MLS/USL thread [R]

[BayernWake]

Ha Ha the Galaxy are awful. I hope Landon leaves for a real club during the next transfer window.

You mean a better MLS team?

Because that's as far as he's going.

[penubly]

You mean a better MLS team?

Because that's as far as he's going.

THIS.

[Dirt McGirt]

You mean a better MLS team?

Because that's as far as he's going.

LD can play in any league in the world if he wants to bad enough. I'd take LD over any player in the Toon not named Martins.

[tigerdave]

LD can play in any league in the world if he wants to bad enough. I'd take LD over any player in the Toon not named Martins.

If he had the fire in his belly, maybe. But he's "content in MLS" (read: unambitious and/or lazy) even though the league makes a worldbeater out of a lazy-ass FK specialist who couldn't get a game at two clubs soon to be relegated out of their respective countries' top flights. Robert's an ex-mag and gets the support as such and all, but let's call a spade a spade.

At any rate, LD doesn't have the heart to try and make something better of himself. Maybe the Beckham experiment (losing the captaincy, no longer being the face of the franchise, being just another guy, etc.) will drive him to be great and play somewhere else. But I'm not optimistic. I want to like the guy, I really do, but he makes me hate him. Too worried about his off the field comfort (like one Jose Antonio Reyes, to whom we're linked for no good reason) to be much of a benefit on the pitch.

[colinh9]

Honestly, how do you figure that? They have just as many points as your team. If anything, the results so far show that anybody can truly win this year.

Table so far:
Pos +/- GP W D L PTS GF GA GD
1 1 Chicago Fire (E1) 3 2 1 0 7 6 1 5
2 1 Kansas City Wizards (E2) 4 2 1 1 7 6 5 1
3 1 Colorado Rapids (W1) 3 2 0 1 6 7 3 4
4 2 Columbus Crew (E3) 3 2 0 1 6 6 5 1
5 3 New England Revolution 4 2 0 2 6 6 6 0
6 4 FC Dallas (W2) 3 1 2 0 5 6 4 2
7 4 Real Salt Lake (W3) 3 1 1 1 4 6 4 2
8 5 Chivas USA 3 1 1 1 4 7 6 1
9 4 Red Bull New York 2 1 0 1 3 2 2 0
10 1 Los Angeles Galaxy 3 1 0 2 3 4 7 -3
10 4 DC United 3 1 0 2 3 4 7 -3
12 2 Toronto FC* 3 1 0 2 3 4 8 -4
13 1 Houston Dynamo 3 0 2 1 2 3 6 -3
14 1 San Jose Earthquakes 2 0 0 2 0 0 3 -3

From http://www.settingthetable.info/stt/Default.asp

Oh I think the Red Bulls are absolute shit, and I'm just having fun with the Galaxy fans. :-D No worries.

[tigerdave]

San Jose doesn't count, even Derby could beat them. Wake me up when the Gals beat someone of import.

[ToonUSA]

San Jose doesn't count, even Derby could beat them. Wake me up when the Gals beat someone of import.

Wake me up when your team wins a match...

[ToonUSA]

If he had the fire in his belly, maybe. But he's "content in MLS" (read: unambitious and/or lazy) even though the league makes a worldbeater out of a lazy-ass FK specialist who couldn't get a game at two clubs soon to be relegated out of their respective countries' top flights. Robert's an ex-mag and gets the support as such and all, but let's call a spade a spade.

At any rate, LD doesn't have the heart to try and make something better of himself. Maybe the Beckham experiment (losing the captaincy, no longer being the face of the franchise, being just another guy, etc.) will drive him to be great and play somewhere else. But I'm not optimistic. I want to like the guy, I really do, but he makes me hate him. Too worried about his off the field comfort (like one Jose Antonio Reyes, to whom we're linked for no good reason) to be much of a benefit on the pitch.

Didn't catch the San Jose or Toronto games did you?

To be honest I think LD would be great in Spain. Maybe a team like Sevilla, Valencia, Atletico Madrid, or Espanyol would be a good fit. He does speak fluent Spanish after all.

[BayernWake]

LD can play in any league in the world if he wants to bad enough. I'd take LD over any player in the Toon not named Martins.

I wouldn't. The man has skill but no heart. He couldn't even tough it out for a top-tier German side. I'll never get over that.

[Dirt McGirt]

I wouldn't. The man has skill but no heart. He couldn't even tough it out for a top-tier German side. I'll never get over that.He is a frustrating player to follow. We all wanted him to tough it out over there but he wanted to come home. I really hope he leaves MLS to give Europe another shot.

[tigerdave]

Didn't catch the San Jose or Toronto games did you?

To be honest I think LD would be great in Spain. Maybe a team like Sevilla, Valencia, Atletico Madrid, or Espanyol would be a good fit. He does speak fluent Spanish after all.

If he's got the drive, yes. But he doesn't.

[Dirt McGirt]

If he's got the drive, yes. But he doesn't.
A 25 year old doesn't get 99 caps and become the USA's all time leading goal scorer without drive. Ask a Mexican if Landon has drive. His motivations may be different then yours.

Offer me 100k more a year and a promotion to move from Seattle to Moscow, Idaho and I'd say no but you on the other hand might except the same position. That wouldn't make me less driven.

[ToonUSA]

I wouldn't. The man has skill but no heart. He couldn't even tough it out for a top-tier German side. I'll never get over that.

He didn't like living and playing soccer in Leverkusen, Germany. This condemns him for the rest of his life in your eyes?

[BayernWake]

He didn't like living and playing soccer in Leverkusen, Germany. This condemns him for the rest of his life in your eyes?

Oversimplification. Just because you don't like living somewhere doesn't mean you go f#ck off to your comfortable home country to play for a relatively sh!tty team in a relatively sh!tty league whilst squandering your potential.

If you don't like living and playing soccer in Leverkusen, fine. So transfer somewhere else in Europe, don't take three steps backward in your career just to be f#cking comfortable.

Landon Donovan took the path of least resistance. That's my beef with him.

[City Dave]

Oversimplification. Just because you don't like living somewhere doesn't mean you go f#ck off to your comfortable home country to play for a relatively sh!tty team in a relatively sh!tty league whilst squandering your potential.

If you don't like living and playing soccer in Leverkusen, fine. So transfer somewhere else in Europe, don't take three steps backward in your career just to be f#cking comfortable.

Landon Donovan took the path of least resistance. That's my beef with him.

Maybe it's along these lines, would you rather play for Newcastle or Manchester United? I'm not sure if you're a native Austrian, or what your hometown club is, but would you rather play for Barcelona or Salzburg?

He was born in Ontario and grew up in Redlands. The Galaxy are his hometown team, and the Quakes are not far from it. I don't think playing for YOUR team, as in the team you support, should be something that someone is insulted for. Would Rooney have been insulted for staying at Everton and taking less money? No, he would have been a hero.

If you've seen interviews with Landycakes you know what he's doing. He loves the states and is trying to do what he can to grow the sport here.

Jesus, I can't believe I'm defending him. Oh, and by the way, he's a homo. :D

[BayernWake]

Maybe it's along these lines, would you rather play for Newcastle or Manchester United?

Either way I'd be playing in one of the best leagues in the world.

I'm not sure if you're a native Austrian, or what your hometown club is, but would you rather play for Barcelona or Salzburg?

I'm not Austrian. However, if I were a native Salzburger, I would rather play for Barcelona. Being the first Austrian to play for Barca would be an honor both for me and my country, and my improvement via playing in a top-tier league would help the Austrian national team exponentially.

He was born in Ontario and grew up in Redlands. The Galaxy are his hometown team, and the Quakes are not far from it. I don't think playing for YOUR team, as in the team you support, should be something that someone is insulted for. Would Rooney have been insulted for staying at Everton and taking less money? No, he would have been a hero.

Ugh, it's not like Rooney started at Man U as his youth club, was loaned out to some crappy English side, returned to Man U to face stiff competition, then signed with Everton because he wasn't good enough and didn't feel like working harder. Let's face facts, Landon left Leverkusen not because he loved California, but because playing in California is just plain easier. Landon Donovan took the easy way out. I cannot respect that. It would've been one thing if Leverkusen said "get the eff out."

He loves the states and is trying to do what he can to grow the sport here.

If Landon had been a success at Leverkusen, he'd still be in Europe. Landon Donovan did what's best for Landon Donovan. Of course you're gonna get homesick if you blow ass playing soccer in a foreign country. You don't think Cherundolo loves California? He probably loves it just as much as Donovan.

[penubly]

A 25 year old doesn't get 99 caps and become the USA's all time leading goal scorer without drive. Ask a Mexican if Landon has drive. His motivations may be different then yours.

Speaks more to the depth of the pool than the quality of the individual in this particular instance.

He's who he is, not who we want him to be; and hey, that's pretty damn good. I just would not hold him up as "world class."

[tigerdave]

Landon Donovan does not have the drive to be a player in the best leagues in the world and thus he won't get much better than he already is. He'd much rather be a big fish in a small pond, and be content with his actress wife and living on the beach. He could do it, he just doesn't want to. Anyone who wants to argue that point is a moron. :)

[Dirt McGirt]

I never thought I would have to argue about Landon on the Newcastle board.:D

Good times.

[ToonUSA]

Oversimplification. Just because you don't like living somewhere doesn't mean you go f#ck off to your comfortable home country to play for a relatively sh!tty team in a relatively sh!tty league whilst squandering your potential.

If you don't like living and playing soccer in Leverkusen, fine. So transfer somewhere else in Europe, don't take three steps backward in your career just to be f#cking comfortable.

Landon Donovan took the path of least resistance. That's my beef with him.
O yes, because Leverkusen is the side every little boy dreams of playing for. :rolleyes: Leverkusen has never won the Bundesliga, and their greatest ever feat was a 2-1 CL Final loss to Real Madrid. While a CL final appearance is nothing to sneeze at, their history doesn't exactly leave one excited about them.

Landon is committed to his family, national team, and furthering the game in his home country. It's tough to do that from Europe. Hate the guy all you want, that's your right, but in the end he made the decision that he felt was best for him. Why does everyone feel Landon owes them something and that he won't be considered the greatest American to ever play the game if he doesn't go play and have success in Europe? He could play for the Galaxy until he's 35 years old and then retire and he'd still be the best American soccer player we've ever had.