Head Coach Juergen Klinsmann has a lot of balls to cut Landon Donovan from the World Cup roster of the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team. Donovan is the greatest soccer player in American history and the sport’s greatest domestic ambassador.
If the USA struggles to score in Brazil, people will want to know why “U.S. Soccer’s all-time leader in goals (57) and assists (57) as well as in World Cup games (12) and goals (five),” was left at home.
That doesn’t mean that Klinsmann made the wrong decision, but it does mean that he’s willing to take a very predictable beating if things don’t turn out as well as they should. He’s willing to be second-guessed, which I think is a good thing.
I thought it was pretty clear what he’s doing – he’s building long term for US teams in 2018 and 2022. Donovan’s best days are behind him, and Klinsmann wants his crop of young players to play and get experience and tournament seasoning and show him what they’ve got. Donovan really isn’t a part of the future plans of US Soccer, so he gets cut. I’m sure there’s also an element of Klinsmann not wanting a potential threat to his authority and credibility hanging around the team. It also sends a message to the team – I’m in control, I ran the most popular player in US history off the team because he wasn’t part of my plans, you think I won’t do the same to you if you underperform or play media games?
If US Soccer wants to get to the next level, they’re going to need someone who can make tough decisions. Looks like they’ve got one; let’s hope his tough decisions are also his right decisions.
Then why not cut Dempsey as well? Both about the same age. Howard certainly isn’t a spring chicken, either. I think there’s something else that we don’t know about.
I suspect that he was more of a disruption than Klinsmann wants even though most press has been positive. You do what the coach wants, you don’t argue and you don’t take sabbaticals, or you don’t make the team. There’s something going on we’re not privy to.
I agree. I also read an article about Donovan about when he wasn’t making the cut in Europe, despite having the talent; this article was years ago, however (and detailed when he was in his late teens with Bayer Leverkusen). He was just too much of a “natural talent” that he didn’t put in the work, and many of his (then) German teammates/fellow players found him to be an arrogant little shit.
Perhaps that side of him showed once more…
I seem to recall he brought a very young German team to the world cup in 2006.
I doubt he’s losing sleep over US soccer media. That’s like a mite on a mosquito on the elephant of European soccer media.
Not to mention, he has 11 world cup goals to Donovan’s 5. That’s the problem with being the greatest soccer player in American history. In the overall perspective, he just barely makes the list.
German soccer is one of Europe’s toughest leagues and the German mentality doesn’t suit every talented player. German soccer is evolved in the last decade to a more skilled style of play, new youth development copied from the Dutch and have a very successful National team. Bayern Munchen has established themselves as a top competitor in Europe with teams from Spain, Italy and England.
No doubt in my mind, Landon Donovan is one of America’s greats.
PS I played on a team with Pat McBride and Carl Gentile, a magnificent attacking duo. Both probably in Soccer’s Hall of Fame in St. Louis, great NCAA champions and Olympians.
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A teens dumb tweet about the dismissal of Landon Donovan! His twitter account has been deleted.
Klinsmann cuts Landon Donovan and Maurice Edu.
What happens next? Donovan gets two goals and an assist and Edu scores on a penalty kick.