Eddie Johnson: Gamble Towards Specific Style Of Play

…I could understand this deal.

Dumping a local kid like Neagle – who created his own space, was strong on the ball and had a scoring touch – just feels completely wrong to me.

I’ll like this move when it pays off, and not a minute sooner.

Can someone say where they saw the $100k figure for his salary? I can’t find where it originated from and am wondering if that is a true figure or just a guesstimate.

is related (in my opinion) to the fact that this is first year where we are looking at having to cut multiple players that we REALLY WANT TO KEEP in order to satisfy MLS Roster rules. Even now, we’re looking at having to jettison some real talent. I’m looking forward to S@H’s revised roster battle sheet. I have a really good feeling about Cato and Rose. If we find that cutting Neagle has led to a need for additional depth on either wing (which it won’t…we’re stacked on the outside), we can always call in Ngassa for a go.

If I’m Tetteh, I’m psyched…he was riding the bubble big time…he still is, but his chances have definitely improved. If I’m OBW, I’m more worried than ever. I would think Josh Ford is in big trouble with his injury. Weber or Meredith would almost have to give the Sounders a reason to cut them right now (I’m assuming Blais is just there to keep sharp and keep Ezra out of goal).

What are your thoughts?

I’ve also heard the $100,000 salary and believe EJ is probably a very good signing at that amount. I just did a quick analysis of forwards making between $75,000 – $125,000 last year.

I was going to fanpost it, but I couldn’t get the table to work. So, its on the website, but hard to find. If you’re interested you can find it by following this link

For a team with strong successes in the regular season and Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, the loss of depth could be significant.

In context, this almost reads as if we’ve traded away all of our roster depth. Very doomsday’ish. I just don’t see it that way. At forward, the depth remained exactly the same, but the quality (very likely) received a big boost. At midfield, we lost a 3rd stringer on the outside. Nagel, baring several injuries, likely would have only started some USOC and CCL group stage matches at best this season and may have been in the 18 for some league matches. Despite some flashes of briliance mingled in with average play last season, I think the rest of the roster has progressed past than him, moving him down the pecking order. Sivebæk and Zakuani are the players now ahead of him that weren’t available last season. So while depth may have taken a hit, I think it’s quite limited in reality and we’re still better off than last season.

As far as our resources available to aquire talent (and create more depth), we appear to have taken at most a $21,000 hit on our remaining cap space with this transaction. It’s been reported by Steve Goff that Johnson will make $100,000 this year. Fucito and Neagle combined for $74,604 in salary last season, so assuming a 5% raise for each per the CBA, they would have made $78,334 this season. If they had more lucrative options in the waining years of either of their contracts, then the cap hit from this trade is actually less.

Hanaur has indicated in several interviews (1 and 2 examples) that any further significant changes to the roster were going to have to be “addition by subtraction” In this case, I think that’s exactly what happened. In the end, I think we lost very little in terms of cap space and depth-in-hand, and I think we filled a need that’s been obvious to many for quite some time. Perhaps Ochoa was going to be able to fill that need, but having 2 possibilities for big, quick starting forwards that can be serious scoring threats increases the likelyhood of success.

My definition of success here is a lineup where team’s can’t key on one player (Fredy) and essentially gum up our entire offense enough to frustrate most scoring opportunities. Now they’ll have to focus first on our dangerous TF (either Johnson or Ochoa) and then Fredy will come as a second attacker and have more room to work with. Mauro, Sivebæk, Flaco, and/or Zakuani will work the ball in from the wings to 2 major scoring threats. I personally believe Fredy will do a lot better in that situation and, if I’m right, will have his best year with the Sounders yet. We probably will be saying goodbye to him after this season.

This comment, written less than 24 hours before the Johnson trade, summed up my thoughts/expecations on the Sounders offseason perfectly. We can now check #4 off that list and stick a fork in the winter transfer window. Time to go win 2+ championships this season (choose 2 of MLS Cup, USOC, CCL, and/or SS).

being met by Sounder heads going way up with this deal.

as a result of losing Neagle and Fucito seem to have forgotten that Cato is a newcomer that could fill in for Neagle. After seeing Neagle play last year, I’m definitely willing to try someone with more technical skills and speed a chance at showing their potential. Cato has been having a strong preseason, and I’m sure his raw potential has lots to speak about when it comes to trading Neagle. Just as the Sounder at Heart staff did player analysis earlier this winter, Neagle did a good job filling a hole created by Zakuani’s injury, but as someone on the bench as a third option for the left wing position, dont forget to look at where he lies in the depth chart.

Fucito, albeit one of the hardest working players on the team, found an opportunity to shine last year when the players above him in the pecking order were OBW, Jaqua and Levesque. He was already riding pretty far back on the pine… and while he showed us a glimpse of his work ethic, with limited technical skills and a strategic mind to see the big picture in plays, we’ve seen three years of potential with him now, and while I’m always going to be a Fucito fan, I welcome the opportunity to bring on a striker with greater potential for the risk involved.