Will Johnson (soccer)

For other people named Will Johnson, see Will Johnson (disambiguation).
Will Johnson

Will Johnson playing for Canada against El Salvador on July 7, 2009
Personal information
Full name William David Johnson[1]
Date of birth (1987-01-21) 21 January 1987
Place of birth Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[2]
Playing position Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Toronto FC
Number 7
Youth career
1996–1998 Woodridge Storm
2003–2004 Blackburn Rovers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2004 Chicago Fire Reserves 0 (0)
2005 Chicago Fire 6 (1)
2006–2008 Heerenveen 14 (1)
2007–2008 → De Graafschap (loan) 26 (2)
2008–2012 Real Salt Lake 114 (9)
2013–2015 Portland Timbers 69 (15)
2015 → Portland Timbers 2 (loan) 3 (0)
2016– Toronto FC 23 (2)
National team‡
2005–2007 Canada U20 32 (5)
2008 Canada U23 3 (3)
2005– Canada 41 (4)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23 October 2016.

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of March 29, 2016

William David "Will" Johnson (born 21 January 1987) is a Canadian soccer player for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer and plays for the Canada national soccer team.

Personal life

Johnson's grandfather is Brian Birch who had a successful career with Bolton Wanderers, picking up an FA Cup winners medal in 1958.[3] Married to Caroline Childs, the two have a daughter, Arabella Capri, born October 2012, and a son, Jaxx Beckett, born September 5, 2014. Johnson also holds U.S. citizenship.[4]

Club career

Youth

Johnson was born in Canada, but moved shortly afterwards to England where he started playing soccer, attending the Merchant Taylors' School in Crosby, near Liverpool. When he was 10 his family once again moved, this time to Woodridge, Illinois, and he played youth soccer for the Sockers FC Chicago. Johnson later returned to England to play for the youth team of Blackburn Rovers in the 2003-04 season. However, after the season he left Blackburn and returned to Illinois. He was on the roster of Chicago Fire Reserves in the USL Premier Development League, but did not feature in any PDL games.

Chicago Fire

In 2005, Johnson was signed by the Chicago Fire as a discovery player. Johnson played most of the year for the reserve team but he did play in six games for the senior team, where he scored a goal. After the year the Fire offered him a $28,000 contract, which he rejected. Johnson then went on a trial with Heerenveen, which was successful, and they signed him to a one-year deal plus a club option for two more years.

Heerenveen

He made 14 appearances, all as a sub, for Heerenveen in the 2006-2007 season, scoring the second goal in a 2-0 defeat of NEC Nijmegen on December 27, 2006. For the 2007-2008 season he was on loan to Doetinchem side De Graafschap, who were promoted as champions of the Dutch Eerste Divisie. Again he mostly made sub appearances and he returned to SC Heerenveen for the 2008-09 season. While back training in Heerenveen for preseason, MLS team Real Salt Lake offered Johnson a contract, which he accepted.

Real Salt Lake

Johnson signed with Major League Soccer on August 16, 2008. Chicago traded his rights to Real Salt Lake in return for a conditional 4th round pick in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft and a 2nd round pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft.[5]

Johnson won the MLS Goal of the Year in 2008 for a goal scored against FC Dallas on October, 18 in Rio Tinto Stadium. He was called up for the 2009 MLS All-Star Game against English Premier League side Everton. He was one of three players to score their penalties in the penalty shootout against American goalkeeper Tim Howard. He started and played 45 minutes for Real Salt Lake in the 2009 MLS Cup final against the Los Angeles Galaxy despite a bout with food poisoning, with his side ultimately winning in a penalty shootout.

Portland Timbers

Johnson was traded to the Portland Timbers on December 3, 2012 as part of a salary cap issue, along with the trade and release of six other players, including starters Jamison Olave, Fabian Espindola, and substitute Jonny Steele.[6] Johnson was named team captain by coach Caleb Porter on February 26, 2013 , former team captain Jack Jewsbury was renamed club captain. On March 30, 2013 Johnson scored his first goal for Portland against Colorado Rapids scoring both goals in 2-2 draw, he was awarded MLS player of the week for his performance.[7] Johnson was put on the 2014 MLS All Star roster. He was brought in at halftime, became captain at the 73rd minute after Landon Donovan was substituted, and at the 88th minute received a yellow card for a hard tackle on Bayern midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, the latter received a bruised ankle and had to exit what would be his last game until November. A collision with Toronto FC defender Mark Bloom early in the September 27, 2014 game fractured the tibia and fibula in Johnson's right leg, ending his season early.[8]

Toronto FC

In December 2015, Johnson was traded to Toronto FC in exchange for a conditional second-round pick in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft and targeted allocation money.[9]

On 1 May 2016, he scored his first goal for Toronto in a 2–1 away defeat to his former team, the Portland Timbers.[10]

On 29 June 29 2016, he scored the winning goal in the 95th minute of the Canadian Championship for Toronto to defeat the Vancouver Whitecaps 2–2 on aggregate, winning on away goals.[11] In scoring that goal Johnson collided with Whitecaps goalkeeper David Ousted resulting in a tibial plateau fracture of his left leg.[12]

International career

In the summers of 2005 and 2007, Johnson played for the U-20 Canadian national team at the 2005 and 2007 World Youth Championships in the Netherlands and Canada respectively. Johnson also played very well for the Canada U-23 side during the 2008 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Johnson scored three goals in three games during the tournament. However, Canada failed to qualify for the Olympics after falling 3-0 to the United States in the semifinals.

He made his senior debut for Canada in a November 2005 friendly match against Luxembourg. By December 2009, he had earned a total of 10 caps, scoring no goals. He has so far represented Canada in two FIFA Tournaments[13] Johnson provided the assist to André Hainault winning goal against Belarus on March 29, 2011. He scored his first international goal in a World Cup Qualifying match against Saint Lucia on September 2, 2011.[14]

On 27 June 2013, Johnson was listed as a part of the confirmed 23-man squad for Colin Miller's Canada squad for the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup, making it his third consecutive Gold Cup.[15] Miller named Johnson as team captain for the tournament.[16][17]

On 12 December 2013, Johnson was awarded the Canadian Men's Player of the Year by the CSA for the first time of his career.[18] Johnson beat out two time winner Atiba Hutchinson who was voted second and Patrice Bernier in third for the award.[19]

After almost two years since his last call-up, during which he dealt with illness, injuries, and personal commitments, Johnson was recalled to the national team by Canada coach Benito Floro for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Dominica on June 2, 2015.[20]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 30 November 2016
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Playoffs[lower-alpha 1] National Cup[lower-alpha 2] Continental[lower-alpha 3] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Chicago Fire 2005[21] MLS 610000—61
Total 6100000061
Heerenveen 2006–07[22] Eredivisie 141—00—141
2007–08[22] Eredivisie 00———00
Total 141000000141
De Graafschap (loan) 2007–08[22] Eredivisie 262—00—262
Real Salt Lake 2008[21] MLS 923000—122
2009[21] MLS 2614000—301
2010[22] MLS 281200063364
2011[21] MLS 252302060362
2011[21] MLS 263200040323
Total 11491402016314112
Portland Timbers 2013[21] MLS 2894230—3511
2014[21] MLS 296—2111328
2015[21] MLS 1201000—130
Total 69155251118019
Portland Timbers 2 (loan) 2015[22] USL 30———30
Toronto FC 2016[21] MLS 2325031—313
Total 232503100313
Career Total 2553024210217430638
  1. ↑ Includes MLS Cup matches.
  2. ↑ Includes U.S. Open Cup & Canadian Championship matches.
  3. ↑ Includes CONCACAF Champions League matches.

International

As of match played 29 March 2016[23]
Canada national team
YearAppsGoals
200510
200620
200710
200810
200950
201030
2011111
201272
201330
201400
201541
201630
Total414

International goals

As of match played 29 March 2016: Canada score listed first, score column indicates score after each Johnson goal.[23]
International goals by date, venue, cap, opponent, score, result and competition
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
1 2 September 2011 BMO Field, Toronto, Canada 19  Saint Lucia 4–1 4–1 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
2 15 August 2012 Central Broward Regional Park, Lauderhill, United States 27  Trinidad and Tobago 2–0 2–0 Friendly
3 12 October 2012 BMO Field, Toronto, Canada 29  Cuba 2–0 3–0 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
4 8 September 2015 FFB Stadium, Belmopan, Belize 35  Belize 1–1 1-1 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours

Club

Real Salt Lake
Portland Timbers
Toronto FC

Individual

See also

References

  1. ↑ "FIFA U-20 World Cup Canada 2007 – List of Players" (PDF). FIFA. July 5, 2007. p. 4. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Will Johnson". canadasoccer.com. Canadian Soccer Association. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  3. ↑ "RSL acquires FW Will Johnson". Real Salt Lake. August 26, 2008. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
  4. ↑ http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=481&sid=4077073
  5. ↑ RSL acquires Johnson from Fire for draft picks - Seattle Post-Intelligencer
  6. ↑ - Real Salt Lake
  7. ↑ - CBC
  8. ↑ - Oregonian
  9. ↑ "Toronto FC Acquires Will Johnson". Toronto FC. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
  10. ↑ "GOAL: Will Johnson scores against his former club". MLS. 1 May 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  11. ↑ "TFC loses to Whitecaps, but wins Voyageurs Cup". sportsnet.ca. 30 June 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
  12. ↑ "Will Johnson expected to be out of the line-up for six weeks". torontofc.ca. 1 July 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  13. ↑ Record at FIFA Tournaments - FIFA
  14. ↑ Canada vs. St. Lucia
  15. ↑ "Canada Finalize roster for Gold Cup, announces friendly". Canada Soccer. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
  16. ↑ New Look Canada finding its rhythm ahead of gold cup
  17. ↑ Gold Cup: Canadian national team veteran Will Johnson guide young squad team
  18. ↑ Portland Timbers Captain Will Johnson named Canada male soccer player of the year – The Globe and Mail
  19. ↑ Johnson is male selection for 2013 BMO Canadian Player of the Year – Canadian Soccer Association
  20. ↑ "Portland Timbers midfielder Will Johnson named to Canada National Team roster". June 2, 2015.
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Will Johnson MLS Profile". MLS. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 "w. Johnson Profile". Soccerway. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  23. 1 2 "Will Johnson profile". National Football Teams. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Jack Jewsbury		 Portland Timbers captain
2013–2015 		Succeeded by
Liam Ridgewell
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