The entire Donovan saga says so much more about our culture and values than it does about Klinsmann’s contribution to the USMNT. Reading all these comments about how dropping Donovan is illegal/immoral/fattening and offensive to our values as a 2nd rate soccer nation would be amusing if there weren’t so many of these misguided but well-intentioned fans from the top of the soccer food chain to bottom. Is the World Cup purely entertainment or are we actually trying to win the thing? We as a soccer nation still have so far to go. Kent – You’re right, he doesn’t trust the American mentality, because our players have a low soccer IQ.
Top academy programs in Europe have players that develop a sharp soccer brain. We don’t have that in the US, our players don’t exhibit it, and unless they get to European clubs at a young age, will never truly develop it.
Roland – your romanticization of Donovan is patriotic but you are blind to the cutthroat nature of the sport and what is needed to excel at the highest levels. The fact that you are identifying USMNT players as “unknown foreigners” and “alien” is xenophobic. I thought we had moved beyond that sort of characterization but Spain and Italy don’t seem to be the only countries still battling the darker impulses of human nature. BTW, John Madden said “winning’s the great deodorant” and I tend to agree. If we can manage to get out of the group stage no one will care that LD wasn’t there.
Lauren – I too love everything that LD has done for our country and this sport, but time is a thief. In the same way that we do not notice our kids growing older day by day, we do not compare Donovan’s performance now to what it once was. I believe Donovan’s dismissal was handled disrespectfully, but the decision was sound.
Peter – Jones is an enforcer. He’s grumpy, and I’m thrilled he’s on our team protecting 5’7” Julian Green. I don’t know if you recall, but we certainly could have used a Jones in 1994 when Leonardo hospitalized Ramos (our most creative player). Yes, those Brazilians will do anything to win and perhaps we should remember that assault every time we line up against them. It appears that having an enforcer on the pitch offends many of your delicate sensibilities and sense of fair play. This isn’t youth soccer. Perhaps you can explain to your kids how Tab Ramos spent 3 weeks in the hospital because Brazil failed to play nicely.
http://www.socceramerica.com/article...g-donovan.html
Top academy programs in Europe have players that develop a sharp soccer brain. We don’t have that in the US, our players don’t exhibit it, and unless they get to European clubs at a young age, will never truly develop it.
Roland – your romanticization of Donovan is patriotic but you are blind to the cutthroat nature of the sport and what is needed to excel at the highest levels. The fact that you are identifying USMNT players as “unknown foreigners” and “alien” is xenophobic. I thought we had moved beyond that sort of characterization but Spain and Italy don’t seem to be the only countries still battling the darker impulses of human nature. BTW, John Madden said “winning’s the great deodorant” and I tend to agree. If we can manage to get out of the group stage no one will care that LD wasn’t there.
Lauren – I too love everything that LD has done for our country and this sport, but time is a thief. In the same way that we do not notice our kids growing older day by day, we do not compare Donovan’s performance now to what it once was. I believe Donovan’s dismissal was handled disrespectfully, but the decision was sound.
Peter – Jones is an enforcer. He’s grumpy, and I’m thrilled he’s on our team protecting 5’7” Julian Green. I don’t know if you recall, but we certainly could have used a Jones in 1994 when Leonardo hospitalized Ramos (our most creative player). Yes, those Brazilians will do anything to win and perhaps we should remember that assault every time we line up against them. It appears that having an enforcer on the pitch offends many of your delicate sensibilities and sense of fair play. This isn’t youth soccer. Perhaps you can explain to your kids how Tab Ramos spent 3 weeks in the hospital because Brazil failed to play nicely.
http://www.socceramerica.com/article...g-donovan.html
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