DC United made a ton of player moves in the offseason to try and build a roster that could climb out of the cellar of Major League Soccer. The earners of the Wooden Spoon with the worst record last season, head coach René Weiler and DC United sporting director Erkut Sogut made a point to bring in players they thought could help the club get back to competing immediately.

Enter Sean Johnson. The veteran goalkeeper who has had successful stops with the Chicago Fire, New York City FC, and Toronto FC. He has won a MLS Cup with NYCFC in 2021 and was one of the three goalkeepers on the USMNT roster for the 2022 World Cup. Weiler made Johnson one of his important signings, bringing him in to boost the goalkeeping unit. He has started DC United’s first two matches and prepares to help the team as they host Inter Miami in Baltimore on Saturday.

Sean Johnson sat down exclusively with The District Press to discuss his new opportunity with the Black-and-Red, what motivates him to be a leader on the field and off, and his work with Black Players for Change. He also discusses the dream of making the World Cup roster for the USMNT this summer and whether he thinks about that possibility. We close out with what he believes success looks like for him and the team this season.

Note: this interview has been slightly edited for clarity.

District Press: I want to start off with how you made this move to DC United. You were at Toronto before this and before that NYCFC and the Chicago Fire. How did this opportunity specifically come about for you and what made it the right decision for you?  

Sean Johnson: When I got done with my time in Toronto, spent a few years there and then I was a free agent and ultimately looking for my next challenge. And over the course of the offseason, I was enjoying some time with the family, friends, training, and spoke with [DC United sporting director Erkut Sogut] when the club reached out and had some conversations. And it seemed like the right fit for me at this time in my career and what they were trying to build and being able to be a part of that and have influence on bringing success back to the club was really important. And yeah, it was an easy decision for me when it was all said and done, but it all stemmed from ultimately the conversations I had with Erkut and renewed.  

DP: You’ve had success at every single stop that you’ve been in, including winning MLS cup with NYCFC. What has been the key to being so successful in so many different stops with so many different coaches and so many different systems?

SJ: I think over the course of my career, I’ve had a lot of different coaches, coaching styles, playing styles, teammates, you name it. But I think it’s just being able to adapt to the different environments and different demands that are placed on us as players. I think that’s really been probably the key word for me is just adapting to the circumstances and different environments and ultimately trying to find success with the teammates that are beside me, that are going out to battle every single game.  

DP: Coming into this [team], obviously there’s been a large revamp of the roster here and you’re one of those people coming in, but you’re also someone who is a veteran. You’ve been a leader. We’ve known about your leadership qualities in every single stop. How hard or easy is it for you to speak up and be the leader in a locker room when you’re still the veteran but you’re [also] the new guy on the block?  

SJ: I think…you say veteran, I think it’s just bringing my experience to the team. It’s been 16 years in the league. This is year 17. So, I like to be a student of the game, I always like to earn the respect of my teammates and coaching staff and technical staff. Any environment you go in, I think that’s the first thing that you have to do is really establish who you are and the trust in and the organization and the teammates and then from that point on and you can try to do your best to influence the group. And yeah, I think that’s the most important thing for me was making sure that I earned the respect of everybody.  

DP: [DC United] are heading up to Baltimore tomorrow for the game on Saturday against Inter Miami. Obviously you’re playing in front of hopefully, you know, 50K-60K people. What is it like for you and the rest of the team to kind of undertake this?  Sure, some of it’s a spectacle, but you kind of have to treat it as every other game. What’s it been like for you and the guys as you prepare for this particular game?  

SJ: Yeah, I think it’s just really our approach mentality. We always talk about doing the things that we need to be successful as a group. It didn’t change on the road last week, it won’t change moving forward. And ultimately, I think if we are the best version of ourselves, we give ourselves an opportunity every time we step on the field. So I think that’s what the group’s been really focused on. And I think making sure we come to training every day with the right mentality to get better and better ourselves individually first and then collectively, we know it’s going to be a big challenge. Obviously we respect the opponents we play, and I think it’s just making sure that we remain humble as a group. I think winning the first game and then going and playing a tough game on the road, it’s a good test for us as a group, but we have to make sure that we’re not getting ahead of ourselves and taking it one game at a time. And so, yeah, the focus is on Miami, and it’ll be a big test, but I think we’ll be up for the challenge.  

DP: I would be remiss if I didn’t ask you. You know, obviously, you’ve been on the national team. You’ve played in Gold Cups, been on a World Cup roster, the World Cup’s coming up this summer. Is that something that’s in your mind, or are you just focused on this particular challenge here at DC United and letting the chips fall where they may?

SJ: Definitely just focused on the task at hand. There’s a lot of games to be played, a lot of training sessions to be completed, so it’s one step at a time. I’ve never really gotten ahead of myself. Obviously, what lies ahead in a tournament like the World Cup, and obviously that’s a fantastic experience. But to get there, you have to make sure that you’re putting yourself in position week in and week out, and that means every day putting your best foot forward and not getting too far ahead of yourself.  

DP: You, by my count, are one of five Black men who have been a goalkeeper on the USMNT (Zach Thornton, Tim Howard, Bill Hamid, Zack Steffen, and Sean Johnson). Have you thought about what it’s like to be part of that fraternity and just how you are a part of American history in that regard?  

SJ: Yeah, I actually didn’t know that fact, but I take pride in who I am, my heritage. You know, my parents are Jamaican. They moved to this country to give me an opportunity to be the best version of myself. And ultimately, I’ve tried to just make them proud with every opportunity I’ve gotten. And to do that as, you know, a black man in America and, you know, establish myself first and foremost, is just the person that I want to be to everybody, treat everybody with respect and, again, gain the respect of all my teammates. And, yeah, I think it’s just letting my. My talent and my work ethic speak for itself. And, yeah, I haven’t really thought about too many records or too many, you know, feats over the course of my career. But that’s a special one. And I definitely take pride in my heritage and where I come from.  

DP: I can tell you firsthand that being leader is not easy. You have to have the courage to stand up and do what’s right, even in the face of adversity and in the face of everyone telling you no. But, you seem to do that through your work with black Players for Change and your history on the national team and beyond. What motivates you to lead in the way that you do? Because again, coming to DC United, your leadership was one of the qualities that everyone knew was coming with you. What motivates you to be that sort of leader that you need to be on the field and off?  

SJ: I think motivation for me is easy. Like I said, my parents moved and sacrificed everything to give me an opportunity. And I wouldn’t be anything less than 100% myself. And giving 100% effort every single day would be a disservice to them and what they’ve sacrificed for me. So I look at that as enough motivation in itself to go out and achieve all the things that I can achieve while able and ultimately continue to do it at a high level for as long as I can. And I want to make myself proud too and make my parents proud. And I think they just taught me the value of hard work and what that means. So, I’ll always sacrifice everything for my teammates and make sure that I’m giving DC United my all while I’m here. So that’s motivation itself during the season.

DP: I was just talking with someone about Black Players for Change and some of the activations that they’re trying to prepare for this summer, obviously for MLS and for the World Cup. You were one of the people who helped bring that to existence back in 2020. And I know it’s difficult to work on that, some of these initiatives during the year, but how does that work for you as a player to continue to do some of the initiatives that you guys are doing at Black Players for Change while also trying to focus on the daily grind of playing soccer in Major League Soccer?

SJ: Obviously being a part of the creation of Black Players for Change and coming together with a bunch of guys who have the same goal to highlight Black excellence, opportunity, continue to grow the sport and the community. And also, my role has evolved a bit. Allen Hopkins has been integral now as our executive director for quite some time. And for me, it’s basically making sure that I continue to have the platform to be somebody that people can look to. I can speak to my experiences, and moreso than anything, maintaining that connection to show that anybody that looks like me can achieve the things that I’m doing as well and ultimately be the best role model that I can be. And that only happens [by] staying on the pitch, staying on the field and still having a voice. So yeah, I’m just doing my best to continue being that role model.

DP: As we move forward throughout the season, obviously the goals of the team getting back to the playoffs and being able to re-establish yourself as a contender. What about your personal goals and how they may align with the team? What does success look like for you moving forward for the rest of the year?  

SJ: For a long time, obviously I played against DC United in the past, at the start of my career when there was an extensive amount of success and the players that have blazed the trail for this club. I think the expectation has to be winning. If we don’t have that belief as a group, then we have no place stepping out in the field and representing the club. We come in every day, give our best to better ourselves, but ultimately we play this game to win, and we want to win championships, and that takes time, that takes effort, that takes energy. I think the commitment from everybody and the understanding is that expectation is good, expectation is not a bad thing. I think what we showed in glimpses, we have to just make sure we keep earning that respect. And if we keep earning that respect, stacking game after game, there’s no reason why we can’t achieve something as a group. But it’s up to us ultimately how we approach every single day.  

You can listen to the full interview with Sean Johnson on the latest episode of the USA Soccercast. DC United prepares for its big match against Inter Miami at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Saturday afternoon.