Looks like he has dual citizenship: http://sbisoccer.com/2013/07/johnson-outstanding-start
Official: Sean Johnson to NYCFC
- Thread starter NickFromAstoria
- Start date
If $50k is the entry level to play, paying anything outside of that increment kills the ability for a team to pony up a $50k stack down the road... maybe not tomorrow, but there will come a time when the $14k or $33k or whatever is left over is essentially useless and no more help than having $0 left.
Perhaps deals are done with increments of $25k (after the initial $50), but broken down any more than that would be crazy haggling - kind of like on Shark Tank when the presenters hold out for an extra 1-3% control and lose the deal entirely.
If NYC offered the Fire more for SJ than ATL did, then why would CH take the ATL offer instead? Even the Fire management shouldn't be able to screw things up that much.
This deal tells me that the FO is looking to "win now". Remember, the league increased each team's TAM and GAM this season, so that probably gave us the flexibility to make this move.
Will we be better off if Mix gets taken off our books as a result of this trade? Absolutely. However, SJ provides an immediate upgrade for us at the position this upcoming season, regardless of who we think has a higher ceiling (Eirik or SJ) long term.
Don't discount the importance of competition as well. We saw that Vieria will make the necessary changes if he sees improvement during training. I can see Eirik and SJ battling it out for the whole season, which is great for the team as well as their own development
Will we be better off if Mix gets taken off our books as a result of this trade? Absolutely. However, SJ provides an immediate upgrade for us at the position this upcoming season, regardless of who we think has a higher ceiling (Eirik or SJ) long term.
Don't discount the importance of competition as well. We saw that Vieria will make the necessary changes if he sees improvement during training. I can see Eirik and SJ battling it out for the whole season, which is great for the team as well as their own development
One thing people are missing completely is the fact that Sean Johnson was and is still probably a top 3 GK in this league. A couple of years ago he was up there with Bill Hamid as the top young GK in this league. Sean Johnson is the real deal, trust me. He is exactly what we need.
To answer my own question, the story I have since read about -- which I still have my doubts about -- is that Chicago got played because they agreed to take less to allow Georgia native SJ to play in his home area. Then Atlanta took their low cost asset and traded it for more. But if that's the case, then why didn't we blow the whistle on Chicago to take out the middle man? And if J asked Chicago to trade him to Atlanta, and Chicago agreed, and then Atlanta flips him to us, then we should be hearing reports that he is pissed off.
As someone who never lived in Chicago, or cared about the Fire, for some reason I saw him play a lot. I have been saying this since early in the year when Pujanovic started Lampson over Sean Johnson, even when healthy, for some stupid reason. I told everyone we should go after Sean Johnson. I even tweeted at Sean on 5/1 telling him to tell his GM to call Reyna and work out a deal, and then I tweeted at Reyna to look to get Sean from the Fire. Sean Johnson is the real deal. The kid is the goods. Super stoked about this deal and he should be our starting GK for a number of years, if healthy.
Anyone who says paying 350k for Sean Johnson is a bad move is not paying attention. That is a good salary for a keeper of this caliber and someone who can be a cornerstone of the defense and the backline for years to come. This move is all upside. Perfect MLS get.
This raises an interesting parallel question: Isn't there a FIFA regulation regarding the number of teams a player can be on in the course of a year? Since MLS holds all contracts of players, does that allow the player to move endlessly within the MLS umbrella? Or since ATL completed a trade, that counts as team #2, and now NYC is team #3?
I believe the limit is three teams (CHI/ATL/NYC) so the SJ saga isn't an issue (right now), but if say an European team came calling next summer (as somebody was earlier dreading/speculating -I forget who, so sorry) then I don't think SJ could go anywhere until this time next year. Is this correct?
The only keepers in that range are D.C., portland, RSL, and Vancouver: 325-400k, but everybody else has a starting keeper in the range of 150-250k. I didn't count Howard. Nick Ramindo was the$400k, and the skill divide between him and SJ is definitely more than $50k. Hamid (GK of the year 2014) is better and he's only 325k.
I know people like Eirik here, but him not starting over Saunders for most of the season says a lot about what Vieira thinks of his talent. I think we were always planning to upgrade at keeper this off-season. With that being said, I don't think Johnson's acquisition cost is that bad. His salary is $100,000 higher than Saunders' (who I'm assuming will be gone) and we spent some TAM and GAM on him (let's go with the $100,000 that's been floated here). So $350,000 minus $150,000 leaves a $200,000 investment to upgrade with Johnson. Not using an international slot on him should also be factored in his costs, though, assuming our upgrade alternatives were international like they've mostly been for us up to this point. If we don't plan to go over our international slot limit this move gives us flexibility to get international players at other positions. If we do plan to go over (probably more likely), then getting him saved us the TAM or GAM ($50,000 assuming what has been discussed is true) that getting another slot would cost for an international upgrade. That means the upgrade from Saunders to Johnson cost us roughly $150,000.
Now lets look at what that upgrade cost gets us. Johnson has a reputation as a great shot blocker who had a lot of potential. At minimum he should be a decent upgrade on Saunders (and likely on Eirik, who Vieira did not play over Saunders) and if he hits his potential a significant one. The one big holdup seems to be that he hasn't played out of the back much. Remember, though, that we spent most of last year using Saunders to play out of the back. Johnson probably can't be worse than that, and will learn as time goes on.
Overall I think we needed an upgrade at keeper. I also think it would have been tough to find an international upgrade for the $150,000 upgrade cost that Johnson is over Saunders. I think Johnson will be well worth the investment we made, especially when MLS continues to increase the amount we can spend.
Now lets look at what that upgrade cost gets us. Johnson has a reputation as a great shot blocker who had a lot of potential. At minimum he should be a decent upgrade on Saunders (and likely on Eirik, who Vieira did not play over Saunders) and if he hits his potential a significant one. The one big holdup seems to be that he hasn't played out of the back much. Remember, though, that we spent most of last year using Saunders to play out of the back. Johnson probably can't be worse than that, and will learn as time goes on.
Overall I think we needed an upgrade at keeper. I also think it would have been tough to find an international upgrade for the $150,000 upgrade cost that Johnson is over Saunders. I think Johnson will be well worth the investment we made, especially when MLS continues to increase the amount we can spend.
A healthy Sean Johnson is better then Rimando, and as good as Hamid IMO. To me no difference. There are only a three of GKs in MLS I would take over Sean John and they are Robles, Ousted, Howard.
IIRC it wont be an issue because next year is a new season and i think there is a loophole where if going from a different soccer calendar league gives you an extra spot. By that i mean going from a March-October calendar league ( MLS ) to a August-May calendar ( Europe). So if someone does want him in July next year he can technically go.
Are we talking about the same Rimando that's been the best keeper in the league for years?
Full disclosure/devil's advocate/sincerely asking if you accounted for acquisition costs in those figures. Apples to apples and whatever
The figures are what was published at
http://blogs.denverpost.com/rapids/...ed-major-league-soccer-players-union/27671/8/
transfer fees are typically included in the numbers, but I doubt any of these players were obtained with transfer money. That's not to say Garber $$ wasn't used for any of them, but it's a moot point because their value is what their teams are paying them. For us to get SJ, we had to pay the extra $$, so that has to be factored in since we cannot use it on another player.
We'll see. There's a reason Paunovic made him a healthy #2 and was very willing to trade him. Could just be a guy that needed a change of scenery.
I hope he's more Tim Howard and less Rob Green in that regard.
I hope he's more Tim Howard and less Rob Green in that regard.
Yes. I always thought Rimando was a bit overrated. Small size. Left too many rebounds in the center for my liking. He was is great with his feet and he had great communication with his backline. Again as a former keeper I cant stress it enough, communication and commanding the backline is of utmost importance. That is something some keepers can get better at. But yes I am speaking about THAT Rimando. He has had a tremendous backline and Beckerman infront of them his whole time at RSL except for the last couple of years where surprise surprise he has slipped some.
