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On the first day of the MLS Combine, Daniel Johnson of Louisville was the player who improved his stock in the upcoming SuperDraft the most.
Every technical staff member I've spoken to had Louisville's Daniel Johnson as the most impressive player on Day 1 of the Combine.
— Sam Stejskal (@samstejskal) January 9, 2017
Louisville's Daniel Johnson with an impressive half at the MLS Player Combine. Sharp touches + clever runs.
— Jeff Carlisle (@JeffreyCarlisle) January 8, 2017
Louisville M Daniel Johnson draws a penalty & Zeiko Lewis converts. Johnson looking good today, showing why his stock was rising pre-Combine
— Ives Galarcep (@SoccerByIves) January 8, 2017
Johnson is a winger originally from Duluth, Georgia. He lived in England from 2009-2012, playing in West Ham’s academy. West Ham offered him a junior contract at 17, but it was blocked by FIFA over child-protection concerns due to Johnson living in England from 13 to 17 while at a boarding school.
After returning to Georgia when the West Ham deal fell through, he played his high school soccer at Greater Atlanta Christian. He played with Georgia United in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. He started his college career at Maryland before playing his final two seasons with Louisville.
In the combine’s first game, Johnson started on the left wing and created havoc for his opponents by cutting inside often to create chances. It is where he played at Louisville where coach Ken Lolla rebuilt his confidence and put him in a position to thrive. Mock drafts ahead of the combine had him going in the second round, but that might change with more strong performances.