In addition: if this were Dempsey's team - as some of you are want to say - the first person Dempsey wants on his team is Donovan. I guarantee. This team needs them all clicking. And I trust they will get there...if Klinsi doesn't mess it up too bad.
Everything that has been rumored is pointing at November, meaning he'll play his first game as an Evertonian in January - on loan, then picked up in March assuming no injuries and performance.
honestly, in 2014, I'd take the younger team over your older one. We're talking 2 years from now. That backline on the over 30 team is going to get eaten for breakfast in 2014. Can I say the younger team will step up and be incredible? Of course not. But I think I know what I get from that over 30 team 2 years from now. And I would be worried. Dempsey and Donovan does not a team make.
rereading my post i feel like i should have clarified better my point... i was trying to get at comparing the older crop of players in their prime compared to this new group of players in their prime. And just evaluating how the new blood 'after-85' has become deeper but it is still lacking in that creative attacking quality that the 'before-84' had. And we have some solid players but not many that are going to scare top defenders. In short, it's become quantity over quality.
A little like arguing over who plays the violin while Roma is burning a bit. Did anyone else notice the frequency of one touch giveaways thoughout the Gua game? Ball goes to USA midfield, only to generally result in turnover from clumsy first touch. If Klinsmann doesn't find some capable ball handlers, doesn't really matter who he pulls the plug on. Has LD lost some pace?...yes, but this matter is WAY down the list on what ails the USMNT.
Close control has ALWAYS been a huge problem with US teams. It must be stuff done wrong at the youth level.
You mean the corner he took that Gomez headed and Boca got the rebound to knock it in or the reckless tackle of the Guatemalan defender on Donovan inside the box, the one where he was taken down without even touching the ball? This reminds me of when Davies returned to MLS and people were just going crazy over his first few goals. I took a lot of flak when I question his form, all I heard back then, look at the stat sheet, can’t you see how many goals he has scored! Never mind that the first 4 goals where either penalties because of dives or slide kick goals which are a clear sign that a player is not strong enough to kick through while running. We all know how the Davies MLS story ended.
a) comparing to Charlie Davies is irrelevant. Different players, different situations, different timing... b) Even if you don't want to give me the involved in all three goals credit - which he was, and has been credited for by multiple sources - please see the Opta stat: Landon Donovan created 3X more scoring chances than the next player on this team. Who was Michael Bradley. Aka, without LD, you had no offense. I don't know what part of that you don't understand. It's fact. The corner was dangerous, he earned the PK, and his run fed the third goal. He was directly involved in 7 out of 9 goals in this tournament. Many more than ANY other player on the team. Check your eyeballs. c) You're seriously not giving him credit on the PK he earned? Dempsey did. Of all your statements, this is the most ridiculous. Listen, you can argue with me all you want about LD's performances if you want to point out his passiveness in his approach to goal. He was poor against Guatemala. I have no complaint with that argument. It's accurate. I bet his chances created against Guatemala are nowhere near as high as his previous games. But your arguments are nonsensical in that you are calling him poor for not scoring a goal, you are not recognizing his contributions to our offense, and you are not recognizing his solid play (which does exist) over the course of these last 5 games. Your response to my FACTS about his stats is "but he didn't score a goal." To tell me you want to pull the plug on the player that drove our offense for the last few games? Laughable. Hope you like Michael Bradley and his 8 chances created over 4 games. Cause that's literally all you got.
Yeah, LD stunk over this 5-game "tournament." Read 'em and weep, boys. 2nd highest rated player throughout the 5-game average. (tied with one Clint Dempsey and Fabian Johnson) http://www.socceramerica.com/article/47033/from-bradley-to-onyewu-how-the-us-players-rated.html
Lately Donovan has been doing the same, IMO. I've seen him spark a counter attack and move the ball closer to goal and he sets up whoever is most available to take a shot. He's actually pretty good at reading the game under pressure and his short passes usually connect. By "under pressure" I mean when he darts towards the opposing defenders on the flanks then passes to a teammate on the run instead of creating his own chances and taking a shot on goal. In that aspect, he's doing what Klinsmann wants...move the ball and smartly pass it.
My eyes are wide open when it comes to soccer, unfortunately for you and the likes, I'm not the only one that sees it different, check out Ives Galarcep recent article about the mini tournament.
I read Galarcep as part of my routine, and I don't remember him at any point demanding JK to "pull the plug" on Donovan. Do you have a source? PS: The closest I could find was this: "When the US legend notched a hat trick just days after revealing he was already considering his future after soccer, Donovan looked like a player who just needed to be back with the national team in order to regain his top form. The rest of the mini-tournament revealed a Donovan who just couldn’t impact games as consistently as he used to. In fact, you could argue he was largely disappointing in three of the next four matches, with his games against Brazil and Guatemala standing out as terrible showings by his lofty standards. [...] He was outstanding for Everton this past winter, showing he can still play on that level, and he may need that to help motivate him and keep him in good enough form to maintain his place as a national team starter. As crazy as it might be to suggest, Donovan might be coming closer to the point of not being a regular starter anymore. It is something that will happen eventually, and his recent games suggest that time may be sooner than we thought." That's not calling for his demise from the NT. It's almost a lament over his aging, actually.
here is the link http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/usa/story/usmnt-what-we-learned-from-five-game-stretch-061312 demise? that is not my word. All I have been saying is not as good as people think he still is.
Even ZiZou and Maradona went through periods when they did little worthy of note on the field. You just can't expect the guy to score and assist in every game. They're just human, after all.
Yes you can! There are never any excuses for not dominating every time out. The mentally feeble, who experience ups and downs, breaks in solid play and inconsistency are those who can't hang with the best. Simply as that! Sincerely- Cristiano Ronaldo
Not only is it the silliest thread ever but is border lines ridiculous. Against Scotland he scores a Hat Trick and now we give up on. What he gives on and off the field should be applauded not looked down upon...Have some respect.
You don't control a hot potato, you get rid of it. Welcome to U.S. youth soccer. We've now progressed to the point where when we get the ball now, instead of mindlessly booming the ball up the field, we now mindlessly pass the ball back to our center backs. We refer to this as "possession play."
This thread, like all he others telling of Landon's demise, is a bit premature. Is he at his very best? No. Does that mean we'll never see his best again? Not necessarily. Is he still a top US player in his current form? Yes. At what point does Klinsmann pull the plug? When a player who can help the team more than he does becomes available. Based on what I've seen on the field we're not there yet. LD may not be on a tear but he's still of great importance to the team and will continue to be so through this cycle. Perhaps he's "lost a step" and isn't bolting down the field with the ball as much as he did in the past. But he still has decent pace and does make some dangerous runs. Compared to other members of the US, he still has the best touch on the ball and the best vision. Although I must say that Michael Bradley has come a long way and is a pleasure to watch on the offensive half of the field. More importantly, in my humble opinion, Landon is still the US player who is most likely to change the game with one touch of the ball. He makes good things happen. The questions I would be asking are: How do I get the best out of Jozy Altidore? If Donovan were in Altidore's place when Bradely laid that ball of in front of goal, the US wins 2-1. Jozy, did not even try for that ball. Why was Jermaine Jones taking a crucial free kick late in the game versus Guatemala? That's either Landon or Dempsey. I would have made Donovan take it!
Didn't say that wasn't his job. However, he generated the 2nd most chances on the team *far* behind Landon. The 2nd. What does that say?
What he said is nowhere near the derision you have posted in this entire thread and elsewhere. Ives is saying that "maybe" sometime in the future LD might not be a starter. Anyone can say that. Question is the timing. Based on his stats, it ain't any time soon. EDIT: Ives also says that a return trip to Everton - where he would be a starter - would bring him right back into the fold. Hope Moyes doesn't go to Spurs, as this is indeed the plan.
