Sept. 24, 2009
By Andrew Gavin
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Former UCF men's soccer Sean Johnson (Atlanta, Ga.) is set to begin competition Saturday for the United States Under-20 National Team at the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Suez, Egypt. Johnson, who started 37 games in two seasons as a Knight, is one of 21 players on the United States' U-20 World Cup roster.
Johnson and his teammates were drawn into Group C and will open play Saturday against Germany at 10 a.m. ET on ESPN Classic. The team will also face Cameroon (Sept. 29, 12:45 p.m.) and Korea Republic (Oct. 2, 12:45 pm.) to conclude group play with both games on ESPN2.
"Our coaching staff and players would like to congratulate Sean on what is a once in a lifetime opportunity," said UCF head coach Bryan Cunningham. "We wish him and his team the best in the World Cup."
In his two seasons at UCF, Johnson started 37 and racked up 191 saves, good for fifth place on the program's all-time list. Johnson had a goals against average of 1.30 in 2008, and his 108 saves in 2008 tied for the third-highest single-season total in UCF history.
Johnson has been a part of the player pool for the U-20 team since December 2008 when he was invited to an eight-day training camp. He was one of 19 players who traveled with the squad to Trinidad and Tobago in January. Johnson played on the U-20 team in the CONCACAF U-20 Championships in March when the U.S. qualified for the World Cup.
Prior to arriving in Egypt, Johnson and his teammates spent seven days training in Cyprus. Johnson is one of three goalkeepers on the roster, along with Brian Perk and Josh Lambo.
UCFAthletics.com recently spoke with Johnson in which the former Knight spoke about what his time at UCF meant to him, the thrill of representing his country on an international stage and what has transpired in his life over the past year.
What was the feeling like when you first realized the U.S. National Team had some interest in bringing you to camp?
"I can't even explain to you how excited I was and the emotions I had. At the same time, a switch turned on in me to make me work harder and to be sharper as a player. It was a great opportunity, but I knew that being called into camp didn't mean I was guaranteed a spot. I was excited, but at the same time I realized how important it was to put myself in a position to succeed and get a spot on the National Team."
In March, you played for the U-20 team in the CONCACAF U-20 Championships in Trinidad & Tobago. Talk about that experience, both on and off the field.
"I think it was a great experience. It was a great group of guys and we all got along really well both on and off the field. It was a good learning process for a lot of us who had not experienced playing in a tournament of that stature. Everyone contributed, and I got to play in the championship game. We did not end up winning the championship game, but I played well and there were a lot of positives that came out of it."
Talk about your time at UCF and how it has helped you get to this point in your career.
"My freshman year I knew that the starting job was open and it was my job to earn that spot. For coach Cunningham and the rest of the coaching staff to have the confidence in me to start, it really jumpstarted me in my career. It was a learning experience my freshman year because I was new to college soccer and it is rare for a freshman goalkeeper to come in and start. It took me all year to adjust to it, but being at UCF it gave me the opportunity to play and put me in a position to be where I am today, both on the field and off the field. With the facilities and the weight room, the offseason was important for me. It was just a good experience all around being at UCF."
What do you miss most about being here and playing for UCF?
"I miss the players a lot. I met a lot of good people and was good friends with a lot of the guys on the team. They are great guys and are some of the greatest friends I have had. Coach Cunningham was a really great guy and I got along really well with him. We would always sit down and talk, whether it would be about the team or anything else. I miss being around the environment and the college atmosphere and playing games week in and week out under the lights. I guess everybody has to move on, whether it be going into the working world or pursuing a professional career like I want to do."
When you came to UCF to play soccer, was playing for the national team or in a World Cup on your mind at all?
"The World Cup to be honest you can never really imagine being in that position. I pretty much went from not being on any national youth team to going straight to the national team. I was fortunate because it rarely happens that way. My freshman year I did have a conversation with Cunningham about my goals and I told him that was my goal, and he said that he would do anything he could to help me get there, but that it would have to be me and that I would have to work hard day in and day out. It almost didn't feel like a reality at first. It was almost a dream, but over time with hard work it paid off."
Talk about your improvement as a player since joining the U.S. U-20 National Team.
"One thing is the speed of play is a lot faster. You have a mixture of upper echelon pro and college players, so you know you are competing against players at your position that are the best. It pushes you to do your best."
Talk about the team you are on. What have you learned from some of the other keepers? Is there healthy competition between all of you for playing time?
Both of the other goalkeepers that are there now have been to the world cup and have been in the system for awhile. It is always a competition, and we understand that. We are pretty close as a group. [Josh] Lambo, [Brian] Perk and I have pretty much been together since December preparing for the World Cup. It is always a competition and you always want to be number one, but I think the competition is healthy and makes our team better. Off the field, we are best friends. Perk is one of my best friends on the team, and we look to each other for advice. Since I have not been there as long as them, it is comforting to have them around. Whatever it may be, for them to come up to you if you make a mistake and say, `I have been there and it happens.' Having that experience by your side is second to none."
What has been the most exciting part of the experience overall?
"I would probably say traveling and playing against all of these great teams while representing your country. I can't event explain to you how important it is to me knowing I am playing for my country and putting on that international team jersey. Going out there in front of all of those fans is unbelievable, and to have a US crest on my shirt is really special."
What do you think the chances are of your team at the event? Are you confident heading into the event?
"Definitely, for the majority of the team we have been together through qualifiers. We know what are strengths are and we know what are weaknesses are. I think more than anything, we will always work hard and with the attitude that we are going to go out there and get a result no matter what the situation of circumstance. I really think we will go far and hopefully win it all."
What are you most looking forward to in Egypt?
"We went there in June and got to see some of the facilities, got a chance to play one of the other teams that will be in the World Cup and we got to do some sight-seeing. So we have kind of gotten a lot of that out of the way, so now our focus has to be at the games at hand and getting the job done. Our most exciting thing and most important thing right now is our first game against Germany."
What is it like to have soccer take you all around the world?
"It is unbelievable. I have some good friends that tell me how lucky I am to get to travel and see different places of the world. I never dreamed I would go to Egypt and places in Europe. It is a neat experience because through your daily life you never dream one day you will be traveling in some of these places."
What do you think the state of U.S. soccer is today?
"We are making a great name for ourselves. Our senior national team is doing really well in world cup qualifiers and is ranked in the top 10 in the world right now. Rankings aren't everything, but if you look at soccer in the United States now it is becoming a lot more popular. We have one of the most organized youth soccer programs in the world, and I think in 5-10 years it could be really big. You are starting to see big name players from Europe come to play in MLS. That league has come really far from where they have started.
What are your ultimate goals in soccer?
"My ultimate goal is to play in one of the top leagues in the world. Representing my country on the national team at the highest level is another big goal of mine, and it all starts here with the U-20 and then going to next cycle. It is exciting because the world of soccer is kind of limitless with what you can do and what you can achieve, and it is all just based on how hard you work."