Ryan Johnson's time with the San Jose Earthquakes has come to a close.
The Earthquakes traded Johnson, along with allocation money and an international player spot, to Toronto FC in exchange for Alan Gordan, Nana Attakora and Jacob Peterson in a blockbuster deal on Thursday.
The move provides San Jose with depth at three positions, though it loses an international spot until Jan. 1, 2013.
The trade was Toronto's second of the day, having acquired midfielder Terry Dunfield in a deal with the Vancouver Whitecaps earlier.
What do you think of this trade? Who do you think got the better end of the deal? Surprised Toronto FC made two moves on the same day?
Share your thoughts below.
So let me get this straight….TFC trades for a guy who has scored as many goals in MLS this year as I have, and it’s a blockbuster deal? Really? Mehhh.
I love MLS teams for being able to do this midseason.
I have no freaking idea who any of these players are.
Not sure who gets the better deal. I am thinking TFC wins this one.
3 starters for one is pretty good swap. Johnson seems to be misused this season with SJ, then was gone for Gold Cup. I always liked him, very physical and willing to throw his body around. Could use some refinement on finishing, but if he didn’t need that, he prob wouldn’t be in MLS.
The MLS Hot Stove! Blockbuster! C’mon Man!
You need to take blockbuster more in the sense that Toronto has literally destroyed the block their stadium, team, future, etc. is built on. Have they ever not been in a rebuilding year?
Haha. Agreed.
Yesss!!! I am SO tired of screaming “Ryan Johnson, you are useless…” during every EQ game! Yes, he has speed and can occasionally get off a very good pass from the wings but we need much more from that position. Not sure about the replacements. Alan Gordon impresses me as another attempt by John Doyle to model the team in his image – long on grit, maybe a bit short on technique.
Even though Ryan Johnson is listed as a striker, he really isn’t (at least not with the Earthquakes). Great when playing LM; he has good speed and crossing ability but can’t score. You’ll be missed Ryan!
Ryan J is stud from Gold Cup Jamaica squad…you need to learn your footy
eurodouchy
Wasn’t Gordon doing pretty darn well for TFC?
TFC wins this easy…Johnson fits into their Left Striking position perfectly and they get allocation money to add another international for 3 useless players
Gordon plays well about 2 or 3 games a year and that’s it
Good riddance to bad rubbish — won’t shed a tear at RJ’s moving on. My sympathies to TFC.
TFC is funny. If there wasn’t a salary cap in MLS I bet they would spend 5 times more than anyone else in the league and still never make the playoffs.
I thought the “Trader Mo” was a thing of the past, guess not.
Starters? All three have barely started this year, due to lack of form and injuries.
The total number of starts for Peterson, Gordon, and Attakora is 24, or 8 games per player (TFC has played 21 league games).
Peterson is awful, Gordon is useful but not a key player, and Attakora is a huge project.
Enjoy Peterson … he can’t shoot and can’t run.
Berlin, Peterson and Gordon are not the building blocks of TFC. They are journeyman players who have hardly played this year. Attakora is a young project. Doneil Henry, the 18 year old, is a better defense prospect than Attakora was at that age.
Throwing around the term ‘Blockbuster’ a bit loosely, no?
San Jose wins! I’m a Quakes fan and have been waiting for 3 years for Johnson to do something. I got a bit excited with his Gold Cup play, but he is too inconsistent. I hope these 3 players come in and contribute because the Quakes could use the help.
Gordon was much better than many TFC supporters had reckoned. I wouldn’t want to rely on him full-time, but could be really useful as a target man playing in certain tactical situations and as a long sub. Don’t know enough about SJ to know how he will fit in.
+1 all of you folks who think TFC got the better end of this deal clearly have not watch enough Quakes game. I see terms like “stud” thrown out there and I have to laugh. Johnson was terrible the Quakes could have gotten a bag of balls and they still would have come out on top.
That’s about right- Quakes need a backup to Lenhart and another defender but only because Opara is still hurt. Peterson is probably just filler since we finally signed Baca who should be the depth in MF we need.
none of these dude are blockbuster. winter said he wanted to trade away for better players than he had but he gets rid of a few of his best players. not saying the ones they received are terrible, they just have SOOOO many needs. TFC with winter is such a joke, so sad with the huge fanbase they have/ HAD.
No, you need to learn your footy.
Wrong, Johnson becomes an instant starter at Winter’s Left Wing spot. Excellent deal for TFC. All they need is a defender since Cann is out. Now they have the money and slot to do it.
Good for Toronto, not so much b/c they got Johnson, but because they got rid of 3 donkeys
short sub but not more…his physical style wears him down
RJ will thrive in Winter’s Total Football…Players always seem to underperform with Yallop
You realized they picked up allocation money with this deal right?
This is Aron Winter’s team now and he should build the team the way he wants.
You’re telling me he should just keep running with the line-up that MoJo left for him?
Yeah unfortunately this has been going on for 4 previous years but you can’t compare MoJo to Winter when Winter is only ~20 games into his 1st season as the coach.
You’ve never heard of any of these guys? I guess you don’t follow MLS then… which makes me wonder why you commented.
More than a bit short, in Gordon’s case
Gordon was having a great season, when he was playing. Too injured as a result he wasnt needed, especially with Koevermanns
Also Mariner is behind any trade within the league, run tell that.
When is “Sonny” Bouchiba going to play for TFC? They could use his help
Disagree…He opened up a lot of space for Wondo as a threat on the other side.
great and Gordan should nevr be put in the same sentence…a couple of great games but he met his quota for the year
It was Klinsmann’s idea. He’s a misunderstood genius you know. Should coach the USMNT but Sunil Gulati is just in it for the money.
For what? Laffy Taffy?
TFC management have got to look like the biggest asses of all of MLS considering the forwards they got rid of since they started:
O’Brian White
Carlos Ruiz
Jeff Cunningham
Colin Samuel
Chad Barrett
Dwayne Rosario
Alan Gordon
I have no idea why they even needed Gordon in the 1st place, when they were going the ‘total football’ route. Just pure stupidity in throwing good players away.
If these three contribute anything, then the ‘quakes come out better off. Johnson was all pace and no talent.
they got rid of the 3 worst shooters in MLS history…Barrett, Gordon, and White. Yeah, I’d be embarrassed of that too.
baloney, Johnson is a good player. bad move by the quakes
you just finished a sentence with great and he (Gordon) so you just broke your rule.
You forgot Edson Buddle just before his LA days and Aleko Eskandarian who was quite good before his head caved in.
People are delusional about MLS talent. Almost everyone in this league is flawed. Peterson, for example, has little pace and can’t beat a defender one-on-one to save his life. This doesn’t neccessarily make him that bad by MLS standards. The league is built on guys like Gordon, Peterson and Attakora (and likely Johnson). It is all about how they fit in.
Goodness. As a TFC fan I never thought I would miss Nick LaBrocca, but I swear he would start in almost any MLS midfield and if he were Canadian, would be a regular on the National team.
It is a strange league and it is all about fitting into a side. If Johnson has pace and can cross from the left, he will fit in at TFC.
As is every person, you are flawed too, Eurosnob. As a TFC fan, you dont know what the league is built on.
Agreed. I for one am glad to see that TFC owners are still sticking with Winter. It shows that they want to give this guy a chance. He now is making a few moves in hopes of cleaning up the mess. I just hope for the TFC fans that this change adds some spark to gain some credibility.
got to say, you are right on. attakora will be a loss, b/c he has room to grow and i could see him being a very good player in this league. as for JP and AG, typical MLS journey. servicable, you need guys like this to fill out a roster, not be the key components to it.
now TFC adds, johnson and dunfield, potential for a new DP centre half hopefully, and if they ever dump de guzman even more cap space to fill wholes. the team is starting to come together nicely, 2012 will be a big year for them if they can make that next step to perennial play off team
holes!
I said the samething when he was coming in but he really has played very well (GREAT) this year. i know he was pretty meh in LA and barely played in Chivas but dude was coming into his own here
Hes out for the year with an injury.
Unfortunate, curious to see if hes around next year, kinda feel like itll be his swansong
4 goals in 8 games, not to mention several canadian cup goals. Once again, effective WHEN hes healthy.
i’m a ‘quakes fan and i can tell you, we just traded crap for crap. really no other way around it.
Don’t forget Conor Casey – he played two games for Toronto before being shipped off.
Ryan Johnson works harder than anyone and is a really good player, but he has had a curse hanging over him in terms of finishing for the San Jose Earthquakes. I think more than anything this may be a chance for Ryan to join another club where he can break out, and it could not happen for a better guy.
Not sure why the Quakes are bringing in more depth, a cutting edge would seem to be more what they need.