Landon Donovan

I love Landon and want him back with the Nats ASAP. I dont care if he has a personality flaw or not - it's certainly never been big enough to make a difference in what he has done for the USA and soccer here.


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVdOQvx379Y[/youtube]

 

Watched Goals on Sunday and Grant Wahl said Donovan had dinner with Gulati recently. Said the take away is that it seems likely that Donovan will return to the Galaxy. However, it's unlikely he'll return to the Nats, at least not during WC qualifying. There's a possibility he'll return later but US Soccer was moving on with "life after Donovan".

 

The Galaxy announced today that Landon will return to training with the team the final week of March. No word yet (that I've seen) on a potential return for the USMNT.

 

Landon gave an interview to a USC sports journalism class and a student tweeted excerpts. Apparently Landon said, "Yes, I do have an interest in playing for the USMNT again, if given the opportunity, I would". The student said video of the interview will be posted on the USC website some time in the future. From his tweets it sounds like it was a very telling, personal interveiw. Read the tweets here : https://twitter.com/Xman818

 

Personally I think he should either retire from the national team or shut-up and play.

 

Not sure about the age of two, but when your father abandons you I think it's perfectly reasonable to think it can have a significant impact on what a 3 or 4 yr old feels and goes through. "Constant pressure" are your words, "weight" was his. And how do you know he hasnt sought help and that is precisely what he has been doing during his time away. He has had radio silence for two months; it's not as if he's be going around seeking attention.

 

In this day and age w/twitter, cell phones, etc. there is NO way he didn't know that what he said was going to get out. It's been said over and over that he has an open invitation to come back to the National team. I guess he needs the entire team to crawl to his door step and beg. Donovan has always been dramatic and he has every right to retire w/full adulation, but no matter what he's done for the sport here he doesn't have the right to let everyone twist in the wind.

 

Mo, with one exception I have refrained from commenting on Donovan because I don't know what is going on in his personal life. I said before that if he wants to retire from the national team or soccer altogether that is his right and priviledge. I whole-heartedly agree with your comment about the Donovan's radio silence until he opened his trap for the USC students. In my opinion, granting that "interview" and then galavanting off for another ten days was either a huge mistake or a very calculated dig at Klinsmann. I am in complete agreement with Joe that Donovan had to know his comments were going to go public. I also believe he knows he has left a national team coach, teammates and fans twisting in the wind to borrow Joe's pharsing. If he wants to play for the national team again he should state his case to the appropriate audiance and not whine about wanting to be given another chance in a public forum. Donovan knows who he needs to talk to if he wants back in and I am betting they weren't on the USC campus during that interview. If I were Klinsmann I would be furious with Donovan right now. Period. Full stop. Exclamation Point.

 

If he wants to take a break he is entitled but he should have continued keeping his mouth shut. He has too much media experience not to know he is creating a media buzz that neither Klinsmann nor his former teammates need at the moment. The if I am given another opportunity statement invites the media to ask USMNT members if they have reached out to Donovan. So I will strongly disagree that Donovan does not owe it to Klinsman and his teammates not to invite speculation on his status.

 

Joe, of course he knew it would get out. No one said otherwise. It doesnt change the fact that he kept completely to himself for two months while he was figuring things out. This USC interview was the first press he has given since he went on sabbatical, and I think it was a pretty nice place and way for him to give his first interview. To me it was the opposite of dramatic. Perhaps he should have had an hour long show on ESPN called The Decision.

As far as the invitation to come back to the national team, I dont agree. That was true before he went on sabbatical, but that has not been the message since he left. So I think the "if asked" part of his statement that he'd like to play for the USA again is actually quite respectful.

Anyway, here is Jeff Bradley's take on the matter. http://jeffbradleyblog.blogspot.com/2013/02/finding-landon-donovan_21.html
I think he basically feels the same way about Landon that I do. He has personality flaws that are there for all to see, but he is a good person, which in the end is all that matters to me.

For those of you annoyed by Landon's behavior, I think you'll at least appreciate the last line of Bradley's blog,

Oh and I forgot to add, it was reported that Donovan is not being paid by the Galaxy while he is away.

 

Interesting thoughts from Jeff Bradley, thanks for posting Mo. I wasn't saying that Landon was being dramatic at USC, but that he's dramatic in general (which I'm sure we all can agree on). I think everyone is also in agreement that he has earned his sabbatical (have not read or heard one person say otherwise). Where people disagree is what he owes to his teammates going forward, and by saying the things he did he's leaving a cloud over the squad.

 

Joe's thoughts mirror my own.

 

And from the sounds of it, at least some of the players agree you guys' thoughts as well. Michael Bradley most likely one of them.

 

Bruce Arena has said Donovan will no longer be the Galaxy captain, it will be Robbie Keane. I must say that sounds like the right move.

 

Completely disagree with this. His club career is dwarfed by many of his constituents. As for carrying the USMNT on his back, how do you define that? I'd argue that's up for debate.

This whole thing reminds me of Ricky Williams and his retirement to study holistic medicine. Maybe Cakes has just been hanging out in Beckerman's basement smoking his ganj.

 

According to Soccer Morning Landon Donovan has signed an extension with LA.

Here is Grant Wahl's breaking story.

Read more at the link above.