“Second chances are not given to make things right. But are given to prove that we could be even better after we fall.” – Unknown
That night in Natal was the last great memory USMNT fans have on the global stage. Sure their was a gold cup trophy since then, but with the world watching, the USMNT’s 2-1 win vs. Ghana was the last moment that transcended US soccer for the better. John Brooks’ goal made me and thousands of Americans fall in love with the sport. The narration of Ian Darke, the disbelief of Brooks as he falls on the Brazilian grass, a memory unlike any other.
But in recent re-runs of the goal, I can’t keep this image out of my head of who was the first, and longest, to celebrate Brooks’ winner with him.
Recognize the name? If you don’t follow American’s abroad or follow the national team heavily, you may have no idea who that name is.
That man is Aron Johannsson, an Icelandic-American born in Mobile, AL. Johannsson was with the Icelandic national team throughout the youth levels, but chose the US because he wanted to compete and play in the world cup. (You really can’t make this stuff up.)
As with many at the time, Johansson was one of Klinsmann’s recruits, who was receiving call ups for his excellent production at AZ Alkmaar. (He was also the striker that benched Jozy Altidore at Alkmaar, ending the only production Altidore had in Europe.)
Just like Julian Green, Timmy Chandler, and Alfredo Morales, when Klinsmann was exiled, so was Johannsson. It wasn’t as if he was a tough out as well, due to his miraculous fall down the ranks for his club Werner Bremen.
In 2015, fresh off of a World Cup run with the US, Johannsson was transferred to Werder Bremen. For the Icelandic-American, it was his dream move finally achieve. Coincidentally that same year, Fox Sports acquired the Bundesliga rights, making it the first time American tv viewers could watch the league for the first time.
In 2019, The Bundesliga cancelled the rights a year short, citing an over-lacking disappointment for how the network treated its league. In 2019, Johansson was back in Scandinavia, trying to make up the last four years of a similar disappointment.
Five of his nine starts came in 15/16, when he scored twice in six appearances before a hip injury sidelined him for the rest of the season. In the 16/17 campaign, Johannsson scored only a penalty in two starts before being replaced as Bremen’s number nine by a 37 year old Claudio Pizarro. Johannsson would split time with the first and second team, with a season as a reserve player in 18/19 concluding his disastrous spell with the club.
Throughout all of this, USMNT fans barely whimpered. After all, we still had Bobby Wood banging in goals for Hamburg! (How has he been, lately?) Altidore, Dempsey, and Zardes were also getting it done domestically. For Aron Johannsson, his time in a USMNT jersey was over.
Then, something miraculous happened in 2020.
He’s become a scoring machine in Sweden
Aron Johannsson became good, like really good, at scoring goals. Johannsson, was transferred to Hammarby in 2019. In 2020, he exploded. As of publishing, Johannsson has 12 goals in 22 matches, averaging a finish every 105 minutes, a league high. He is at the moment fourth in the golden boot race even though he has only started 15 matches.
It’s not just his scoring that has caught the eyes of many. One thing that has improved exponentially is his off ball movement, especially in the box.
Clinical. Deceptive. Confident. All the tools that Johannsson lacked in Germany has been reinstated in Norway. While not at the same level, you can draw comparisons to Gyasi Zardes in Columbus for his ability to find space, with the confidence of 2016 Dempsey in his finishing.
But for the USMNT faithful, especially Gregg Berhalter, replicating this quality via a move to MLS will be his last hope for a national team call up.
Tell me… how did the above comparisons achieve in MLS again?
He would thrive in MLS (if healthy)
Their is a common misconception that with MLS and all its lunacy comes a lack of strategy and quality for players to succeed in the league. This has clearly been debunked, given how some big names completely flop (Antonio Nocerino, anyone?) while others thrive.
For a striker to be successful, it takes someone with elite off ball movement, physical prowess to match the leagues strong center halves, and overall durability is required for sustained success.
Recent MLS golden boot winners Josef Martinez, Nemanja Nikolic, and Bradley Wright-Phillips all possessed these skills. There is a certainty that when fully fit, Johannsson can do the same.
It should be important to note that Johannsson has had problems in the past with injuries. His entire career in Germany was derailed for a hip injury, and past set backs even led to discussions if he will ever play the beautiful game again.
However, no one can deny the goal scoring tally in Sweden has heads properly turned. The question is… what will be his ceiling with the national team?
Is a USMNT call-up even possible?
For the weak spot in the USMNT’s XI, their have never been more candidates to fill the striker role on the team.
Just in MLS alone, Johannsson would need to play above Zardes, Altidore, Akinola, Dike, and Ebobisse if he is to get his call up. hat’s no small task, given the MLS experience of Zardes of Altidore and the exponential develop of Dike, Akinola, and Ebobisse. Even if this all came to fruition for the Alabama native, he would still need to turn Berhalter’s eye more than Sargeant, Gioacchini, and the cast of young strikers in Europe at the moment.
It was never gonna be easy for Johannsson to get another call-up, let alone a national team role for the upcoming tournaments in 2021. With Berhalter’s recent moves in November camp, it very well can be too little too late for Johannsson.
But if any chance was still there, it would be in MLS. You can silence somone’s performance in Scandinavia, but if you bang in 20 goals next year in MLS, it’ll be impossible for Berhalter to ignore you.
I’m rooting for him.
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