with their franchise striker still battling injuries, it reeked of desperation.

I got on the bus today assuming Johnson was going to Montreal or New England after hearing that the rapids were no longer interested. Then in an instance, the guillotine dropped as I learned that not only was EJ coming to the Sounders, but that they somehow were duped into giving Montreal both Mike Fucito and Lamar Neagle. I know I speak for the rest of the supporters when I say I was shocked. There was NO indication at all that either fucito or Neagle would be traded. Hell, there was every indication that they could be opening night starters.

I didn't go to the message boards or blogs for the next two hours as my 2-year old told me what to do and how to act. Instead, I thought it over in my own head and consulted my boy J-Will for his thoughts. And you know what happened? I somehow talked myself into this. First, let's get his history out of the way.

Most US soccer supporters know about Johnson's past. He entered MLS as a potential savior. He scored 41 goals in 7 seasons. He has played in a World Cup and has represented the National Team 42 times (scoring 12 times). But after MLS, he has bounced around Europe with 4 different clubs. He hasn't scored since 2010. He flirted with MLS last year but never signed. Then this off-season he was set to sign with Mexican side Puebla only to have them publicly say that he was out of shape. Somehow, his career had derailed and it seemed that he only had himself to blame. Lazy, out of shape, malcontent were all words I had heard to describe him.

So how the hell am I feeling ok about this? Well, let's count the ways.

1. I believe in Sigi. Going into last season I was a little skeptical, but after seeing him masterfully guide the team to 2nd in MLS, CCL Quarterfinals and a 3rd straight US Open Cup title, I was reminded about how damn good he is. Let's face it, the guy is a good coach and he seems to have a great relationship with the front office. There is NO way they make this trade if Sigi didn't see something in EJ. If you listen to EJ, he has not only been working out in California for the past 2.5 months but he never failed a physical because he never took one. If you listen to Sigi, he says that EJ will play a role in the Santos Laguna series. Time will tell if he does, but I have never seen Sigi hold back in press conferences. He obviously has seen EJ and believes him to be in shape. Otherwise there would be no way he even is in the final 18 for the tie against Santos Laguna.

2. EJ will not be commanding DP money. In fact, he will only be making $100k in 2012 with a club option for $150k in 2013. I believe that this is still more than Fucito and Neagle combined, but the importance of his low salary cannot be understated. Besides the obvious salary cap issue, it is important that he gets paid less than Fredy. There is a pecking order in sports. it doesn't matter what level you play at - players know where they stand amongst their peers. Fredy Montero is the most talented (and most frustrating) player on this team. He needs to be paid like it. If the Sounders were to pay EJ more than Fredy when clearly he is not better than Fredy, then I guarantee the disenchanted Fredy will return (just ask DeRo who was getting paid less than Julian DeGuzman in Toronto but was clearly the best player in the league). I actually believe in Fredy this year. I think he is hungry to show he can lead a team. I think he believes that he is the best player. I think EJ's skills match up nicely with Fredy. I think it can be a nice partnership.

3. Fan favorites are often not the best players on the teams. We loved Mike Fucito because he was an underdog. He is shorter than my wife. He was drafted in the 4th round. He joined Sounders camp as a nobody. He worked his way up and gave it maximum effort at all times. We loved him for it. but the stats speak for themselves - while he has scored at a high rate in CCL matches, he was never able to find his form (or his luck) in MLS matches. He was overmatched and and an overachiever. Lamar Neagle was another underdog. After being drafted and released by the Sounders, he paid his dues in the USL. When he signed with the Sounders the following off-season, not even his own mother could have imagined what was in store. Not only did he start to see some quality minutes, but he scored some of the biggest goals of the 2011 season. It wasn't always pretty with him, but he worked his ass off and of course, he was a local boy.

But they weren't the best players on the team nor were they players that could carry the team once the current core leaves for greener pastures. Think about it...Montero, Mauro, Flaco, Ozzie, Zakuani, Parke, Johannson and Hurtado are more valuable to this team. Some might even suggest Ochoa and Evans. While we hate to see them go, it's not like we traded away our franchise.

4. This team is in win-now mode. Sigi hinted to it the day they were eliminated from the playoffs. He believes in this core group of players, but it is time they got over the hump and won MLS Cup. All the moves this off-season were made to make the starting 11 stronger at the expense of some of their depth. They lost a lot of quality players but were able to replace with some higher end parts. Fucito and Neagle were not going to win MLS Cup for the Sounders, but it is entirely possible that EJ can. It is a big gamble, but if somehow EJ can find his form from 6 years ago, he could score 10-14 goals. It is a big if, but he has that potential.

5. Again, I think Sigi knows what he is doing. I don't think this trade was solely about getting EJ. I think he felt that he could replace both Fucito and Neagle with guys who are already on the roster. First and foremost, I think Cristian Sivebaeck is going to have a really really nice year. The guy is a physical freak and even at a young age brings a lot of experience. He will fill the back-up wing role just fine. Another guy having a nice spring is David Estrada, who appears to be in line for minutes not only at wing but striker as well. Add in Mike Seamon, a hopefully returning Steve Zakuani and possibly even Michael Tetteh or Cornell Cato and I think there is some talent there. Oh, and call it a hunch, but I have a feeling that draft picks Andy Rose and Babyele Sodade will see the field this season.

6. I am going to believe that EJ is actually motivated. Here is what I am going to believe (and you know what, I could be totally wrong). I am going to believe that EJ did indeed have a bad attitude while in Europe. He has been told how awesome he is his whole life. When he went to Europe he struggled and instead of reacting positively, I bet he became a malcontent. He was shipped around but had not hit rock bottom until this past off-season. He said that he was torn last year when he decided to bail on an MLS offer at the last minute. That is totally believable - he probably felt that he could be a star in Europe and that going back to MLS was below him. Then he couldn't find a team to play for and a Mexican team declined signing him because they said he was out of shape. Now I don't put much stock in what Puebla said, especially considering Mauro's experience with a Mexican team last year, but the public comments were totally damning. I mean, EJ was officially more of a bust than Fredy Adu. I think it finally hit him that his European stay was over and that MLS offered him the best shot at making the National Team again. We aren't talking about a 35 year old. EJ is a 27 year old striker who at one point had a great future with this team. You don't play for your national team that many times without being good. EJ saw the opportunity to come back stateside and get starters minutes - something new coach Jurgen Klinsmann said is a must. I truly am going to believe that he is motivated as hell to show that he be a big time goal scorer in league play, but that he deserves a shot at the 2014 World Cup. I really really think that is the case.

7. I think he just fits well and will let Fredy try to be the playmaker that he wants to be. When Fredy entered the league, he was purely a goalscorer, but over time you saw him want to be more of a playmaker. I think he is still good for 10-12 goals this year, but I also think he can have 8-10 assists as well. Fucito wasn't scoring last year, but I think EJ will. Questions about his emotional state aside, the kid physically gifted. While not huge, he is no Fucito - opposing defenses won't be able to treat him the same.

***

Ok, so there are the reasons I have not jumped out a window. However, I do want to take the opportunity to voice my concerns.I am obviously concerned that EJ has duped the front office into paying him $50k more than he is worth. While the FO has generally done an amazing job, there have been some poor decisions - Ljungberg, Nkufo, LeToux. This could certainly be one.

But the biggest concern I have is with the fans. The attitude expressed towards both Jaqua and Noonan last year was toxic. Every time they touched the ball the crowd groaned. I don't have inside knowledge, I've never met Jaqua before and the most we get to see of him is a few 30-second interviews, but I'm pretty sure it affected him. It in no way should - he is a professional athlete - but I'm sure it did.

I am afraid that the fans will not give EJ a fair shot and will boo him on opening day. I know that it hurts to lose Fuciro and Neagle (hell, Mar Neagle was my 2-year olds favorite player) but we need to get over it. Part of what makes sports so great is the emotions we feel. But sometimes we need to take a step back and think objectively. I may not have been overly objective in convincing myself this was a good trade, but I guarantee I will give EJ every shot to become a favorite of mine. I will not hold it against him and I hope the rest of the fans don't either.

For all we know, EJ might have a career revival. He might mix perfectly with Mauro and Fredy and score 13 goals. Alvaro might finally step in and play the attacking central midfielder role we all want him to. Zakuani might be back to 90% in August. We might score more goals than we did last year. There is some history saying this won't happen, but the ceiling is unlimited with EJ in our attack. I applaud the front office for at least taking the initiative and trying to upgrade our team. Last year fans got on Adrian for not bringing in a player at the transfer deadline. While bringing in EJ wasn't as splashy as signing a Prince Tagoe or a Michael Ballack and while it did cost us two players, it shows a plan and the confidence to act on it. Let's see the season out. If EJ ends up being a bust, if Fredy turns unhappy and leaves for Spain and this team gets tossed out of the playoffs again, then we as a fan base have every right to riot. But for now, let's move aside the emotion of one's lost and look forward to a great season.