Will Johnson (update)

[gator]

20 minutes ago, El Hombre said:

Will could sit on a couch for seven months eating nothing but salt and vinegar chips and donuts and he'd still be match fit.  The man is a beast.

I agree, he will never be out of shape but the concern is for match fitness, his game is based on running an awful lot and getting in to good positions offensively and defensively and this could potentially suffer from inactivity! When you watch this guy live you really get an appreciation of how much he does and what an intelligent player he is, he has been my Man of the Match several times this season!

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

1 hour ago, El Hombre said:

Will could sit on a couch for seven months eating nothing but salt and vinegar chips and donuts and he'd still be match fit.  The man is a beast.

1 hour ago, David C. said:

I'm worried that he won't have enough time to get match fit but fingers are definitely crossed, hoping that he does.

Wasn't he out from October all the way to the November WCQ when he had the screws removed from his leg? Then he made the assit for Larin's back-goal. It seems like he can recover quickly. http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2015/10/01/portland-timbers-captain-will-johnson-undergoes-minor-surgery-leg-putting-rest

 

[IceCreamMan]

Good news. Should put him on track to be available for September 

 

[shermanator]

So the Whtiecaps hate Canada, right. Will Johnson broke his leg while scoring against the Whitecaps on a last minute goal. By the transitive property, Will Johnson must really love Canada.

[dyslexic nam]

38 minutes ago, shermanator said:

So the Whtiecaps hate Canada, right. Will Johnson broke his leg while scoring against the Whitecaps on a last minute goal. By the transitive property, Will Johnson must really love Canada.

As per my intro to philosophy course, I think that logic is absolutely air tight.

[Bertuzzi44]

Philosophy shmilosophy

Discrete math FTW

Edited August 10, 2016 by Bertuzzi44

[toontownman]

I heard the caps planned the incident before the game. Robinson was concerned about not winning the trophy but agreed it was in the greater good to take out one of Canada's better players and ousted was overheard saying it felt warming inside to have contributed to the cause. 

I heard too that any Canadian that signs on is under a binding contract to dismantle the canadian mens team if called up. The new mandate of signing Canadians like Edgar and DeJong is to make them look good and then maim them in training a week before internationals. 

I also heard both rumors were unfounded and pointless, much like this post and the yawn worthy whitecaps hate mail, which was probably relevant the same time Adam Sandler last made a funny movie.

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

Will Johnson is healthy enough to be in the starting 11 for TFC tonight! I'm flipping my shit.

Either F**K Floro for not chosing him or F**K Vanney for playing him not yet recovered or F**K Will Johnson for not wanting to go down to Honduras. I'm upset but I'm just not sure at who yet.

[rob.notenboom]

10 minutes ago, Olympique_de_Marseille said:

Will Johnson is healthy enough to be in the starting 11 for TFC tonight! I'm flipping my shit.

Either F**K Floro for not chosing him or F**K Vanney for playing him not yet recovered or F**K Will Johnson for not wanting to go down to Honduras. I'm upset but I'm just not sure at who yet.

By what's been reported it sounds like this was Floro's call.

[king1010]

Floros the one with the attitude problems, not his players. 

(Yes i have my pitch fork out)

Edited August 27, 2016 by king1010

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

1 minute ago, dsqpr said:

If you decline an international call up then I'm pretty sure you are ineligible to play for your club team for a week or two (can't remember the exact timeframe), as I remember this coming up in England within the last year or two (Rooney?).

So, I don't think this can be because WJ declined a call up.

Well if that's the case wouldn't that be during or after the window. We are still before the international window.

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

So 71 minutes on Saturday August 20th http://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2016-08-20-philadelphia-union-vs-toronto-fc/lineup

20 minutes on Wednesday the 24th http://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2016-08-24-orlando-city-sc-vs-toronto-fc/lineup

& a full game today (Saturday August 27th).

[Obinna]

As much as I am angered by the non-call up, I don't think he is going to make or break our fortunes down in Honduras.

He can clearly play 90 minutes now, but he's still prone to give aways in the centre of the park and against a counter attacking Honduras, in that heat, that is not something we need. He's clearly the next best midfielder after Hutchinson and Arfield, but he doesn't take care of the ball like those two, and while he's better than Piette, for example, his more adventurous nature is a little risky. He had some bad turnovers against Honduras in Vancouver and as mentioned, he didn't have the best showing in Mexico City. 

I would much rather him there, and he's a starter moving forward, but it is what it is. Doesn't make much sense but fortunately we have Arfield to replace him, essentially. Too bad all three won't be there, but we are still a better team with Arfield replacing Johnson, should that be how we set up (I pray that it will be - I think we really need Arfield in the centre).

[Kent]

For anyone that just wants to come to terms with Johnson's exclusion and get on with their lives, just imagine that Floro is the sole reason for the dual nationals that committed under his watch. Without Floro we would have Johnson, Osorio, and maybe Teibert. With Floro we don't have those players, but we have Akindele, Arfield and Hoilett. I love those guys that have been left out, but given the choice I would go with the three we have.

[pint]

According to KL latest article Johnson has been blacklisted by floro (similar to osorio) for not going to the June friendlies. 

[king1010]

53 minutes ago, pint said:

According to KL latest article Johnson has been blacklisted by floro (similar to osorio) for not going to the June friendlies. 

Jesus christ. Floro holds grudges like a jealous girl. Get over it. 

His ongoing personal vendetta against players is getting old. 

So hoilett can hold out for years and debate playing for a different country but johnson who didnt show up to a friendly in europe mid tfc season gets blacklisted. 

Edit: Vittoria is an even better example

Edited August 28, 2016 by king1010

[canucklefan]

52 minutes ago, pint said:

According to KL latest article Johnson has been blacklisted by floro (similar to osorio) for not going to the June friendlies. 

If true, we can conclude that Floro's considers his ego more important than his job, and a chance for Canada to qualify to the Hex.

[Gian-Luca]

Larson is quoting an unnamed source who is "close to the situation", whatever that means. Not particularly persuasive as a piece of journalism.

[paul-collins]

1 hour ago, pint said:

According to KL latest article Johnson has been blacklisted by floro (similar to osorio) for not going to the June friendlies. 

So he sticks with his club to participate in the Voyageurs' Cup.  And now the Voyageurs don't get to cheer him on.

That's fucked up.

[shorty]

28 minutes ago, canucklefan said:

If true, we can conclude that Floro's considers his ego more important than his job, and a chance for Canada to qualify to the Hex.

Or that he's REALLY old school about duty and respect.  Squizz just tweeted a link to this article from when WJ turned down the call to the Gold Cup, and reading the comments from the time are interesting.  One comment in particular speculates about the precedent it might set if players are allowed to refuse call-ups because of their club situations. 

It wouldn't surprise me to learn that Floro believes he is doing the right thing long term for the program in making examples of WJ, Osorio, Teibert, etc. etc.  Not saying I would agree or wouldn't.  Just seems potentially consistent with Floro's personality.  He is definitely a proud guy, but personal ego doesn't strike me as his main MO, whereas tradition/propriety/order/etc definitely does, for good or ill.

[apbsmith]

15 hours ago, Obinna said:

As much as I am angered by the non-call up, I don't think he is going to make or break our fortunes down in Honduras.

He can clearly play 90 minutes now, but he's still prone to give aways in the centre of the park and against a counter attacking Honduras, in that heat, that is not something we need. He's clearly the next best midfielder after Hutchinson and Arfield, but he doesn't take care of the ball like those two, and while he's better than Piette, for example, his more adventurous nature is a little risky. He had some bad turnovers against Honduras in Vancouver and as mentioned, he didn't have the best showing in Mexico City. 

I would much rather him there, and he's a starter moving forward, but it is what it is. Doesn't make much sense but fortunately we have Arfield to replace him, essentially. Too bad all three won't be there, but we are still a better team with Arfield replacing Johnson, should that be how we set up (I pray that it will be - I think we really need Arfield in the centre).

This +1

I wish WJ the best and I know he will be back in the mix and a key part for us.  I don't watch much MLS, but I watched the TFC/Impact game last night. WJ did absolutely nothing whatsoever to impress me yesterday, couldn't make a pass, gave that ball over quite a bit, felt he was always a step behind the play.  Even coming off the bench late in Honduras, I don't see how he would be a difference maker at the current time.

I think the June camp was massive, maybe an ego thing or maybe lost in translation. That was a massive and critical camp in what needed to be established before these 2 games. It's unfortunate some players did not make it to that critical National team camp.

[red card]

2 hours ago, Gian-Luca said:

Larson is quoting an unnamed source who is "close to the situation", whatever that means. Not particularly persuasive as a piece of journalism.

And all these tidbits are from a TFC perspective. John Molinaro's article on the roster announcement was all about the 2 TFC players not picked. 

[Bison44]

Yipes!!  I cant believe the critisisms of Johnsons game.  Does anyone seriously not have him as our #3 or #4 central midfielder?  Everybody has holes or weakness in their game.  But who wants Piete or Straith in there as opposed to Johnson??  And for those who dont think Johnson would effect the outcome etc, what has Peite or Straith ever done?? (Not knocking them but Johson has done more than both of them combined) This is too important a game to let Floro pull some sort of "lesson" to future players and hold a grudge.  The fact that he is starting and playing 90min in MLS should be enough to say he could handle a 25min end of game sub role in Honduras.  It was concerning enough when it was Tiebert and Osorio getting the cold shoulder..now I wonder who is next?  Atiba for not wearing his flip flops in the shower?  Borjan for chewing gum in team meetings?  He called Henry, who is injured by all accounts and Jakovic who cannot be at match fitness, but there was no spot for another midfielder???  YIPES!!!  

And who exactly said that the fence sitters coming over to CAN was all Floro's doing?? I must have missed that.  

[aloyol]

I just don't understand. From what I remember and confirmed with articles concerning theJune friendlies, the CSA and TFC had a deal that had WJ playing the first game against Azerbaijan and then coming back to Canada. So WJ showed up and picked up an injury in camp according to this article:

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/canada-uzbekistan-1.3620576

I'm not sure we have the full picture here.

[mpg_29]

4 hours ago, shorty said:

Or that he's REALLY old school about duty and respect.  Squizz just tweeted a link to this article from when WJ turned down the call to the Gold Cup, and reading the comments from the time are interesting.  One comment in particular speculates about the precedent it might set if players are allowed to refuse call-ups because of their club situations. 

It wouldn't surprise me to learn that Floro believes he is doing the right thing long term for the program in making examples of WJ, Osorio, Teibert, etc. etc.  Not saying I would agree or wouldn't.  Just seems potentially consistent with Floro's personality.  He is definitely a proud guy, but personal ego doesn't strike me as his main MO, whereas tradition/propriety/order/etc definitely does, for good or ill.

This is my impression.  And frankly I think the canmnt program needs it.