Landon not included in World Cup qualifying roster(per SI)

That is a very big stretch. That is just JK's current progress assessment of LD. It is not a reason for the non-call or even a criteria that would ensure a future call.

Here was the question:
ussoccer.com: You’ve had the chance to watch Landon Donovan coming back into the Galaxy after being off for four months. How would you rate his progress at this point?

 

All he has to say is, "I think LD's choice to step away has undermined his trust with his teamates and coaches and we all need to work through that before bringing him back into camp." Honest, reasonable, and to the point. Yeah... there will be people who disagree with that call, but the reasoning makes sense. As a matter of fact, in the press, the folks who support JK's decision are assuming that this is the real reason why he's keeping Donovan out of camp.

The fact that JK seems to feel a need to justify his decision with other statements brings up trust questions between he and his players.

I agree with your post above that the problem is likely between LD and JK. It's both guys' jobs to work that out... but better to lay your cards on the table than try to bluff through the situation.

 

Does anyone honestly believe that Holden, Carona, Shea, and Brad Davis are all better options right now than Donovan? Do you believe it?

Someone else posed this question (or a similar one) in an earlier post: If you've got 40 us players, and you and your arch rival on BigSoccer are picking teams to play against one another, do all four of those guys get picked before Donovan?

 

I am almost certain Klinsmann has made himself clear with Landon in their conversations since. Also to expect that form of honesty publicly is almost unheard of and for the press to be that stupid to take JK's quotes verbatim is a joke. I am fine with Landon being left out because I am sure the team can win without him and the team will benefit from a motivated Donovan leading up to the World Cup.

 

That's the least stretch you can get from the actual words that came out of his mouth. I know it's not the reason, but it comes off as the reason. He says they'll be watching those things (all form related) and then decide whether to bring him in camp.

 

Look he is a bit older, but comparing Dax McCarty, Le Toux,and these others, to a guy with 68 goals as an EPL player with Everton plus another 56 with Millwall, in whatever division they were at the time, is just humorous.

 

and that is the million dollar question and the answer boils down to what type of Donovan do we get, the one that can excel and is better than the rest or the Donovan that fades away for whatever the reason may be for that game. Consistency is not Donovan at the moment.

 

I don't think that is the right question, for one thing the first 3 are development prospects and Davis is a squad player/character guy. I will answer that I would chose current form Donovan in any single important match.

Now the JK version of the question. Look at JK's history at the German NT, Bayern, and the USMNT fall 2011 (Jones and Bradley v Beckerman and Edu) and Spring 2012 (Adu post Olympics).

JK step1: Has Donovan met the criteria to be part of the group? See Jones in Fall 2011 for reference.
JK step2: Does current form Donovan provide clearly better attributes than the incumbents AML:{ EJ, Gomez, DMB, Davis, Shea... Fab, Castillo} and AMR: {Zusi, Gomez, EJ, Corona}. In JK's world you have to KO the champ to take his slot.

IMO, LD is still at step1

 

I agree... and I think we are all in agreement that step1 is where the hangup is. As I said in an earlier post, it is the disingenuous nature of Klinsmann's comments that bother me. ant0n and you apparently don't have a problem with that. That's cool. I understand where you guys are coming from.

 

Good point, true if he's in 2010 form I agree with you, but again, everyone needs to stop watching YouTube videos of Landon from 2000-2010. He's just been an average player since then at best. While I do think and hope he's ready to get motivated again nothing is for sure that he's going to get back to that level.

I disagree on slightly out of form LD being better than competition. The gap isn't that great.

I would assume we all can agree that while the USA is a better team with in form LD, they don't need him to easily qualify and possibly even win the HEX.

I guess it's encouraging we no longer have to argue about whether he's the USMNT best option at forward anymore.

 

You are underestimating our opposition.
Our qualifying team is in disarray.
Perhaps, you haven't noticed?
BS posters are way off the radar.
Not only do I expect that we will be embarrassed by Belgium and Germany's B team,
but we will have a hard time in June qualifiers. Perhaps, dog-tired from JK's crap workouts.
Everyone is confused, just like our coach.

 

Who watches Youtube videos of Landon Donovan? I have watched his 6 games and while not great I do think he is better than alot of the competition. His stats over 30 games are in line where he's always been. I will never assume we will qualify and therefore not want our best players called in. We will not win the Hex with the players called in. I have watched Brad Davis just as intently as L.Donovan and he is playing like pants. Very poorly. Even J.Corona I've seen twice and he's not at Donovan's level even now. You didn't mention anyone specifically but you think, Holden, Shea, Davis, Corona, Edu, and Williams is playing better? Granted Edu and Williams are not the same position but why take 4 DM's. The only mids playing better than Donovan are Bradley, Zusi, and Jones. Klejstan is just thant Klejstan. Even at top form he's not that good. This is all about punishment and not form.

 

I have hit my limit of people pretending that the following game didn't happen.

 

Landon has done enough for the USMNT. If I were him, I'd focus on my club career before retiring, trying to get that CONCACAF Champions League title before my last game. And I'd be very happy about not having to stand that schmuck in the NT with his conferences on good vibrations, motivational clowns, and new-age seminars that are nothing but a waste of time.

He doesn't have to jump through hoops to prove his value to that buffoon. You've done fine, Mr. Donovan.

 

Yeap, it happened. Just like the Brazil game that followed it.

 

Wait, the USMNT played Brazil in 2012? Oh yeah, I remember that game because I was at it.

 

I guarantee you he would rather be a bench player in a fourth World Cup than win five CONCACAF Champions League titles.

This, however, is true. I believe this is a partial motivation behind his sabbatical and relative flakiness for the national team over the last couple years.

 

After carefully parsing all of JK's comments and consulting an Oracle I have concluded that LD needs to win exactly 3 of these in a row

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/artic...-named-player-week-after-bagging-brace-win-vs-

and 4 of 6 to get back on the USMNT.

 

Quote:
This, however, is true. I believe this is a partial motivation behind his sabbatical and relative flakiness for the national team over the last couple years.[/quote]

Makes sense to me.
David Moyes is hard to trump.

 

Then why don't you bring up that angle about his game too. Some of you guys are just as bad as a club soccer parent bitching why their kid is not in the starting 11.

 

sounds like you got it down to a science.

 

Being a two way player is something Bob Bradley, Bruce Arena and David Moyes have all praised him for. I'll take their opinion on this topic.

 

There are MANY PEOPLE that don't agree with that sentence.

 

The Brazil and A&B games were actually also quite good games for him. People keep ignoring the A&B qualifying game.

 

His chances created in that game were actually among the best in our team (qualitatively), quant I think he was #1. That game, belying the score, was one of his better ones for creating goal scoring opportunities for the team.

EDIT: went and double checked...yup, #1. He's also the most involved player on the pitch for BOTH teams only behind Marcelo. Contrary to the scoreline, this was actually a solid game for LD (sadly, not so much for the D).