News: Donovan says he has European offers, and is interested in saying yes

Yeah, I'm aware of all this- and believe it to be accurate- but kudos for filling in those who didn't know.

 

Missed it by the .5. Good prediction, appoo!

 

The guy has established himself already as a legend for the USMNT, and the marquee name on the MLS for a decade, and is admired around the world, where people don't seem to have doubt he is the best US soccer player ever.

Why would someone holding more personal records than any active player in the world lower himself to go out there and have to compete with kids for playing time, or being relegated to a position far from ideal, in a foreign country where most people are still likely to think "Americans can't play soccer"?

I completely support his staying in LAG. He's frigging Landon Donovan. He doesn't have to jump through hoops or dance and play dead to please a bunch of foreigners. See what Dempsey had to stand? Screw them. He can make excellent money here, in his own land, around the people who love him.

 

That's exactly what I asked. Though obviously better to play in the CL, win or lose.

 

Yea, I was more expanding on your post than replying to it. Sorry about that.

As someone else mentioned, that was a rough time around here.

 

I will be very surprised if he doesn't go for a loan spell in Europe.

 

Apparently now Genoa is working on a deal now to have him on loan in MLS offseason since he has re-signed with LA. They must really want him.

 

What could be very good for him is a 5 month loan to Genoa leading up to the WC, then come back after and play out the contract if that's what he decides. I don't much get the point of just 8 week loans. Not in comparison to if he were to fit and really get going, playing at a high level in Serie A for 5 months leading up to the WC could be great.

Plus he could negotiate that into his contract. Clint did, although not sure how long it'll be for.

 

That would be worthy of a facepalm a year after going on on hiatus due to being overworked.

 

I think LD's main focus is the country. League and national team. So he does what works best for both. Staying is great for the league (and LAG), taking the break after the 2010WC was good for both, and going again right before the next WC would be good to get to Brazil in tip-top shape.

Matter of fact, his sabbatical may have been so he can now go for 15 months in a row, without stops.

 

what are personal records?

And most people don't think that. Bizarre rant!

 

Being able to read telepathically what most people think must be an awesome power.

 

Could this be the last Donovan thread in YA ever??

 

Julie Stewart-Binks (@JSB_Fox) is reporting that LD's contract would make him the highest paid player in MLS if he were to hit all his performance incentives.

So he's potentially doubled his salary then? Has that ever happened to a 31 year old in the history of soccer?

And it makes all this 2.5 mil talk a little silly. Who was MLS negotiating against?

 

apparently a lot of other leagues and teams.

 

I bet it happens a lot.

It certainly happens in baseball. You pay a player based on his performances in his 20's, but end up getting his performances in his 30's.

Exhibit A: Albert Pujols
Exhibit B: Josh Hamilton
etc. etc.

I bet we'd find plenty of examples of players in Serie A who signed huge deals with pay-raises in their early 30's.

Donovan is an incredibly fit guy. He has a lot left to give to the Galaxy and MLS. I look forward to epic Donovan versus Dempsey duels.

 

MLS pays for image more than anything else. If it was about quality then they wouldn't limit teams from signing an overall better roster. Their not negotiating against anyone really. They wanted to make LD an offer he couldn't refuse, because to lose LD would be bad image wise for the league.

 

can't really compare baseball to soccer. In baseball you have a small number of teams competing over an even smaller number of players. That's why the free agent market in baseball is so volatile and you see 5th starters getting $8 mil contracts.

Soccer is the opposite. The player market is the least volatile of any sport. You have a large number of teams competing over an even larger number of players. The equivalent of a 5th starter in soccer would never be able to push his price up for the simple fact that there are a hundred players just like him on the player market.

Same goes for players once they hit their downside of their careers. Wayne Rooney's best contract years will be in his 20's. Once he hits 31 he's not going to get the kind of money he got when he was in 27.

LD is getting his best contract at 31 because MLS feels he is worth that to the league image wise. MLS isn't really part of the global soccer market. The most obvious reason being there is no free agency. So MLS overpays for stars and underpays the average player because they think (wrongly btw) that signing big names will give the league prestige. There is no way a 33 year old Robbie Keane would get $4.3 million playing in Europe.

 

LD will become highest paid player? What about Henry?

 

I've never considered Donovan a "Yank Abroad". He never upped stakes and lived the full expat life as an adult footballer. He's put his toes in the water several times but has found the ripples stronger than those in laid-back LA.

The discussion re the what ifs and Donovan go way back. Personally, I would have liked to see him mano a mano with the worlds best more often. Only then, can you make an accurate assessment of his place in the elite hierarchy.

 

i think its a fear of failure with him. Why does he still play up his loan move to Everton so much? If you look at his twitter it says: US National Team, LA Galaxy, and Everton player. Proud American, Angelino, and Evertonian.

Evertonian? eh whatever. He spent two loan moves there and i believe just over 2 months total. He looks at his time at Everton and realizes he did well and that's good enough. Going back to Everton and not performing would destroy this little part of identity he has given himself as an Evertonian.

 

For an explicable reason there's a segment of fans that think he won't prove he's "World Class" until he shows them he can do it while playing for Sassuolo or Crystal Palace, etc.

Never mind the inordinate amount of evidence any sane person can point to to show he's capable of playing at that level...............he just chooses to play his club football in the states.

As if a person needs an "expat life" for any reason whatever reason when they're getting paid an enormous amount of money to play in the states.

 

I think someone with more time on their hands should dissect those games and gauge how effective Donovan was in each. He hasn't always looked fantastic. An argument can be made that when strong opposition keys on him, he becomes much less so.