TORONTO—Of the four big off-season signings made by Toronto FC, a very strong case could be made that Will Johnson has made the biggest impact.
That’s absolutely no disrespect to goalkeeper Clint Irwin, right fullback Steven Beitashour and central defender Drew Moor—all three have been fabulous additions and thus far they’ve proven to be major upgrades for TFC at their respective positions.
Johnson, though, might just be the pick of the bunch. He has been a bulwark in the centre of the park, adding some much needed toughness, grit and skill to TFC’s midfield. The Canadian international has underlined his value by starting all eight games, and playing 719 out of a possible 720 minutes, with one goal and three assists to his credit.
It can’t be simple for a player to pick up and start over again after being traded, and instantly integrate himself into a new team, even for a veteran such as Johnson who’s been through this before, having previously played for Real Salt Lake and the Portland Timbers. There’s also a strain on the player’s family life that has to be taken into consideration, and in Johnson’s case, it’s especially pronounced. Toronto is his hometown, but the fact he was on the road for most of the first eight weeks of the campaign—and the bulk of pre-season—while his wife was dealing with their two young children by herself had to be stressful for the midfielder.
Yet, Johnson maintains that settling into life in Toronto and as a member of TFC has been pretty seamless.
“Honestly, it’s been easy. This group [of players] has been very easy to integrate myself into. I’ve had literally no issues with anybody or anything. It’s been overwhelmingly positive,” Johnson told Sportsnet in a one-on-one chat ahead of Saturday’s home opener against FC Dallas.
And while the club’s back room staff, coaches, officials and teammates have all helped him to adjust, one person’s presence in particular has made the transition particularly smooth: captain Michael Bradley.
Not only are Johnson and Bradley partners on the pitch, forging what has become one of the best central midfield pairings in MLS during the early portion of the season, they’re also good friends. The pair spent part of their childhoods growing up together in Illinois and have been close ever since.
Johnson had other options this off-season. A number of clubs around the league were interested in his services last year when they found out he asked Portland to trade him. But one thing tipped matters in TFC’s favour—its captain.
Maybe TFC have discovered an added bonus to having Bradley around—being ‘a fixer,’ or a recruiter. Like league MVP Sebastian Giovinco, Bradley’s reputation precedes him, and having a player the calibre of the star midfielder who’s played abroad and is the captain of the U.S. national team is a huge ace in the hole for the Reds.
It certainly helped them land Johnson.
“I’m not sure I’d be here without him, to be quite honest with you. Michael being here, being the captain of this team, being a great player and a good friend of mine was a big selling point for me to be able to come to Toronto,” Johnson admitted.
“It wasn’t the be all and end all, but it was very important for me because his opinion means a lot to me. The work that he’s put in, and his vision for this group, I took that to heart in a big way. When he told me this is a good team before I even got here, I trust him more than I would trust other players around the league when they tell me the same thing.”
Johnson described his childhood friend as “a special leader,” and someone who is “incredibly focused and driven,” traits that he saw in Bradley while growing up together, and has witnessed first-hand in the TFC locker-room.
“A lot of our success and failures falls squarely on his shoulders because of who he is and what he does. He’s the captain of the U.S. national team and one of the biggest clubs in MLS for a reason—because he’s got that uncanny ability to juggle that heavy responsibility and play at a very high level. It’s amazing how he handles it all,” Johnson said.
Toronto has received rave reviews for its solid start to the season—a 3-3-2 record and 11 points through the opening eight games (all on the road) while giving up a measly seven goals. Johnson is pleased with the early returns, while at the same time feeling TFC needs to adapt a bit of a killer instinct
“Results wise, I think we left some points on the table which is frustrating because we got off to a good start. There’s a feeling that there’s still a next level that we need to get to. Not coming away feeling [bad] from games that we lost because we played well is one thing, but I think we need to take that next step and be ruthless and take our chances and finish games,” Johnson explained.
All of which sets the table for Saturday’s contest against FC Dallas, which is TFC’s belated home opener and the first of four games the Reds will play at the newly-renovated BMO Field. It’s important that Toronto takes full advantage of this extended home run, Johnson said, especially after walking away with fewer points than they probably should have through the first eight matches.
“I think we’ve played better than 11 points. I truly believe that watching every game back we deserved more than 11 points from those eight games. … It puts us in a good spot, though, to now make a run and establish ourselves as one of the teams to beat in the East,” Johnson stated.
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