Former Kansas City Wizards and U.S. Men’s National Team striker Eddie Johnson announced his retirement from professional soccer on Sunday. Johnson leaves the game as one of the most accomplished American soccer players of his generation, having featured more than 60 times for the national team with more than 90 goals scored for club and country.
Johnson made 46 MLS appearances for the Kansas City Wizards between 2006 and 2007. He tallied 17 goals and seven assists across two seasons and was part of the 2007 squad that advanced to the Western Conference Final.
“I think Eddie Johnson was a fantastic talent,” said Sporting KC assistant coach Kerry Zavagnin, who played with Johnson as a member of the Wizards and the U.S. Men’s National Team. “He was athletically gifted and always a dangerous player around the goal. In his best moments, he was one of the more effective attacking players that we have had both in Kansas City and with the national team.”
Johnson joined Major League Soccer in 2001 when the then-Dallas Burn drafted the Florida native in the second round of the MLS SuperDraft. The Project-40 striker scored 19 goals across five seasons in Dallas before joining Kansas City prior to the 2006 season.
.@eddie_johnson7 announced his retirement today. His best MLS goals & highlights over a 14-season career. https://t.co/zzptIn8ZGy
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 1, 2015Johnson became the first player in MLS history to score hat tricks in back-to-back games when he scored a combined six goals against the New York Red Bulls and New England Revolution on May 26 and June 2, 2007. He is also the only player in Kansas City to record multiple hat-tricks.
The dynamic striker was voted MLS Comeback Player of the Year in 2007 and 2012 and helped the U.S. MNT win the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2007 and 2013. Johnson appeared in two matches at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany and scored four goals for the U.S. MNT during 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying.
