Sigh. Sad but true. Anyway, buzzing off today. We weren't anywhere near what we can play like but it was a lot better today. Atmosphere in ground was better too. Kind of excited for Tuesday now Into the next round too, last 16 teams! Another game for LD after the Derby was postponed. My guess is Chelsea. We always get Chelsea.
I'm disappointed that Everton won, since Howard has already won the FA Cup while Donovan will likely be fighting for a different Cup by March. And Fulham has won 0 competitions ever. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable match to watch. I also enjoyed the commentary by JP and Wynalda.
Here are the goals from Fox Soccer's site: http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/...6d4&from=foxsports/foxsoccer/videomodule-home
English press on the game: The Telegraph: "Sadly for Everton, the class of Landon Donovan is only a temporary luxury. How Moyes must wish he could lure the 29 year-old to Goodison on a permanent basis. Donovan is halfway through an all-too-brief loan spell, but his contribution retained Everton’s interest in a season which will drift if they don’t build on the FA Cup progress they secured with victory over Fulham. Donovan created both goals to overturn Danny Murphy’s early penalty, enabling Denis Stracqualursi and Marouane Fellaini to head Everton into the fifth round." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo.../9045613/Everton-2-Fulham-1-match-report.html The Guardian: Much has changed at Everton in the two years since Landon Donovan last journeyed over from LA Galaxy, and little for the better, but his ability to inspire David Moyes' team is undiminished. The USA captain produced the finest performance of his second spell on loan as Fulham meekly exited the FA Cup. ... "He's a diamond of a guy," said Steve Round, the Everton assistant manager. "The lads all love him and he's a very intelligent player who also brings speed to the team and allows us to get from back to front very quickly. He has brought a lot to the club. He is a top player. Of course we'd like to have him for longer but we know what the deal is." And how Everton needed Donovan's intelligent distribution. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/jan/27/everton-fulham-fa-cup BBC: Danny Murphy handed Fulham an early lead when he slotted home from the spot after Johnny Heitinga was punished for a handball in the area. However, Denis Stracqualursi put Everton level with a deft header from Landon Donovan's cross soon after. Fellaini grabbed a deserved winner as he headed home another Donovan cross ... Donovan made space down the right-hand side before crossing for Stracqualursi, whose deft header gave Stockdale no chance. ... The game seemed to be petering out into a draw, but Donovan had other ideas as he turned provider once again. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/16644382.stm Liverpool Echo: I WAS delighted when Landon Donovan renewed his ties with Everton in the New Year. But at the same time I told Evertonians not to expect a great goalscorer, not to anticipate a trick merchant and not to hope for a winger who would dribble his way around two or three defenders. I did say, however, that Blues fans could expect a player who would consistently deliver the right ball at the right time, the right cross when it mattered most. And that’s just what happened last night. http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/ever...he-right-time-for-everton-fc-100252-30215121/
Wynalda, in his espn commenting days, would spout off and often times be hyper critical. Today he was very level headed and did a great job.
I'm of the opinion that he sounds like a kid. He addresses the players on the field as "you" which tells me he's not past his playing days, and he attributes qualities to players based on one play, even if that's not emblematic of the player's true tendencies (he did this with Johnson a few times today, IMO). I also liked how he has criticized Landon for years for playing in a wide playmaking role instead of a finishing role..even publicly taken him to task for calling himself a playmaker instead of a finisher - but today he magically decided that Landon's best utilized out wide in a playmaking role. He's a buffoon.
Well, I don't think Waldo was talking about LD's career, but this particular matchup with Riise, where he thought LD had a huge speed advantage. Hence his "Stay wide and run at him" meme.
We have been down this road before. No real reason to believe it will be different this time. It's amazing that Euro pixie dust. Two weeks and Donovan already has learned how to cross and shoot. Must have been out of the magic powder last time he was at Everton. Unsurprsingly, people won't let facts get in the way of their world view.
It must really suck to be Eric Wynalda, a guy who was genuinely one of the greatest soccer players (pre-Landon Donovan) that this country ever produced, well before there was even a league in this country to look forward to playing in, and yet as time goes on, the less and less people think of his play and the more and more all they'll really remember him for is his mouth.
If Wynalda would shut his mouth with something other than his foot every once in a while, it'd be easier to remember him as a player.
Wynalda can be a dick. You guys will love this. From his twitter earlier today. He responded to this tweet with this Why even say that?
Wynalda was a forward and goal scorer. What goal scoring forward worth a damn doesn't think they are/were the best? Just the nature of the beast. I thought Wynalda was well measured and particularly accurate about Donovan when describing him as really a great all around player. LD defended, ran the wing, delivered crosses, corners and free kicks, tracked back, nicked a ball here and there from Fulham. He sees on the pitch what is needed and provides even it is as unglorious as making a 70 yd sprint to get back and slow down a counter. He played very well tonight although there were vb a few wayward passes. He has been particularly brutal to poor ol' Phil Neville in this game and last during Phil's overlapping runs with poor delieveries that wind up running over the end line, or just plain missing him.
It's provocative. It gets the people going! [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sWOXS_Aklk"]Blades!! - YouTube[/ame]
Donovan STR 12 INT 17 WIS13 DEX 17 CON 16 CHR 13 +2 saving throw versus bitter former players Dempsey STR 14 INT 15 WIS 13 DEX 16 CON 17 CHR 16 +3 saving throw versus rival rappers
Donovan was good, he was played in a smart way...at first marked out of the game but eventually finding space to do work. Dempsey was good in his limited time on the ball. However it's apparent that he should have been played as a midfielder. Same thing as Wondolowski in the USA game...he was stuck up there with no service. When he started checking back later he won some balls and created an attack. Howard is still having a 'meh' season from what I see. Everton just looked like the better team.
That doesn't make wynalda sound like a dick, it makes the clown on twitter trying to call him out look like an idiot
I must admit Waldo is one of my guilty pleasures. He acts as a dick just to have fun to those who take him too seriously, IMO.