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Ryan Johnson (soccer)
Encyclopedia
Ryan Johnson is a Jamaica
n soccer player who currently plays for Toronto FC
in Major League Soccer
.
on a sports scholarship and played college soccer
there from 2002 to 2005, where he scored 18 goals and assisted on 30 while appearing in 76 matches. He also spent two seasons in the USL Premier Development League
, playing for Cape Cod Crusaders
and Boulder Rapids Reserve
.
in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft
. On July 25, 2006, Johnson was traded to the Chicago Fire, after only appearing in 7 matches with Salt Lake. In the remainder of the 2006 season, Johnson played 3 matches for the Fire and failed to agree on a new contract with the team at season's end.
In early 2007, he was trialing with various teams in Scandinavia and eventually got a short-term contract with Swedish side Östers IF
(then at Superettan
), that stretched from March 2007 to July 2007. Because of Östers' then surplus of centre forwards and their then lack of a natural second striker, they chose not to extend his contract any further and instead loaned Anatolij Ponomarev
from GAIS
. In 2007 he was on a trial in FK Bodø/Glimt where he played one game against Leknes FK. He scored the last goal in the 8-1 win.
After a short stint playing indoor soccer with the New Jersey Ironmen
, Johnson signed with the San Jose Earthquakes
for the 2008 MLS season. At the end of the 2009 MLS season, Johnson was named team MVP as the team's leading goalscorer.
On July 14th 2011, the San Jose Earthquakes
traded Johnson, an international roster spot and allocation money to Toronto FC
for Nana Attakora, Alan Gordon
and Jacob Peterson
. On July 20th Johnson made his debut for Toronto in a 1-0 home loss to FC Dallas
. Three days later against Sporting Kansas City Johnson scored his first goal of the season and for Toronto while also assisting newly acquired Danny Koevermans
, the game ended as a 4-2 away defeat. On August 2nd, in the return leg of the preliminary round of the CONCACAF Champions League
, Johnson scored a superb volley in the 37th minute, followed by a goal in the 47th from a misplaced pass by the Real Esteli F.C. keeper. The two goals put Toronto FC into the group stage for the second straight year on an aggregate of 4-2.
on April 12, 2006 in a friendly against the United States, playing the first 70 minutes. Johnson was rewarded for his outstanding 2009 MLS season with a recall to the Jamaica national football team
in January 2010 for a friendly match versus Canada and a February 2010 match versus Argentina. Johnson scored his first national team goal in a 2-1 loss to Argentina in Mar del Plata on February 10, 2010. Johnson continued his strong performances with the national team by scoring the winning goal versus Costa Rica in September 2010.
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n soccer player who currently plays for Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
in Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
.
Youth and College
Ryan Johnson was born in Kingston, Jamaica and moved to the Boston area with his family while he was still an infant. He played high school soccer and basketball at Melrose High School in Massachusetts, where he was a Middlesex League and Eastern Mass League soccer all-star. He attended Oregon State UniversityOregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
on a sports scholarship and played college soccer
College soccer
College soccer is a term used to describe association football played by teams who are operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes...
there from 2002 to 2005, where he scored 18 goals and assisted on 30 while appearing in 76 matches. He also spent two seasons in the USL Premier Development League
USL Premier Development League
The USL Premier Development League is the amateur league of the United Soccer Leagues in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda, forming part of the American Soccer Pyramid...
, playing for Cape Cod Crusaders
Cape Cod Crusaders
Cape Cod Crusaders were an American soccer team based in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1994, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2008, when the franchise folded and the team left the league.The team...
and Boulder Rapids Reserve
Boulder Rapids Reserve
Colorado Rapids U23's was an American soccer team based in Boulder, Colorado, United States. Founded in 2000 as part of the development system for the Colorado Rapids Major League Soccer franchise, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer...
.
Professional
Johnson was drafted in the third round, 26th overall, by Real Salt LakeReal Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won...
in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft
2006 MLS SuperDraft
The 2006 MLS SuperDraft, held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on January 20, 2006, was the seventh incarnation of the annual Major League Soccer SuperDraft. The first selection originally belonged to C.D. Chivas USA, but they traded it to the MetroStars for the fifth overall selection and Jason...
. On July 25, 2006, Johnson was traded to the Chicago Fire, after only appearing in 7 matches with Salt Lake. In the remainder of the 2006 season, Johnson played 3 matches for the Fire and failed to agree on a new contract with the team at season's end.
In early 2007, he was trialing with various teams in Scandinavia and eventually got a short-term contract with Swedish side Östers IF
Östers IF
Östers IF is a Swedish football club located in Växjö. The club, formed 20 April 1930 , is currently playing in the second Swedish league called Superettan. In 1968, Öster won Allsvenskan as newcomers. The club is affiliated to the Smålands Fotbollförbund...
(then at Superettan
Superettan
Superettan is the second highest league in the league system of Swedish football and comprises 16 Swedish football teams. It was created in 2000. Before that, the second level league in Sweden had been Division 1....
), that stretched from March 2007 to July 2007. Because of Östers' then surplus of centre forwards and their then lack of a natural second striker, they chose not to extend his contract any further and instead loaned Anatolij Ponomarev
Anatoli Ponomarev
Anatoli Igorevich Ponomarev is an Azerbaijani international footballer who plays for Orduspor in Turkey as a striker.- Club career :Ponomarev began his career in 1998 with Swedish club Reymersholms IK...
from GAIS
GAIS
Göteborgs Atlet- och Idrottssällskap is a Swedish football club based in Gothenburg, currently playing in Allsvenskan. The club is commonly referred to simply as GAIS, while its fans also refers to the club as grönsvart or the mackerels because of the traditional shirt colours...
. In 2007 he was on a trial in FK Bodø/Glimt where he played one game against Leknes FK. He scored the last goal in the 8-1 win.
After a short stint playing indoor soccer with the New Jersey Ironmen
New Jersey Ironmen
The New Jersey Ironmen were an American indoor soccer team. They originally joined the Major Indoor Soccer League for the 2007–08 season. When the MISL ceased operations a year later, they joined the Xtreme Soccer League. The team played at the Prudential Center, sharing the facility with the...
, Johnson signed with the San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
for the 2008 MLS season. At the end of the 2009 MLS season, Johnson was named team MVP as the team's leading goalscorer.
On July 14th 2011, the San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
traded Johnson, an international roster spot and allocation money to Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
for Nana Attakora, Alan Gordon
Alan Gordon (soccer)
Alan Gordon is an American soccer player who currently plays for San Jose Earthquakes in Major League Soccer.-College:...
and Jacob Peterson
Jacob Peterson
Jacob Peterson is an American soccer player who currently plays for San Jose Earthquakes in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:...
. On July 20th Johnson made his debut for Toronto in a 1-0 home loss to FC Dallas
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
. Three days later against Sporting Kansas City Johnson scored his first goal of the season and for Toronto while also assisting newly acquired Danny Koevermans
Danny Koevermans
Danny Koevermans is a Dutch footballer who currently plays as a centre forward for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer.-Early career:...
, the game ended as a 4-2 away defeat. On August 2nd, in the return leg of the preliminary round of the CONCACAF Champions League
CONCACAF Champions League
The CONCACAF Champions League is the annual international club football championship for teams from the CONCACAF region ....
, Johnson scored a superb volley in the 37th minute, followed by a goal in the 47th from a misplaced pass by the Real Esteli F.C. keeper. The two goals put Toronto FC into the group stage for the second straight year on an aggregate of 4-2.
International
Johnson made his debut with the Jamaica national football teamJamaica national football team
The Jamaica national football team is the national team of Jamaica and is controlled by the Jamaica Football Federation. After decades in CONCACAF obscurity, they gained many fans throughout the world after they qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup...
on April 12, 2006 in a friendly against the United States, playing the first 70 minutes. Johnson was rewarded for his outstanding 2009 MLS season with a recall to the Jamaica national football team
Jamaica national football team
The Jamaica national football team is the national team of Jamaica and is controlled by the Jamaica Football Federation. After decades in CONCACAF obscurity, they gained many fans throughout the world after they qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup...
in January 2010 for a friendly match versus Canada and a February 2010 match versus Argentina. Johnson scored his first national team goal in a 2-1 loss to Argentina in Mar del Plata on February 10, 2010. Johnson continued his strong performances with the national team by scoring the winning goal versus Costa Rica in September 2010.
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | February 10, 2010 | Estadio José María Minella Estadio José Maria Minella The Estadio José María Minella is a stadium in Mar del Plata, Argentina.The stadium was built for the 1978 World Cup. It has capacity for 35,354 spectators, although some of the capacity is standing only, like many Argentine stadiums.... , Mar del Plata Mar del Plata Mar del Plata is an Argentine city located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, south of Buenos Aires. Mar del Plata is the second largest city of Buenos Aires Province. The name "Mar del Plata" had apparently the sense of "sea of the Río de la Plata region" or "adjoining sea to the Río de la Plata"... , Argentina Argentina Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires... |
International Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
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| 2 | September 5, 2010 | Independence Park, Kingston, Jamaica Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island... |
International Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
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| 3 | November 29, 2010 | Stade En Camée Stade En Camée Stade En Camée is a multi-purpose stadium located in Rivière-Pilote, Martinique, an overseas department of France. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is set to be utilized as a venue for the 2010 Caribbean Championship.... , Rivière-Pilote Rivière-Pilote Rivière-Pilote is a town and commune in the French overseas department of Martinique.The village is situated on the southern end of Martinique, between the village of Sainte-Luce and the town of Le Marin which is a popular haven for yachts. Rivière-Pilote lies inland on the River Grande Pilote... , Martinique Martinique Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados... |
2010 Caribbean Championship 2010 Caribbean Championship -Group B:Played in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines from October 6–10.*Saint Kitts and Nevis ranked ahead of Saint Vincent and Barbados based on head-to-head tiebreaker... |
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| 4 | June 7, 2011 | The Home Depot Center The Home Depot Center The Home Depot Center is a multiple-use sports complex located on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills in Carson, California. It is located approximately 10 miles south of Downtown Los Angeles. Its title sponsor is hardware retailer The Home Depot. The $150 million complex was... , Carson Carson, California Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, Carson had a total population of 91,714. Located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately 14 miles away from the Los Angeles International Airport, it is known as a suburb of the city.... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup The 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the 11th edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup competition and 21th CONCACAF regional championship overall in CONCACAF's fifty years of existence... |
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| 5 | June 13, 2011 | Red Bull Arena, Harrison Harrison, New Jersey Harrison is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town's population was 13,620. The town is a suburb of the nearby city of Newark, New Jersey.-Geography:Harrison is located at .... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup The 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the 11th edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup competition and 21th CONCACAF regional championship overall in CONCACAF's fifty years of existence... |
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| 6 | September 2, 2011 | Quito, Ecuador Ecuador Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border... |
International Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |