Georgie, or Germany?

Back in 2006, not long before I covered my first World Cup in person, I had an opportunity to interview Landon Donovan for an ESPN Soccernet article (this was so long ago, it's not even archived anywhere anymore). On the heels of a 2002 USA quarterfinal finish and winning the World Cup Young Player award, there was a big focus on LD. Had American soccer finally found its savior? 

To me, that was the wrong question altogether. I don't remember exactly when I first saw the video of George Best and his enchanting, mazy run in NASL action with the Earthquakes, but I was entranced. Best was aptly named and his skills were beyond doubt, yet that wasn't ever going to be enough to take Northern Ireland to a World Cup. 

The USA's dream run in 2002 hadn't been driven exclusively by Donovan, either, though he impressed, no doubt. The deep run in the tournament required key contributions by young MLS talents such as Clint Mathis, Damarcus Beaseley, Pablo Mastroeni, Brian McBride and key veterans such as Eddie Pope, as well as wily European-tested players like Claudio Reyna, Tony Sanneh, Eddie Lewis and John O'Brien. Brad Friedel was also in top form. Then the US played Germany. The team spirit the USA had built all through the tournament shone against one of the world's biggest teams, but a Michael Ballack goal was the difference to eliminate the scrappy Americans. 

Germany didn't consider Michael Ballack a savior, of course. He was merely one in a long line of German greats. To me, it was telling that Germans didn't seem to even bother ever entering into the Pele/Maradona/Best/Cruyff argument of who was the greatest player. They just kept playing good soccer and winning World Cups (4x). 

American Soccer, in my view, didn't need saving as much as it needed to be spared the angst many in the soccer community exhibited in obseessing continously on whatever their preferred unattainable silver bullet of soccer success happened to be (converting top athletes to play socccer, pro/rel, joining CONMEBOL, etc).

I sat down with Donovan, asked questions and wrote up the article, trying to capture some of his enigmatic personality and quirks, but also tackling that inferiority aspect, since the first line went something like this:

Landon Donovan will not save U.S.A soccer. 

And the last line of the piece: American soccer can save itself, followed Donovan's quotes about some other young players he was expecting to make their impact on behalf of the US at the World Cup - Clint Dempsey was one specific mention, as Donovan noted his hunger. 

Of course, that 2006 team didn't make it out of group play. Donovan didn't score a single goal and Dempsey announced himself on the world stage by scoring, albeit in a losing effort. It was a low point for American soccer fans  -- though of course, not nearly as low as the fateful 10/10/2017 World Cup qualifying elimination. On the field that day for the infamous failure was a new US soccer darling, Christian Pulisic. His unmistakable talent couldn't propel the team to avoid a loss, but his star, already in the ascendency in his European club career, has risen now to the No. 10 jersey on the Premier League team, Chelsea. 

Especially for US fans starved for overseas club success for their players, that accomplishment alone puts Pulisic in the conversation for best American player ever, and there's more than a few articles focused on that discussion. Your milage may vary on how captivating the debate is when it still distills down to a version of, "Yes, our country's men's soccer team sucks, but here's this one very, very good player everyone has to respect!"

USMNT's best 5 attackers and their contributions in major games over minutes played in a chart. pic.twitter.com/o6yVL3H2ot

— Tutul Rahman (@tutulismyname) August 12, 2020

Do American soccer fans want their team to be more like Germany, and Pulisic to be an important cog in that machine, or do they want to have Pulisic be their George Best? I honestly appreciate both, but for different reasons. 

I'm curious if Pulisic checks out his old team, Dortmund, partly to see how Gio Reyna is progressing -- or views highlight clips of a wide array of young talented Americans, both abroad and in MLS, who might be contibuting teammates in the future mission of getting the USA men back to the World Cup tournament, and then powering another deep run to actually compete for the title. The USMNT reached the semifinal in 1930, but the squad has never contented in the championship final. Pulisic is still young enough to imagine himself at multiple future World Cups. It's a long way from not even playing in the tournament, to vying for the trophy, but there's a new generation of possibilities now, and the alchemy to meld them well can happen, even if it's more elusive than establishing an alltime best. 

Klinsmann, the BMW and the Bug

My first car, back in my college days, was a 1974 Volkswagon Bug. It had a funky black and gold paint job, a weird anti-theft system where it wouldn't start unless the fan button was pushed in, no radio, a balky clutch, no air conditioning and and a tendency to shake violently at speeds over 50 mph. 

I loved that car. It ran fine on the cheapest gas. I could push the side swivel windows to get a nice breeze on my face on a hot day. I never got a speeding ticket in that car. I would draft behind trucks on the freeway to minimize the shaking. The front space under the hood had plenty of storage. Parts were pretty inexpensive and some simple repairs and oil changes I learned how to do myself. 

My friends loved it because no one felt bad about getting beach sand in my car, a cooler would fit under the back seat, and they could hear/spot my vehicle coming from a considerable distance. They dubbed it MGD.

Mine looked like this, except with a black hood, and not quite as pristine.

Anyway, not all my friends at this time were broke artists. One had just finished medical school and celebrated by purchasing a beautiful BMW. Determined to keep it looking/running perfectly, he opted out of beach and camping trips, bought only the most expensive gas and got it washed and detailed regularly. 

He trusted me to drive it and I got my first speeding ticket in that car, partly because it traveled so smoothly I didn't feel I was going fast at all. 

On the other hand, he couldn't drive my car without getting incredibly frustrated. He'd forget how to start it, couldn't get a good feel for the clutch and would stall often, would panic when the shaking started, and broke the swivel mechanism on the driver's window trying to adjust it. 

But this was all the car's fault, always. "How can you drive such a piece of crap?" was his constant question. 

I'd just shrug. My car worked for me, I knew how to work with it, it got me places and it was mine. 

"Let's go in Andrea's car," my buddy Rachel said when we were planning a road trip up the coast with friends. "If we go in the doctor's BMW, he won't let us eat in the car or pull off the road for anything interesting." 

Anyway, that's my analogy for the USMNT. Clearly, the team is more like my Bug, and my argument has never been that the players are so good that they deserve a better coach than Klinsmann. It's more that because the team isn't that good, they need a better (more versatile, more inspirational, more creative, more tactical) coach. 

Me and the MGD, back in the day. 

Klinsmann is like the BMW-driving doctor, wondering why he can't coach the USA like he did Germany, refusing to adjust his approach and blaming the players every time things don't work, even when he makes a huge mistake (LD, the broken window swivel). 

I used to be pretty generous with my car. If someone needed to borrow the MGD for any reason, my only condition was that they know how to drive a stick shift. But after I fixed the window swivel, I barred the doctor from driving my car ever again. I realized I had to look out for what was mine, and if he wasn't going to be careful with it, I had to draw that line. 

He acted like it was no great loss, of course. Who would want to drive that piece of crap USMNT? 

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

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.

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. 

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?

Quote Dump

Last batch of those recent LD quotes: 

One match for the national team that you consider a signature match?

Signature match? I’d probably pick two. One was against Germany in the ‘02 World Cup. I think I played well, except for not scoring. And two, I think would be the ‘09 semifinal against Spain. I think that was probably one of the best games I’ve played from beginning to end. The Algeria game - I mean, I didn’t the whole game - I mean, that moment, yeah.

Was that moment the apex though?

It’s hard to say not. Obviously, my first game was, too.

If you had known that you wouldn’t make the World Cup team, would you have still come back this year?

Yeah. I wanted to play another year. I wanted to see how it went. I was in a good place, mentally, physically. Obviously, the World Cup played into that, but I wanted to be back here. This was a year I wanted to play for sure.

How motivating has the snub been?

To be honest, it hasn’t at all. I know that’s hard to believe. I’m glad, in a lot of ways. As crazy as this sounds, some of the worst things in my life have turned out to be some of the best things. I had an opportunity to grow a lot this year and I wouldn’t have had that opportunity if I had gone to the World Cup and played in the World Cup. I’ve grown a lot from it and I think it’s probably shown in the way I’ve played.

How have you grown?

When life is easy and things go your way, you don’t learn a whole lot. But when things don’t go your way, it can be a good learning experience.

Do you know what position you’re playing for your last game?

I have no idea.

It’s kind of a crazy schedule, an international and ending the regular season.

Going into these last few weeks, a lot is being asked of me, and normally I would say no to at least some of it, but I understand that it’s important to a lot of people, me included. It’s a little tiring at times to do a lot of things, but the objective is get everything finished -well, to enjoy it, too- and then be able to focus on the playoffs.

Food, Glorious Food! Maybe Mexican Food.

More leftover LD quotes 

If there was a chance, that maybe they’d schedule a game against Mexico in January, would you consider returning?

I’d probably be at least 20 pounds heavier, so I don’t think they’d want me.

From celebrating the championship - by eating everything you see?

I’m going to eat everything I see regardless.

What’s the first couple of menu items?

It’s not necessarily menu items, it’s more about eating them as often as I want. Now, it’s maybe once a week. Then, it’ll be a few more times a week.

LD on Mexico

Landon Donovan 
(leftover quotes from when I spoke to him before his final international game)

Assuming you don’t score against Ecuador, goals against Mexico will bookend your international career. 

Yeah, that's a good story.

Could you speak on that - and also, were you watching when Mexico was on the brink of elimination from the World Cup last year? What were you thinking at that time?

One of my first internationals with the under-17s was against Mexico, so obviously, they’ve been a big part of my career, ups and downs. What I’ve learned is that they’ve helped us so much. Even though there’s been some animosity and negativity around it, without them, soccer here doesn’t grow the same way. 
While a lot of people were probably excited at the prospect of them not making the World Cup, I was not rooting for that. I wanted them to be there. It’s important that they’re there. It’s important that they represent this region, because they’re a good team and they show it every time they play in the World Cup. I’ve had some rough times in games against them throughout my career, but in the end, when I look back, I have so much respect for everything that’s been a part of the rivalry.

Was the biggest down against them when they eliminated the US from the Olympics, or a Gold Cup final?

The biggest down on the field was probably that Olympic qualifying 4-0 loss, yes. Off the field, just dealing with stupid comments that I wish I hadn’t said when I was younger. That kind of stuff brought me a lot of grief from people. I’ve learned from that. But there’s been a lot of very exciting games and we need that rivalry. We need that to continue and I think that’s good for everybody.

Landon, Unfiltered

Here's a partial transcript of the media questions for LD on Tuesday about his farewell international match. I didn't post them earlier because I didn't want to put out quotes that people needed to write their articles, but most of these have now been published. Landon talked for a while longer, so I might post that later. Landon is, as usual, very candid, which is why I tend to trust his honesty over people who dodge press questions. Incidentally, I did not ask any of these questions. I asked a few towards the end.  

What are your emotions before the game? 

Emotions? I'm excited. It's going to be different for me. I'm not going until Thursday, so it's not going to feel like a normal camp, but it's going to be really nice. This summer, obviously, was tough, not only for me, but for my family. So, then we'll all have a chance to enjoy a national team game again. It'll be nice. You don't want your last memory to be getting cut from a team and my family didn't, either. So this will be a nice way to hopefully put a ribbon on my career. I'm excited to have the chance to say goodbye to a lot of people who have been supportive of me. 

I don't believe US Soccer has ever done this before. 

I don't know. 

I mean, it says something about the magnitude of the honor. 

Sure. Obviously, I give Sunil a lot of credit for making the effort to make this happen. He made sure that this was something that was going to happen. I'm glad that he did. I was very unsure at first. He did a good job of making everything come together so that this could be possible.  I think it's going to be a terrific event and I'm very excited for it. 

Without him, does it not happen?

I don't know for sure, but I'd say that's a safe assumption. 

Have you heard from Jurgen? 

I have not. 

So, the first time you'll talk to him is when you show up on Thursday? 

Perhaps, yeah. 

Have you guys talked at all since Palo Alto? 

No. 

Are you disappointed that you haven't heard from him, leading up to this?

Disappointed? No. 

Surprised? 

No. 

Frustrated? 

No. 

Happy? All of the above? 

I don't give it much thought, to be honest. 

What will you expect from this? 

Part of it is a little tricky because I've so far approached it as a nice event and a chance for me to say goodbye and a chance for the fans to say goodbye, but the reality is that it's a Class A international game that means a lot to a lot of people, so this week I've turned my focus to make sure that I don't just go and soak up everything - that I go and help the team any way I can. That's important, too. I owe that to everyone who is playing in the game. I want to make sure that I have that attitude. Other than that, I don't know what to expect. 

This is an old picture, but same dude, same field where interview took place.

What do you remember about your first game against Mexico in the Coliseum (Los Angeles)? 

I remember it was crazy. I remember there were a lot of Mexicans in the Coliseum. I remember not expecting to play. Within minutes, with Chris Henderson going down, just not having time to really think about going into the game. From there, obviously, it was a dream come true in every way. It's a game I'll never forget. 

Did Bruce tell you anything? 

Honestly, I don't remember. It was just surreal to be there, as a starting point. I didn't know any better. I was just too young and dumb to even know what was going on. I just ran around and it all worked out and it was great. 

Did you feel, "I'm a national team player now" after that?

For guys my age, we didn't grow up with MLS. The ultimate goal was to play for the national team. That's all you saw on on TV. Kids now think, "I'd love to play for the Galaxy. I mean, I want to play for the national team, but I also want to play for the Galaxy." For me, it was the only goal, because I didn't know anything different. So this was truly my dream come true. It was just - I didn't know if I'd ever play again. I was ecstatic to be there and play. 

And to do it at home made it more special. 

Yeah, my whole family got to be there. It could not have been more perfect in that way. 

A lot of people say that you, especially have been part of expanding that dream, where kids now have other dreams. 

I think a lot of us in this generation have and a lot in the generation before have. Sports are - it's a long process to make a sport popular. It's not five years or ten years or even twenty years. The NFL wasn't always what it is today. The NBA wasn't always what it is today. There's a lot of guys who played - and girls in women's sports, that paved the way to make things the way they are. We're doing our part. We sort of came in at a point where the sport was very much fluctuating between whether is it going to stay or not. It was an interesting time to be a part of it and I think we get a lot of praise for it, but the reality is, without the people that came before, we wouldn't have been there, either. 

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.

Goodbye to the Beachy Life?

Apparently, LD is selling out. Or at least, he's listed his residence in Manhattan Beach. This could presage a move to England, or elsewhere across the pond. 

If the choice was yours to make, which team abroad would take LD?

 

The Sequel Suck Factor

Probably everyone has experienced the sequel suck factor - going to see the second edition of a beloved film and realizing that this new movie is so bad that inevitably, former fond and happy memories of the first edition are forever tainted. 

For me, it was the Matrix Reloaded - with a contrived, convoluted storyline, product placement action sequences, and odd, disconnected acting - that ruined The Matrix for me. I was rooting for Trinity, my fave from the first movie, to die so she'd escape the dreck that was the Reloaded film, and I felt absolutely cheated when Neo magically removed the bullet that killed her and restarted her heart. I still haven't ever seen the third film of the Matrix trilogy. The second movie was so bad, I couldn't be bothered to care about how everything eventually ended.

Sucky sequel

Sometimes the second film is actually as good, or even better, than the first. The Empire Strikes Back comes to mind. However, it's rare. Generally, the pleasant surprise element of whatever original idea the first film in a franchise had is gone, and it's not as good the second time around. 

So the link to something soccer-related is - Landon Donovan is returning to Everton on loan. 

But why? I can guess at various reasons. 

1) He likes it there. The blue side of the Mersey treated him well during his earlier loan stint and with the club struggling this season, Donovan is likely to be welcomed back with open arms. 

2) Cause Klinsy said so. USMNT coach Klinsmann has made it clear to USA players based in MLS that he would like them to train on loan during the offseason, and LD is still hoping for that USA captaincy. Ergo, he goes. 

3) Galaxy job is done. With the MLS championship secured, LD doesn't have the pressure of, 'didn't win the title, shouldn't he rest and focus on that before traipsing off for a loan stint' questions. 

4) Back on the market? Donovan has said before that he would in fact welcome a move to Europe if the offer is right. A showcase turn at Everton might encourage interest. 

5) Knee needs a workout. Donovan was probably more injury-affected this season than ever before, but much of that was kept under wraps. In fact, the exact nature and extent of his 2011 injury woes are still mysterious. It might be something which could actually benefit from game time at this point in the recovery schedule. That would be weird in terms of typical injuries, but strange things are possible.

Now that I've run down some possible reasons for LD at Everton, Part II, Try Harder, here's some reasons why all may not go as well as it did before. 

1) He's older, and Prem defenders are wiser. Donovan's lost a half-step since he was last at Everton, (that's purely my individual measurement, not any scientific fact) and in England, that half-step lost can be deadly. Look at how useless Theirry Henry became once he lost even a little speed. Also, it won't be assumed that the American is completely useless, as might have been the case a bit before. 

2) Expectations are higher. Even if Donovan replicates his earlier success with the club, that may not meet expectations. That's because rather than expecting little, Everton fans are probably looking for a lot more. 

3). The need is greater. Everton need a lifeline. They're like the American middle class right now, getting squeezed from all sides. Creative budgeting isn't doing it when the top clubs keep grabbing up the best players. Donovan wasn't looked at as a savior before, and he might be this time. 

4) Less help, more work. Everton doesn't have Arteta, the midfield maestro who Donovan meshed well with before. The club's offensive output has been paltry. Donovan can't do it alone. 

5) That wonky knee. Though he soldiered through the season and scored the goal that won the Galaxy the title, Donovan didn't have, by his standards, a great year. He's likely not as fit as he was two years ago. 

In time, we'll see how The Striker Strikes Again turns out. Donovan at Everton, The Second Time, could defy the odds and my own pessimism.