ASN: With accidents behind him, Johannsson optimistic after becoming a member of Hammarby

The final a number of years have been a battle for Aron Johannsson in recovering from injuires and attempting to get again on the sphere. However now match since March, Johannsson is aiming to revive his profession in Hammarby – which he hopes will carry him again to the highest leagues of Europe and earn him one other likelihood with the U.S. nationwide group. 

BY

Brian Sciaretta

Posted
July 17, 2019
11:50 AM

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THERE WAS ONE second final winter when Aron Johannsson by way of his profession was over. Having handled accidents which have considerably restricted his minutes the final a number of seasons, Johannsson has been all the time prepared and wanting to stand up from each setback that has been thrown his method.

However again in January, Johannsson, 28, was rehabbing in the course of the Bundesliga winter break in Orlando whereas on trip along with his household. On the time he was roughly three months faraway from his ankle surgical procedure and the rehab in Florida was a really constructive expertise general. However when he returned to Germany, he started to coach with Werder Bremen and after just a few days he felt lots of ache once more. For the primary time, he questioned whether or not or not he may proceed.

“One time,” Johannsson stated frankly. “Then I went home to my girlfriend and I said to her maybe it’s over now. But she kind picked me up and reminded me that I have this never give up mentality and then I went to sleep and then I woke up the next day ready to fight for it again.”

However from a low level, issues started to pattern upward as soon as once more for Johannsson who was particularly happy with the truth that since his last setback, he had not missed a coaching session with Werder Bremen since March. Because the season progressed, he started to even make the matchday rosters as soon as once more within the Bundesliga.

However Johannsson was now within the last 12 months of his contract with Werder and he had lots of selections to make about the place his subsequent step could be. He realized he must take a step again to maneuver ahead however he had curiosity from golf equipment in a variety of leagues. The choice of Hammarby in Sweden’s high flight intrigued him essentially the most. It’s a membership that attracts huge crowds in Sweden and one the place the may contribute because it makes an attempt to climb in the direction of the highest of the Allsvenskan desk.

“I had interest that was very hard to explain,” Johannsson instructed ASN from Stockholm. “It was very comforting for me to see actually how many teams from different countries were interested in me even though I’ve been injured for such a long time. It gave me like a confidence boost in my time where I was not feeling so good. I had many offers that were financially better than here in Sweden but I wanted to come back to a very competitive league with a very good and amazing club.”

“I believe that I’m good enough and it’s just about getting fit and staying fit for a longer period of time,” he added. “And with me, my quality has never been the problem. I’ve gone through very, very, unlucky injuries and they took unfortunately a very long time… I’m coming here to try to go back to the top leagues again. I’ve been in Germany for the last four years and I’m absolutely 100 percent sure that when I’m fit and healthy, I can play in that league. I hope I get the opportunity to play there again. But obviously I need to play well here.”

Johannsson has been in Sweden for somewhat greater than per week and continues to be getting up to the mark along with his new membership the place he’ll probably be an offensive substitute for awhile earlier than being in rivalry for a beginning spot. Hammarby at the moment sit in sixth place within the 16-team Allsvenskan however solely 4 factors separate it from third place, and the ultimate spot in Europe.

However along with his membership ambitions, Johannsson additionally thinks about his birth-country. Born in Alabama whereas his Icelandic dad and mom have been change college students, Johannsson was raised in Iceland and performed for Icelandic youth nationwide groups. After breaking out in Denmark with AGF Aarhus, he attracted the curiosity of U.S. Soccer and filed his swap to signify the U.S. group after he accomplished a transfer to AZ Alkmaar. He went onto play one recreation on the 2014 World Cup after which on the 2015 Gold Cup however accidents have restricted him since a pair of friendlies in September 2015.

He readily admits that the swap to taking part in for the US strengthened his bond with the nation on a persoanl stage regardless that it has been years since his final cap.

“Even to this day it definitely did strengthen my ties,” Johannsson stated about switching to the U.S. group again in 2013. “There’s still so many American fans that are always reaching out to me. And you have to think about how I want to play in MLS and the doors is much more open for me now. To go back and live again because it has always been a dream to play in MLS and to live in America again.”

Whereas away from the U.S. group, his ties with American soccer haven’t been severed. He struck up a friendship with Josh Sargent at Werder Bremen and went out to dinner with interim supervisor Dave Sarachan in 2018 in Germany. On the time Sarachan needed to carry him into camp however Johannsson was nonetheless not prepared bodily.

He additionally painfully watched the U.S. group’s failure to qualify for the World Cup in opposition to Trinidad & Tobago figuring out that his accidents probably value him an opportunity to play with group and to be there to assist obtain a distinct end result (“I always felt when I was watching that if I was fit and if I was healthy I could have been there,” he stated).

Earlier this 12 months, Johannsson met present U.S. supervisor Gregg Berhalter in Germany and listened to his concepts for the nationwide group. It left him each optimistic for the long run and motitivated to get again into the image whereas taking part in for Hammarby – a membership which Berhalter used to handle.

“We went out for dinner in Bremen when he came,” Johannsson recalled of assembly Berhalter. “He had some very good ideas. He knows exactly what he wants from the team. It was very interesting what he was telling me how he wanted to play with the team. I just feel the ideas that he has and this group some of both veteran players and a lot of young players with very exciting qualities – I think it can be very interesting years ahead…. And obviously that’s also part of the reason why I came to Sweden because I know that if I were to go into some country far away who can give me a lot more money than then my dream to be in a national team would be even further away.”

However for now, Johannsson nonetheless has loads of work to do with a view to get again onto the U.S. group. He must play nicely for Hammarby and show his accidents are actually behind him. The Cell-born attacker has been by way of quite a bit however when reflecting on all of it, he believes he’s now stronger mentally – each as a participant and as an individual.

“It has definitely made me stronger mentally and to be more thankful for the times that I get to spent on the pitch training and playing,” Johannsson recalled. “It was a strange thing but when I went back to the hospital not happy about that I didn’t recover faster and angry that I had been injured for about nine months. The first thing I saw when I walked into the hospital was a guy, probably in his early 30’s he was missing one leg. The doctor couldn’t give me any answers about when and how long it would take to be back on the pitch but seeing this guy with one leg helped me so unbelievable much mentally. To appreciate life and be thankful that I have the opportunity to play soccer even though I have to carry a small injury once in a while.”