Less than a week after tearing into former teammate Landon Donovan—who had called him a talent that never blossomed—Eddie Johnson now blasts pundit Alexi Lalas, who jumped into the dispute by defending the comparison. Can you believe he’d defend that?
The ex‑FC Dallas and Seattle striker isn’t staying quiet; he’s launched yet another scorching tirade at Donovan, echoing many points from his first outburst.
We’ve cleaned up the grammar and punctuation for clarity.
“The message is simple: stop tearing apart young players who showed promise but never hit their ceiling,” Johnson declared before revisiting old grievances.
“Why don’t we discuss your own flop in Germany after winning the U‑17 World Cup Golden Ball? He drifted to Leverkusen, struggled, then fled back to MLS where pressure was low.”
“To me that’s a failure. He faced the big leagues and folded. Why isn’t anyone calling him out? No one discounts his MLS work or national‑team contributions until he took that sabbatical, lol,” Johnson continued.
The “lol” may have tried to soften the sting, but Johnson doubled down on Donovan’s 2013 sabbatical, when the forward extended his offseason and skipped two USMNT World Cup qualifiers.
The following year, Klinsmann controversially left Donovan off the World Cup roster, a decision likely hurt by his refusal to play those qualifiers.
Johnson takes aim at Donovan over Pulisic criticism
At the 2026 World Cup, Donovan, now an analyst, ripped at Christian Pulisic for not pushing through pain for the country, a comment that clearly enraged Johnson.
“He says ‘wrap it up, get back for your country,’ then takes a sabbatical, lol. Make sense of that. If the shirt mattered, play through it, you hypocrite,” Johnson snarled.
Johnson saved his final salvo for Lalas, a long‑time media personality and one of the most recognizable U.S. players of the ’90s and early‑2000s.
Lalas not spared
“Lalas also flopped in Europe. Why ignore that? He sits behind a mic, talks trash, played a World Cup, spent his prime in MLS and is hailed as a Hall‑of‑Famer. What did he achieve that I didn’t?”
It feels like the saga isn’t over. Which former USMNT star will jump in next?
Get closer to the game! Whether you favor European soccer or the home‑grown version, our AS USA app delivers live coverage, expert analysis, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Stay updated on NFL, NBA, major sports stories, current affairs, and entertainment—all at your fingertips, anytime, anywhere.
And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite‑sized visual takes on the biggest soccer news and insights.