Eddie Johnson was honored Sunday night upon the news that he is retiring following a 14-year career, and the former Sounders FC forward said his future could lie in developing the next generation of American soccer superstars.
D.C. United paid tribute to Johnson at halftime of the fist leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinals series at RFK Stadium. Johnson, who spent two productive seasons with the Sounders in 2012-13, has not played since October 25, 2014, having been sidelined after the discovery of a heart condition during last year's postseason.
Johnson did not provide any details about his medical condition, but he said that he’s spent much of the past year seeking medical advice for his condition and trying to find a way back into the game.
“That was the whole rollercoaster," Johnson told MLSsoccer.com. "Looking and visiting and seeing different types of doctors to see if there was any hope. At one point, there was a lot of hope, everything was looking positive. But the condition that I'm going through wasn't where they wanted, where their expectations were.
“At the end of the day, my health is more important. I don't want to be running around on the field and have something bad happen to me.”
Johnson scored 23 goals over two seasons with the Sounders and helped lead them to the postseason each year he was with the team. He was named the MLS Comeback Player of the Year in 2012, when he scored 14 goals and helped lead the club to the Western Conference Championship.
Johnson has since relocated to Orlando, where he said the soccer scene is electric and he thinks he can find a new role with the city’s young and aspiring players.
“Soccer has a lot of buzz in Orlando right now and I'm looking forward to the next chapter in my career as far as my role in soccer,” Johnson told MLSsoccer.com. “It's kind of funny: During my career, I always found it tough training hard every day, then going and doing an appearance or coaching kids. So I always took the [option of] signing autographs or speaking to youth.
“But I've developed this love for coaching kids. I've got a lot of friends back in Florida who have youth clubs and academies going, and I've been able to shadow them … Being a director of coaching or coaching kids myself, it's something I'm really looking forward to."
