Landon Donovan fails to make the

[Karl]

Bad move. No one can tell me Brad Davis is a better option than our all-time greatest player.

And if Klinsmann was going to do this then he should have handled it better and done it months ago.

You are missing the point. You are focusing on Donovan for Donovan's sake and missing that it is TEAM USA's interest that must come before all else.

What is the point of putting Donovan in the TEAM if he is the greatest player on Earth and refuses...will not further TEAM USA's interest? Face facts, Donovan is just not good for TEAM USA and as Stonigut mentioned above Donovan was not shy about letting us know.

He has 'failed to be Donovan' since Klinsmann's arrival.

[Karl]

Do you have any kind of quote, article, etc. to support this claim?

Did Donovan take a self-imposed leave from Soccer?
...was that when TEAM USA needed his influence during TEAM-building under Klinsmann?

There is a saying 'deeds speak louder than words'!
Donovan's action on the field became not that expected of Donovan...less than accustomed Donovan quality...and other acts did not engender confidence that he was not acting the spoilt child to the detriment of TEAM USA.

[Mosiah]

Your opinion is noted. The facts say otherwise.

There is no player on the US squad today who can win games in this World Cup as Donovan can.

[Zeppo]

Did Donovan take a self-imposed leave from Soccer?
...was that when TEAM USA needed his influence during TEAM-building under Klinsmann?

There is a saying 'deeds speak louder than words'!
Donovan's action on the field became not that expected of Donovan...less than accustomed Donovan quality...and other acts did not engender confidence that he was not acting the spoilt child to the detriment of TEAM USA.

At the end of 2012 Donovan announced that he would be taking a break. This was after years of year-round playing since he was always going out on loan during his off-season (with Everton and Bayern Munich).

Klinsmann dropped him and told him he would have to earn his spot back. Donovan had no problem with the decision and did just that: last summer he lead the U.S. team to the Gold Cup title with 5 goals and 7 assists, winning the Golden Ball as player of the tournament.

So again, you've shown nothing to support your claim that Donovan thought he was "bigger than the team". He's never shown anything but humility in that regard.

[Mosiah]

Donovan has had a stellar career. If there is anyone who can turn the game on its head for Team USA, against any side in the world, it is Landon Donovan.

When he plays against Jamaica, I make sure not to have any liquids 24 hours before the game.

He has scored more World Cup goals than Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, and Robin van Persie combined! Not too shabby for a player on a pretty ordinary USA team sometimes.

When you hear me gushing about a US player like this...arite!

[Karl]

You need to look at those games. ...in the context of the quality of our TEAMs. We are taking about the World Cup where the quality of Donovan at his best would be that of an ordinary player playing exceptional TEAM (play). Yet that Donovan would make the present TEAM USA far better than what we have seen recently. ...but that is not the current Donovan!!!!!

Donovan today is not playing well with his TEAMmates...loses the ball often to our inferior CONCACAF TEAMs - so ho much more often will he lose it to the higher level TEAMs he shall meet in the World Cup?

Donovan today holds the ball while attempting what is beyond his skill level. He gets away with it in CONCACAF as he has compared to the TOP OF THE WORLD levels an inordinate amount of time on the ball.

He often makes late passes - i.e. he dwells on the ball. His passes are not quick acts. It suggests he is having problems - slow thinking - deciding what to do. These late arriving passes put his TEAMmates and his TEAM behind the 8th ball. Look, you do not wait until teammates are 'covered' to then pass them the ball if it can be helped. ...and teammates with less than extreme competence on the ball demand as much time and space within which to operate as can be had. Donovan in a nutshell is playing in a manner where he screws his teammates and his TEAM....and while the USA comes out ahead at the poor CONCACAF level...the team would be better suited at the higher level having someone with less experience than Donovan who supports the already weak technically skilled USA squad by playing a total...an all consuming TEAM game...passing the ball 'early' thereby increasing tine and space within which TEAMmates can operate and creating...assisting in creating quality of play wherein the USA has a chance to be competitive with the 'big boys'.

Go back to the 2002 Bruce Arena TEAM USA World Cup video and notice the quickness with which Donovan made his decisions and acted (quick feet, tremendous pace across ground...quick intelligent play...no dwelling on the ball...tremendously high support rate - movement.... That was a class player using his limited technical ability to OPTIMUM level!).

He is currently slower...and still has 'a bag' of TEAMmates who are poor technically...but still with the same attitude as the 2002 bunch i.e. willing to work butts off for TEAM and instantly share the ball (save Dempsey)...trying nothing fancy....doing the simple intelligent things at high pace. Yet Donovan...the current Donovan slows things down and screws them.

Among other things and particularly at the highest levels football is a game of SUDDEN...doing things at a pace whereby opponents are put on the backfoot by being forced to react...not having a 'mountain of time and space' to set-up on defense. That means trying to have opponents - individual player and TEAM - caught by 'surprise' repeatedly...constantly. Any player or TEAM that consciously or otherwise assists the opponent in/on defensive preparation is playing the fool...and is best far away from TEAM.

Go back to the World Cup 2002 videos and observe that TEAM USA...but particularly focus on Donovan and you shall observe a player swift at making decisions and implementing same...a consummate TEAMman!

Then grab any of his current games and you shall see a guy slow to act...matters not if at times it works. You just do not want that in your players. It makes for crappy TEAM!!!!

So his playing during the last GOLD CUP tournament was effective?! Great! ...but that is 2nd form competition when compared to the World Cup.

He has not shown a willingness to 'step up' on quality TEAMplay. His TEAMmates, TEAM and coach need that 'stepping up' or need him not at all. Klinsmann did not fire Donovan, Donovan fired himself.

BTW - Responding to you in a post (sometime pass - after viewing Donovan and Dempsey in a match which I think the USA won), I asked on their play...less than stellar/awful play for/by them... "What's up with that?"...or some such words?) Why had they in my mind put in such a lousy display...it seemed to me then that they deliberately 'fu@@#$$%ked up' the TEAM.

[Mosiah]

Uh-oh! He counters with with a voluminous treatise.

Zeppo, please read and repost in 3 sentences or less.

Thanks!

[Assasin]

True, while I will not question his talent, he could have more than double his earning and been a popular in some European league but because of who he is and not make himself available to go to the next level. He basically cry himself out of Germany twice, could have signed a pretty decent English contract but he wouldn't leave his comfort zone.

[Mosiah]

And is that such a bad thing? How much was MLS paying him again?

[Me]

why do people get upset that a man decided to stay home and get paid as much as he would in Europe and outperform most of the game's superstars every world cup.

[Assasin]

my answer might be different from that of the football purest. Remember how we kill Nandi for not staying in Mexico?

I am just saying he doesn't push himself to that limit, and we would be talking about not just a good player.

[Mosiah]

Okay, let me get this straight.

We are comparing Nandi's choosing Jamaica over Mexico to Donovan's choosing MLS over Europe?!?

Just want to be clear about this before I say more.

[Assasin]

what I am saying because of the people's nature some people may not push as hard and try not to adapt to foreign environment. Even thought they have talent, not everybody make out fi the sacrifice and is prepared for that which will take their talent to the next level.

[Karl]

Donovan has had a stellar career.

...and so say all of us!

[Bricktop]

how many champions league goals does he have?