By Ridge Mahoney Senior Editor, Soccer America

Eddie Johnson isn't going home, after all, to play for the USA this Sunday against Guatemala at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas (ESPN2 & Telemundo, 2 pm ET/11 am PT).

Johnson was traded earlier this week from FC Dallas to Kansas City, partially because MLS forked out some big money to keep Guatemalan striker Carlos Ruiz, and thus Dallas needed to shed his salary to stay under the salary cap, which according to a pair of sources will be $1.91 million per team this season.

Still, Johnson will have to worry about relocating later. He's got a calf contusion, which he suffered Jan. 22 against Canada, to recover from and a scoring touch to regain.

Because of recurring injuries to his big toe last year, he played only six games (three goals) for the USA and 15 (five goals) for Dallas. He scored 12 for Dallas and five for the USA in 2004.

''He's looking much sharper on the ball and he's much fitter, and because of that, he's confident,'' says U.S. coach Bruce Arena of Johnson, who sat out a 5-0 thumping of Norway before returning to play the final 32 minutes of a 3-2 victory over Japan last week. ''He still has that speed and that's not going to change. I think that over the next couple months Eddie should be back in full form and be a player who is challenging for a spot on the World Cup roster.''

The trade rumors had been swirling for weeks and Johnson admitted they'd been distracting.

''You try to stay focused but, yeah, it gets to you sometimes, all the talk and questions about where you'll be playing,'' he said before the trade was announced.

After the deal was announced, he said, ''Dallas has to look out for what's best for them, and I have to look out for my best interests as well. Overall, I had a great time there, and I'm looking forward to going back to Pizza Hut Park this weekend and seeing all the great fans.''

Johnson joined Dallas in 2001 at age 16. He shared the MLS scoring title in 2004.

With many Galaxy and Revs players having left the U.S. camp to train with their teams in preparation for the CONCACAF Champions' Cup next week, Arena has only 17 players available to face Guatemala, which has Ruiz and longtime veterans Juan Carlos Plata, Martin Machon, and Pablo Melgar on its roster.

''It's a big game for our players, as well as our coaching staff in terms of evaluating players for a potential World Cup roster,'' said Arena. ''It's an opportunity now for a number of players who haven't received a whole lot of minutes in the first three games to show us what they're about.''

Since he can use six subs in friendlies, Arena could play everybody listed on the game-day lineup sheet.

Arena does have midfielder Kerry Zavagnin, who has looked very solid and composed playing in front of a back four that has featured Eddie Pope and Jimmy Conrad in all three games this year.

Brian Ching and Johnson will be paired up front and Arena is also expected to give Chris Rolfe, Brian Carroll and Ben Olsen a lot of playing time.

CD Chivas USA goalie Brad Guzan, whose range and reflexes have impressed the coaching staff, is likely to earn his first cap as the starter.

But most eyes will be on Johnson, playing one more time in front of Dallas fans as a member of the ''home'' team.

''It's gonna be fun, because I still haven't scored in that stadium yet,'' says Johnson of Pizza Hut Park, which opened after he suffered his original injury in late May of last year. He has played five times there without scoring but Ruiz scored twice in the stadium opener, a 2-2 tie against the MetroStars Aug. 6.

''Hopefully, I get an opportunity to score and see what it feels like inside Pizza Hut Park to score in front of all the people that have supported me.''