Whose Jersey Did You Get?

I asked Landon Donovan that question once, six years ago. He was exiting the locker rooms at the Rose Bowl and he had a Barcelona jersey slung over his shoulder after a friendly game against the Spanish squad. 

"Pique." Donovan answered, succinctly. 

I wondered what Pique did with his Donovan jersey. 

Just yesterday, I found out, via Twitter. 

Ordenando el armario, aquí tenéis algunas de las camisetas que he ido encontrando. Cuál os gusta más? pic.twitter.com/Jg7c1SB2ee

— Gerard Piqué (@3gerardpique) May 10, 2015

There's Donovan's Galaxy jersey, in the bottom row of uniforms next to Andrea Pirlo's. 

But Donovan actually gave away two jerseys that night in Pasadena. 

Dani Alves has the other. 

LD hasn't tweeted any pictures of his jersey collection yet. 

He's been busy with other stuff, though, like getting married!

I've never been happier. Hope you all had a great weekend! pic.twitter.com/jsT3voFY3f

— Landon Donovan (@landondonovan) May 5, 2015

Once More Into the Ring

Ahead of the big "friendly" USA-Mexico game today, Luis Hernandez has a new commercial for Wells Fargo similar to the Landon Donovan one. It's to introduce a banking app in Spanish. 

Like Donovan's, the scenario is a coach handing out jerseys to players, and Hernandez, as the new addition, uses his banking app to send in his payment quickly. But a crucial difference (as well as a tip of the hat to the Mexican fan loyalty in the rivalry) is that as soon as Hernandez pulls the jersey over his head, his hair magically grows into the long tresses he once sported, complete with a headband. Everyone on his team recognizes him and celebrates having a legend on their team. 

Hernandez then runs to the field in triumph, despite never actually having touched the ball yet. "El Matador" was indeed a Mexico icon. While his Galaxy career wasn't spectacular and he lost to LD and the USA in 2002 in the World Cup, he gets the last laugh here.

Living the Dream

I'm sure LD didn't intend it, as celebrities in commercials don't really get to pick the storyline of their scripts, but I think some junior ad person had a little fun poking at Jurgen Klinsmann with this new bank commercial. 

First of all, the entire premise is based on what Klinsmann famously did in 2003 - play for Orange County Blue Star under a pseudonym. Like so many things Klinsy, the story of why is a bit inconsistent - in one piece, Klinsy says the coach suggested the pseudonym (but why would the coach know or care to pick out Klinsy's home town as the last name?) - yet elsewhere, Klinsy has said he picked out his son's name, Jonathan, as his psuedo, but then wrote only the initial on the team sheet, leading everyone to call him Jay. 

Of course, even if Klinsmann had written his real name, many wouldn't have recognized him anyway. LD is far more recognizable in the USA than Klinsmann ever was as a player. The idea that the Latino player on the rec squad here wouldn't recognize LD is pretty unfathomable. 

Then there's the subtle dig at the very end of the commercial. LD has been left on the bench (like JK famously left LD off the 2014 World Cup roster) and it's very much played to the "what an idiot coach!" angle. That's unmistakably a JK slight, at least in my opinion. 

Judge for yourself. 

How the Superbowl Destroyed the JK Myth

Also @YahooSoccer: Klinsmann's abidcation of blame for recent performances and deflection to the players is misguided http://t.co/C6u6GehXna
— LeanderAlphabet (@LeanderAlphabet) February 3, 2015

I blinked at the screen, and I still didn't quite believe it. The Seattle Seahawks, on second and goal with time ticking down in the Superbowl, despite having the running services of Marshawn "Beast Mode" Lynch available, had tried a passing play. 

It was intercepted. The New England Patriots won.

Like millions of others, my first thought was that coach Pete Carroll was an idiot. It wasn't a profound or original thought - the Internet exploded with similar thoughts. Not even the most ardent Seahawk fan thought their coach made the right call.

It never occurred to me that Jurgen Klinsmann would be at all affected. 

Frankly, I'd gotten tired and bored of arguing with JK defenders. Time after time, his lofty, tangled rhetoric notwithstanding, he'd proven he knew little about how to motivate and guide players to good results. 

Granted, I'd had hope back in 2006, when he'd been willing to shake up the established power structure in Germany. With Jogi Low to provide tactical nous, JK tightened up the squad's fitness, blunted the media demands on the players and helped them get to, well, about the same place as they usually did in the World Cup. Yet JK somehow took credit for it all when Low led the team to the pinnacle and captured the World Cup eight years later.

I'd given up on Klinsmann in late 2006 because his bait and switch approach of halfway accepting the USA job before pulling out showed he didn't have anywhere close to same respect for the position as he had for the Germany post. His turn-around led to an awkward transition to the man who deserved better, Bob Bradley. 

After 2010, I didn't think Bradley should get an extension, but not because I thought he'd done badly, just that fresh ideas were worthwhile. But by then, I'd heard enough about JK to be wary of his appointment. 

That culminated in his call to leave Landon Donovan off the 2014 World Cup roster. I was honestly not too surprised by this and instead more disappointed in the lack of backlash JK raised with the move. 

"Trust JK, trust the team!" was the idea I heard from many fans and media, most of whom avoided even challenging JK on the reasoning behind his choice. JK saying he saw other players "a little bit better" than LD was accepted far more than "We don't want to waste a running play" was from Carroll. Both made little to absolute no sense. But the complete hubris and ego involved was also similar. 

At least Carroll took the blame for his call.

What I didn't expect is others to see that, too. Sure, for years I've been skeptical of JK and his tactics, but even the recent losing streak didn't seem to sway his supporters. "MLS sucks, and USA MLS players suck" was the blame for the lack of wins and poor play, again and again. 

But there isn't any NFL Europe to look to as the fairy-tale solution for a U.S. coach's failings. The criticisms of Carroll seemed to suddenly wake people up to the idea that this is what Americans do - those who love sports are unscathing in demanding better from those who guide their favorite teams. In order to push a squad to glory, one can't accept losses or bad calls with lame excuses. 

Not from Carroll. Not from Klinsmann. Not from anyone. 

Maybe it's coincidence, that so many are now looking at JK more skeptically and unhappily. Or maybe it's just that when eyes get opened, even if looking at a different sport entirely, they stay that way. People trust their eyes now looking at the USA play poorly, and they wonder, rightly, why JK, who is so good at taking credit, won't take any blame.

Jurgen Klinsmann's recent criticisms ring hollow after four years leading the #USMNT: http://t.co/oIxXkiiHso pic.twitter.com/emiOUkXDIU
— TopDrawerSoccer (@TopDrawerSoccer) February 3, 2015

Jürgen Klinsmann's rhetoric is agonizing. So many great ideas, so little execution. #USMNT
— Diego Pinzón (@PinzonDiego) February 3, 2015

It would be refreshing to see you point the finger at yourself sometimes, Jurgen. #CantAlwaysBlameThePlayers #USMNT http://t.co/k05BrkxQRN
— Jimmy Conrad (@JimmyConrad) February 3, 2015

Klinsmann suggesting that fitness is/was to blame for the Chile loss is embarrassing for him & a slap in the face to fans.
— Matthew Tomaszewicz (@shinguardian) January 31, 2015

@soccercanales Even worse is he goes public with these comments, doesn't help team morale. He thinks he's infallible.
— Kevin (@90_kev) February 3, 2015

Then there's this. I'll leave it here without any comment. 

Good luck to my good friend @PeteCarroll. Go @Seahawks !! #SB49
— Jürgen Klinsmann (@J_Klinsmann) February 1, 2015

Donovan Could Do It

There's precedent for a Landon Donovan comeback to soccer, though mostly in a different sport.

In a way, it's comparable to how Michael Jordan retired from basketball to play baseball for a while before coming back to basketball. 

No, I'm not saying LD in soccer is anywhere near what MJ was to basketball - it's more that when MJ came back to play basketball, he could still do so at the NBA level. Sure, he wasn't MJ of old, but that's a really high standard. 

Similarly, LD wouldn't be young LD if he decided to return,

but he'd probably still be fine in league or even national team action. At least, that's what I took away from Stuart Holden's video prediction here of LD's return. It's not so much that I agree with Stu (I don't think LD will return), but I agree with Stu's implication that Donovan could come back and play at a high level.

At least, within the confines of a given time limit, like 2015. Certain things LD is good at, like his ability to keep the ball and his vision on the field, don't deteriorate as easily as stamina and other physical elements.  

LD gets UD award

I mentioned it before, and it turned out to be true - Landon Donovan won a Univision Deportes award and showed up to give a nice speech in Spanish. 

He didn't say "deservo", either. His Spanish was quite correct, in fact. 

But announcer Enrique Bermudez, one of a bevy of talent covering the awards, lived up to his nickname, "El Perro" (the dog), because he had a bone to pick that he couldn't let go. So he mentioned it yet again, how appalled he was that LD had been left off the World Cup roster by Jurgen Klinsmann. 

LD Didn't Score In His Best Games

According to Landon Donovan, of all the matches he played in, the ones that stood out the most to him as signature games, or his best games, were two in particular. 

I was rereading his quotes and then I realized - he didn't score in either one. One game was even a loss.

Then again, it made sense. LD had always been about helping the team and scoring or creating assists was only part of that. Defending, holding the ball, making the smart pass, moving well into space, set plays, making the follow-up run - those are all key elements that often go unnoticed because they're not registered on any score sheet. But they're a vital part of the beautiful game.

Here's the first game LD mentioned as his best - 2002 against Germany.

2002 wasn't just notable for LD's good game - Tony Sanneh and others played their hearts out. There's a high that's only available in team games when a group effort elevates the whole and everyone is charged up to work for the end result together. The USA didn't quite pull it off, though.

Here's the other game LD mentioned - 2009 vs Spain.

Sad, But Not Surprising

In the wake of the retirement of USA veteran defender DaMarcus Beasley, I immediately thought of Robbie Rogers and his sterling play at left back for the Los Angeles Galaxy. 

It's well known also in SoCal soccer circles that Rogers knows J. Klinsmann from way back. Klinsmann helped guide Rogers at various points in his career, including recommending him as a player to the coach of Leeds in England back in 2012. Rogers, for his part, returned the favor in Klinsmann's debut as coach, scoring the lone USA goal to ensure the JK era did not begin with a loss.

I'm not the only one thinking that Rogers deserves a national team look at left back, either, if the word of that other Robbie - Keane - carries any weight. 

Truth is, though, JK wasn't very encouraging of Rogers' chances to get back on the USMNT squad when it was first announced that he would return to play with the Galaxy. He said Rogers "wasn't in the picture". 

Yet with the lack of depth at left back on the national team level, Rogers should merit consideration, I thought. I was gratified to see that Soccer America seemed to think so as well, ranking Rogers as a viable possibility. But the final sentence of the blurb assessing his chances brought me back to earth with a thud. 

Finding Fitness Results, Capoeira

As promised, here's my report of my capoeira experience. 

It's hard. There's a reason why MMA fighters like Connor McGregor and others crosstrain in capoeira. It combines kicks, dynamic movement and acrobatics, all to the beat of the bateria playing music while everyone sings along. For the beginner class I took, there was a lot of time spent training the basic movements and practicing to improve technique.

I liked it, even though my muscles are very sore now. I'm not very acrobatic, but I can do a cartwheel (called an aú), and I kicked pretty well. Other aspects were tricky. At one point, I was trying to do a rasteira (a type of sweep) to catch the instructor's leg as directed. I struggled.

"Don't kick out like it's soccer," he suggested. "Try to control the move." 

Finding Fitness

Now that Landon Donovan is retired, it won't be easy for him to stay in shape. There's no more constant running like in practice and for matches. Most soccer players do have an offseason workout set up, though. That helps them as they ease into retirement, to do whatever they usually did in the offseason when they didn't practice and play regularly. 

For some retired players, staying fit means to do freely what they liked anyway. In Frankie Hejduk's case, that was surfing.

Others take up a new athletic pursuit. David Beckham has gotten into SoulCycle. 

Thomas Dooley is a soccer tennis devotee, and he's gotten other former pros into regular matches and competition as well. 

Keeping fit is important for everyone, though, not just former athletes. I'm going to give different fitness programs a try and report here which I personally find most effective and would recommend, not just for soccer players, but anybody. 

First up is capoeira. LD's own teammate, Juninho, practices the Brazilian martial art. 

 One of the capoeiristas featured in the video here is giving a free class in Glendale at Jewel City Yoga tomorrow at noon, so I'm going to check that out.  

Landon Got It

The MLS Cup, yeah, that. Landon Donovan went out with a championship. Yet more than that, LD got what it meant to bring together all the diverse craziness that is part of the soccer landscape in the USA. Americans played in the first World Cup ever, but that bright start (a semifinal finish) back in 1930 quickly fizzled out without consistent support in a big country. 

LD was a warrior on that front since he first played USA youth games as a teen, representing his country in front of sparse crowds locally. He gave interviews in broken Spanish even back then, he wrote a World Cup diary in 2002 for his local paper, the San Bernardino Sun, and he even had the temerity to call out David Beckham's loyalty to the Galaxy and his service to MLS. Time and again, when other USA players would get tired and walk away from reporters, LD would still stay, giving intelligent, thoughtful quotes to everyone who needed them to make a deadline. 

A local LA area kid, he even had a call-out for the LA Times columnist, Bill Plaschke, in his final press conference. 

"I just want to say, for the record, that I think we've made it when Bill Plaschke's at our press conference."

Donovan's final comments overall weren't an answer to any question. His time was up, and he was ready to go, but he had a few more words for all of us, the assembled press. It was a message of gratitude. 

"For all of you who have been around for a long time, and even a short time - Bill (Plaschke)- I appreciate all you guys do for this sport. I know it's a professional relationship, but a lot of you guys are out there and really care about it the way that we do and it's been a long grind. I can't think of many less glamorous jobs than being a soccer reporter in this country, but you guys are passionate about it and you care and we really appreciate it. So I just want to say thank you for all that. I appreciate it."

The media being the beast that it is, LD was immediately asked to say that again in Spanish. 

"That's a lot," Donovan admitted. He was well aware that local staff could easily translate his comments in English. He then obliged anyway. 

"Gracias a todos ustedes en la prensa. Normalmente no tenemos la oportunidad de decir gracias a ustedes tambien, pero ustedes estan aqui cada dia, apoyando a nosotros, y apoyando nuestro deporte en este pais. De parte de todo nosotros, querio decir gracias para todo." 

(Thanks to all of you in the press. Normally, we don't get the opportunity to say thanks to you guys, but you guys are here every day, supporting us, supporting our sport in this country. On behalf of all of us, I want to say thanks for everything.)

Just before my recording cuts off, various reporters respond, some of them for perhaps the last time, "Thanks, Landon!"

The Revolution will be Live

The New England Revolution have been the hottest team in MLS since Jermaine Jones came on board. Now, they're in the championship match versus the Galaxy, who are favored partly because they're at home in LA for the game. 

But the Revs aren't just the J. Jones show -Lee Nguyen, Charlie Davies, Teal Bunbury, Kelyn Rowe, and Co. are a talented bunch. 

It's also a bit of a reunion for two players I covered back in 2005 in Peru, for the U17 World Cup. Omar Gonzalez and Kevin Alston. Back then, Kevin was the speedy defender with the bad luck to suffer a broken leg against the Netherlands. Omar was a forward who would come in off the bench. He converted to defender in college. 

Of course, there's much being made of the fact that it is Landon Donovan's final game. Sure, that's a big storyline, but the Revs don't seem fazed by that. If anything, it's the perfect distraction for their opponents. The Revolution can come in with less pressure and be the surprise champions. 

The Galaxy want to send LD out on a high note, though. They managed it for Beckham a couple of years back, so they could do it again. 

Mike, LD and Awards of the Year

Landon Donovan has an interesting relationship with Latino fans, especially Mexican fans, who alternately love hating him and yet respect his play and his ability to speak to them in their language. 

I wrote on that a bit here after the JK snub. 

But even so, it's interesting to see Donovan get nominated for a Univision award. If he wins and is at the ceremony, I'm sure he'll give a nice speech in Spanish. Just remember, LD, "deservo" is not a word in Spanish. 

One of the awards, I noticed, is best Tweet by an athlete. Can I just say, I have no idea how Mike Magee wasn't nominated for this stunner that called out both JK and his son and supported his former teammate, LD, after Donovan set the MLS record. It was subversive and devastatingly clever, like a phaser blast of truth. 

HAHAHAHAHAHA DONOVAN HAHAHAHAHA I DIDNT EVEN NOTICE HE BROKE THE MLS GOAL SCORING RECORD UNTIL MY PHONE NOTIFIED ME 😂😂😂 HAHA #LegenD
— Mike Magee (@magee9) May 26, 2014

Most of all, it revealed Mike's courage. During his MVP year, quite a few advocated a USMNT callup for the MLS player. He basically willingly torpedoes that option in defense of his friend. 

Kill the Ghost. Let It Die So LD Can Live in Peace

I have a soft spot for this blog, but Twitter is where it's at with all the cool social media kids these days. Communication in short bursts has both benefits and drawbacks, as I found out in a recent dust-up over the medium. 

.@soccercanales Landon is the greatest What If in US soccer history. Arguably greatest of modern era, but had potential to be so much more.
— Phil Schoen (@PhilSchoen) November 14, 2014

I like Phil, he's a great guy, but this tweet drives me crazy. Landon is not a What If. 

A What If is the sad song of a career cut short before it ever got a chance to flourish, due to injury or some other tragic occurrence. People shake their heads, remembering the youthful talent that never reached maturity. Len Bias is a What If. Or this guy. Or Steve Snow, if you need US Soccer-specific examples. 

Canales and Moyes, Together!

I have actually met David Moyes before. Well, not in terms of having exchanged names, but we have sideline-watched the same practices a few times and he once nodded a greeting at me. 

Here's Moyes at USMNT practice

Anyway, Moyes is now the manager of Real Sociedad. So yeah, he's the new coach of this guy - also known as "The Vela who Came in From the Cold".

But more importantly, Moyes is bouncing back from the haunted-by-Fergie mess that was Manchester United by boldly going where few foreign coaches have gone before - Spain. It may not be as exotic as Bob Bradley in Egypt, but La Liga isn't a common route for English speakers, either. The Scott has pluck and guts and tactical knowledge as well. 

Plus, Moyes will be coaching my blonde cousin, Sergio Canales. 

Seriously, though, I do have roots in Basque country. My father's grandfather, so the story goes, was Basque. 

Already speaks Spanish!

It won't be easy for Moyesey, though. When I was in San Sebastian, I was a bit floored by all the Euskara in use. The menus in some places didn't have translations into Spanish. I can understand quite a bit of Catalan and Portuguese, so when I hear those languages, I can generally follow a simple conversation, but the Basque language is an isolate one, so I can't draw on the Latin roots of Spanish at all to help me. 

If Moyes needs help with his Spanish, though, or if he wants a handy, skilled player who picks up new languages well, I do know one that might be available for a new adventure. Moyes has counted on him before, too.  

Round-up of LA Noche

Last night, 

People wondered why LD is retiring. 

Others understood. 

Baxty wrote on LA's 5-0 win. 

Incidentally, five goals is the number Columbus needed, but didn't get, versus the New England Revs. 

An LD playoff hat trick and yet this is all a paper in England could find worthy of an article? They didn't even name Taylor Twellman, who provided the quote that so mesmerized them. Shoddy. 

Just to appease TT fans, here's a pic of him back in the day - at a FIFA EA event, no less! 

Who in this picture is #2 to LD and what for?

Final Landon Exclusion Comments, Parte Tres

Here is the translation of what LD said in Spanish today. 

Are you mad?

I’m not mad, I’m sad. Because I worked very hard to have this opportunity to play in the World Cup, just like the others. Sometimes decisions don’t go in your favor. Life is like that. But it’s still frustrating, and it hurts a lot.

What did Jurgen say to you, what were his reasons?

What we talked about is private, but he told me I wasn’t going. I told him that I respected his decision. If it was my choice, it would be different.

First reaction?

I couldn’t believe it. It was a little incredible for me. I felt like it might be a dream, but then it was just very sad.

Is this unjust?

After the ten days in Stanford, when I look in the mirror, I can say that I deserve to go to Brazil. Not only for what I’ve done in the past, but I’m in good form. I’m strong physically and I worked really hard in each training. I think my teammates wanted me there. It’s hard, but at times, decisions don’t go your way. Life is like that at times.

Landon's Final Words, Part II

Other names on list that were surprising?

There’s a lot of arguments that you can make for everybody. Decisions are tough. It’s a good thing that we have tough decisions to make. In past World Cups, you probably knew the 10 to 15 guys who were the best players and the other ones weren’t up to snuff, but now we have a good group of many, many players who are in their own way deserving of being there. So that’s a good sign for US soccer.

Mystified?

I’m disappointed. I’m sad. I’m human and I wanted to go. I really wanted to go. I’m at peace with it. I respect the decision. I just feel in my heart that I deserve to be there and that’s the pill that’s hard to swallow.

Random Becks question

Beckham’s going to the World Cup? There’s a lot of discrepancies between me and Beckham. I don’t know. I can’t speak to that.

Sabbatical affected choice - if you had it over?

I would absolutely do the same thing. My performances and my stats and the way I played since my sabbatical speak for themselves. I actually think I’ve been a much better player since I came back.

Motivation for MLS season?

I’ve never been a guy who has been motivated by the negative. I don’t operate that way. Some people do, but that’s not my way of doing things. I’m excited to be back here. I certainly didn’t want to be here under these circumstances or this soon, but I love these guys. These are my teammates, this is my home. I will not let this affect me going forward.

Landon's Final Words on Klinsmann Cutting Him from World Cup

Reporter questions here are shortened down, Landon Donovan's responses as close to exact as I could get transcribing. 

How do you move on from this disappointment?

To be honest, the support I have received has been really overwhelming, and I think it’s helped me understand the sort of impact that I've helped have. It’s been really nice and so at the end of the day, although it’s surprising and disappointing, this is my job and all the guys out here (indicating Galaxy players) are depending on me and I want to continue playing and enjoying myself, like I have been.

Did you have a feeling or indication of exclusion?

No, quite the opposite, actually. Based on my performances leading up to the camp, based on Based on my preparation for the camp, based on my fitness, based on my workload, based on the way I trained and played in camp, I not only thought I was a part of the 23, I thought I was in contention to be starting. That’s why this has all been pretty disappointing.

What is your level of anger in this decision?

I’m not angry. I’m disappointed. I’ve spent most of my adult life and the majority of my life in general, dedicating myself to the sport in this country and representing my country. So, I was really looking forward to the opportunity to play in another World Cup and to help this team. Having been in camp for ten days, I really thought I was going to contribute in a big way, probably bigger than I had expected going in. From that standpoint, I think it’s disappointing. I think every one of my teammates would probably echo those same words.

Landon Donovan Signs Another Galaxy Contract Press Call

So the news is out that LD has signed a multi-year contract with the LA Galaxy. Actually, since he was already on a contract with them, this is a contract extension.

This press conference call is where he's going to talk about it. 

I'm on hold. Classical music playing. 

New Galaxy press dude Brendan Hannan is now on the line, introducing LD, recapping his greatness. Press stuff, but yeah, multiple MLS titles and records.

Q: When the deal was struck?

LD: Beginning of July, talks started. After Gold Cup, we made it a priority. 

Kyle Mac asks about decisive factor. 

LD is a bit vague, says he likes the organization, the team, the fans, the success they have had together. Mentions specific players. Becks gets a shout-out. 

Jeff C asks about loan - why not? 

LD admits he thought about it, but decided against it - partly to be ready for WC. 

My turn!

I asked LD about the length of his contract. He jokes that it's for 20 years. Then I ask if he'd like to retire with the Galaxy. He definitely does. 

SB asked about teams interested in signing him. LD demurs specific names, but says there were some big ones. 

I hit the high points, but it's still surprising that the call was so short. In some ways, I think that Donovan staying on with the Galaxy is a bit taken for granted. Or at least, not big news given that instead of, "Wow! A change!", it's basically, "OK, more of the same."