BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. – Sean Johnson may have endured some rough times in 2015, but the Chicago Fire goalkeeper never doubted his “ability or mindset” during some tough spells at the start of his sixth professional season.
Johnson has enjoyed a steady rise to national consciousness since joining the Fire as the 51st overall pick in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft from the University of Central Florida, and last season played all but one regular season game under head coach Frank Yallop.
However, the early part of the 2015 season saw Johnson and offseason signing Jon Busch, himself a former Fire hero, tussle for the No. 1 jersey, while a series of niggling injuries kept him from reaching optimal fitness. The 26-year-old spent some time on the bench in May and June, but has been very solid since recapturing his starting spot, starting the Fire’s last 12 matches and cementing himself as first-choice in Yallop’s plans.
He has been a virtual ever-present in the Save of the Week debate, and his heroics in games against the Seattle Sounders, the Philadelphia Union, FC Dallas and the New York Red Bulls proved critical in earning the Fire vital points. A season-high eight saves in the 3-3 tie with the Union also attracted praise as he kept the Union at bay with a series of fine stops.
“I don’t ever doubt my ability as a goalkeeper,” Johnson told MLSsoccer.com after training at Toyota Park on Tuesday. “I’ve been working really hard to get to this point, put in a lot of hours both on and off the pitch, so I don’t ever doubt myself when it comes to ability or mindset, it’s just about going out there and doing it. I’m six years in now so doubts are not a part of my thought process.”
Delivered with the confidence and assurance of a man at the top of his game, the Atlanta-area native was also just called up to the USMNT for their Sept. 8 clash with Brazil at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. (8 pm ET, ESPN2, UniMás). While he will play deputy to Brad Guzan and the returning Tim Howard, Johnson will hope to add to his five caps for Jurgen Klinsmann’s team.
With competition rife for the third goalkeeper position, this opportunity gives Johnson the chance to impress once again, especially with Bill Hamid, Nick Rimando, William Yarbrough, Cody Cropper and a host of others all vying for Klinsmann’s attention and selection.
“That’s a choice that Jurgen makes, so you’ll have to ask him,” Johnson said when asked why he might have got the nod on this occasion.
For now, Johnson’s immediate concerns lie with the Men in Red and doing all he can to ensure their season remains alive as long as possible. The Fire travel to playoff rivals the Montreal Impact this Saturday (8 pm ET, MLS LIVE), knowing anything less than victory could spell a premature end to their season.
“I really want to focus on the Montreal game,” Johnson said. “I want to make sure I stay focused on the task in hand, we still have a big job to do here and a very big opportunity this weekend to put ourselves in a good position to make a push.”
