Why isn't Donovan in Europe ?

[soccerfan]

He won the best player award, he is most recognized american player or at least kept on the pedestal as such. he is a cute kid, goood skills but if he were that good then why is he still here ?

Will he ever make it in Europe and be an international STAR ? i say he will not, what do you think.

[Treetaliano]

oh boy...this thread is going to be fun....

[Parkhead_Faithful]

Originally posted by soccerfan
if he were that good then why is he still here ?




The pressure man......oh so much pressure, and he was away from his sister so long it messed up his menstrual cycle.

[Roehl Sybing]

Originally posted by soccerfan
He won the best player award, he is most recognized american player or at least kept on the pedestal as such. he is a cute kid, goood skills but if he were that good then why is he still here ?
Sometimes I'm embarrassed to be in the same stadium as you.

[onefineesq]

lol. good question. maybe he likes being in his own country. maybe he hopes to bring the sport to the masses here. i wouldn't get too worried about all this because the guy is only 21.

[denver_mugwamp]

I thought the answer was because he was in San Jose.

[lplaksina]

Originally posted by Parkhead_Faithful
The pressure man......oh so much pressure, and he was away from his sister so long it messed up his menstrual cycle.

Ah but does he wear dresses me lass?

[Roehl Sybing]

I especially love the wickedly-accurate assumption that if you play in MLS, you're obviously not world-class.

Thank you, soccerfan, for that tidbit of wisdom, thereafter eliminating two-thirds of our player pool from international contention.

[Matrim55]

Originally posted by Roehl Sybing
I especially love the wickedly-accurate assumption that if you play in MLS, you're obviously not world-class.
Exactly. This is the type of thread that makes me think of what a *#*#*#*#*# Eddie Pope must be for staying in MLS so long. And that Brian McBride fellow is a real skirt as well.

[onefineesq]

Originally posted by Matrim55
Exactly. This is the type of thread that makes me think of what a *#*#*#*#*# Eddie Pope must be for staying in MLS so long. And that Brian McBride fellow is a real skirt as well.

that is a really funny phenomenon though. i would argue that Pope has been our most consistent play over the last 7 years. He's been sterling in MLS and for the Nats, yet people like Mathis are always considered for Europe. why is that?

[IASocFan]

About 4 years ago, LD thought MLS wasn't challenging enough, so he went off to conquer the soccer world in Leverkusen. He was relegated to the bench and reserve matches, got tired of the "foreign experience", and realized he had a fondness for family and friends. He returned home to become a star in MLS and a national hero.

Like Beckham, he may decide at some point to leave home to play with the best or he may decide to stay home and build MLS. In either case, it's his own personal decision and includes much more than just soccer. It's his life, and I doubt he needs our input.

[soccerfan]

Originally posted by Roehl Sybing
I especially love the wickedly-accurate assumption that if you play in MLS, you're obviously not world-class.

Thank you, soccerfan, for that tidbit of wisdom, thereafter eliminating two-thirds of our player pool from international contention.

A friend of a friend who was visiting here from Europe had a chance to take him to a few Metro games and show him/tell him how our yanks are playing at major Euro teams we have a few out there you know. He saw Tim Howard playing for Man U . He himself asked me of Donovan remembering him from the last World Cup, so he asked me
WHY ISN'T DONOVAN IN EUROPE , its an honest question that i had no answer for,

Do YOU ?

[Ringo]

Originally posted by soccerfan
A friend of a friend who was visiting here from Europe had a chance to take him to a few Metro games and show him/tell him how our yanks are playing at major Euro teams we have a few our there you know. He saw Tim Howard playing for Man U . He himself asked me of Donovan remembering him from the last World Cup, so he asked me
WHY ISN'T DONOVAN IN EUROPE , its an honest question that i had no answer for,

Do YOU ?

because he doesn't want to go?
it's his life, let him enjoy it.

[ursula]

Originally posted by onefineesq
that is a really funny phenomenon though. i would argue that Pope has been our most consistent play over the last 7 years. He's been sterling in MLS and for the Nats, yet people like Mathis are always considered for Europe. why is that?


His Holiness turned down the opportunity in 98 and has held that position since. There was a brief moment last season when he thought about going to Europe- playing for DCU lately does that- but he decided no again.

[CyphaPSU]

Originally posted by soccerfan
why is he still here ?



Ummmmmmmmmmm, because he has a contract with Bayer Leverkusen in Germany, but he doesn't want to play for them

...and the only option the club will let him have right now is to be "loaned" to MLS for a seemingly indefinate period of time.

Any move to Europe that doesn't involve Bayer Leverkusen would have to be approved by the German club...one thing is for sure, he doesn't want to go back to Germany because he can't understand them. He's hinted at the idea that he wants to play in England 'cause then he wouldn't have to learn a new language.

[onefineesq]

Originally posted by ursula
His Holiness turned down the opportunity in 98 and has held that position since. There was a brief moment last season when he thought about going to Europe- playing for DCU lately does that- but he decided no again.

dang! why do you call him "His Holiness"?? just because he may have turned down Europe? The guy has been at the top of our food chain for several years now and has been a good citizen to boot. that should count for SOMETHING in the respect department.

[onefineesq]

Originally posted by CyphaPSU
Any move to Europe that doesn't involve Bayer Leverkusen would have to be approved by the German club...one thing is for sure, he doesn't want to go back to Germany because he can't understand them. He's hinted at the idea that he wants to play in England 'cause then he wouldn't have to learn a new language.

I'm confused about this one here, but i was almost certain that he learned German while he was there.

[Kevin in Louisiana]

Originally posted by onefineesq
dang! why do you call him "His Holiness"??

Pope=His Holiness

A title, y'know? The Catholic Pope is called His Holiness so this nickname is also given to Eddie Pope.

Back on the original topic, LD is going to have to play with Leverkusen at some point. He's been putting it off, but they still own his rights. So he's going to spend time at Leverkusen unless, of course, somebody forks over the cash to buy him. Will that happen? I tend to think probably not. MLS certainly isn't going to pay up. If he goes back and finishes out his contract, he could be a very viable option for a pick-up ona free transfer for a European club. He's fluent in Spanish so I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up in La Liga. And England is a very strong possibility. He's also mentioned Italy.

[bkn0528]

Originally posted by CyphaPSU
Ummmmmmmmmmm, because he has a contract with Bayer Leverkusen in Germany, but he doesn't want to play for them

...and the only option the club will let him have right now is to be "loaned" to MLS for a seemingly indefinate period of time.

how long is that contract?? he went there when he was 16, right? 4-5 years ago. amazing they signed him to such a long contract at such a young age.

there is a big difference between being a 16 year old and going off to play professionally for the first time in a foreign land where they don't speak your language, and being a 21 year old with plenty of national team and world cup experience, and having been named then best player in your domestic league 2 years running. I'm no expert on Landon Donovan but I think he's content being a bigger fish in a smaller pond.

[dabes2]

Originally posted by bkn0528
how long is that contract?? he went there when he was 16, right? 4-5 years ago. amazing they signed him to such a long contract at such a young age.


A few yrs back MLS extended it's loan from BL. In exchange LD extended his contract with BL. I think he's got two more years after this one.