No Donovan: Lisbon v Munich 2/25/09

Discussion in 'Yanks Abroad Gameday' started by munichfan9, Feb 24, 2009.

  1. SamsArmySam

    SamsArmySam Member+

    Apr 13, 2001
    Minneapolis, MN
    Strikes me as odd that he wasn't even on the subs bench. I'm going to take this in the spirit of "seek first to understand" until I read something more concrete. I mean, maybe y'all are right. But it wouldn't be the first time if the BigSoccer consensus -- particularly in the absence of hard news -- turned out to be inaccurate.
     
  2. Sam Hamwich

    Sam Hamwich Member+

    Jul 11, 2006
    Re: Donovan: Lisbon v Munich 2/25/09

    it was 5-0! get it right next time.

    What I want to know: How could LD be THAT hated in such a short period of time? I mean seriously, the entire team told Klinsie to go F himself for bringing LD into the locker room.

    If I were LD, I would go to a mirror, look at myself and say: I am going to bury them in 2010. Germany, Italy,Brazil, France (though Ribery seemed to be willing to ball with him), Turkey, and Dutchland. All of them.

    I really wish LD were that kind of guy because he might have that kind of talent.

    Germany is really pretty nice in the summertime.
     
  3. ugaaccountant

    ugaaccountant New Member

    Oct 26, 2003
    Exactly. Who really thought Bayern was going to shell out big bucks for Landon when they already are so sound at forward. We're talking Toni and Klose here.
     
  4. Sam Hamwich

    Sam Hamwich Member+

    Jul 11, 2006
    I would take Klose-LD team up front any day for an international match over Klose-Toni.

    But at the club level, yeah, you might say Toni is better.

    Fortunately or unfortunately, I think the US team is filled with far better country players than club players. By this I mean, they can sustain creative and goal scoring matches over a short distance (ehem, Adu), but the long term grind of the 'business' leaves them well short.
     
  5. Swami

    Swami Member

    Mar 5, 2005
    Re: Donovan: Lisbon v Munich 2/25/09

    Photoshop, I'm sure. :)
     
  6. Swami

    Swami Member

    Mar 5, 2005
    Sure, there's no doubt about that. It's disappointing that he didn't particularly show anything in the real games with BM, but he deserves credit for giving it a shot, especially under the significant constraint of a short loan period.

    It's great to see him with the desire to play at the highest level possible. I hope he can find somewhere else in Europe where he can grow his game. I was ticked when he prematurely cut short his second stint at Bayer Leverkusen, but there's no shame this time. He deserves our support.
     
  7. Swami

    Swami Member

    Mar 5, 2005
    Re: Donovan: Lisbon v Munich 2/25/09

    Spent a summer there as a high school junior as part of an exchange program. It was wunderbar!
     
  8. BocaFan

    BocaFan Member+

    Aug 18, 2003
    Queens, NY
    Re: Donovan: Lisbon v Munich 2/25/09

    Or maybe the comparison works because neither player is good enough to mold your entire team around. Just a thought...
     
  9. quinn

    quinn Member

    Feb 20, 2009
    Club:
    --other--
    It also may work because both teams were playing crappy crappy soccer. ( in BM case between the Hamburg game and the Koln game. Especially the last two.)
     
  10. toddk15

    toddk15 Guest

    You might? :eek:
     
  11. Wikiality

    Wikiality Red Card

    Jan 3, 2009
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Don't quit your day job.
     
  12. Shibb

    Shibb Member

    Feb 22, 2005
    Tampa
    Club:
    FC Tampa Bay Rowdies
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    No, I don't think he ever saw the field. (just in case no one else answered it)

    Confirmed from BBC:

    Bayern Munich: Rensing, Lahm, Oddo (Lell 66), Lucio (Van Buyten 78), Demichelis, Ribery, Ze Roberto, Van Bommel, Schweinsteiger (Altintop 71), Klose, Toni.
    Subs Not Used: Butt, Ottl, Borowski, Podolski.

    Booked: Van Bommel.

    Goals: Ribery 41, Klose 57, Ribery 63 pen, Toni 84, 90.
     
  13. irish56

    irish56 Member+

    Oct 30, 2006
    indy
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I thought a Toni-LD pairing would be preferred.
     
  14. Lloyd Heilbrunn

    Lloyd Heilbrunn Member+

    Feb 11, 2002
    Jupiter, Fl.
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    He's dead, Jim. :(
     
  15. mschofield

    mschofield Member+

    May 16, 2000
    Berlin
    Club:
    Union Berlin
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    Re: Donovan: Lisbon v Munich 2/25/09

    Germany is always pretty nice. Great place.
    I think something that is missing might be the context of coverage of bmunch. I mean, there were a couple articles, toni not wanting to touch LD because he was afraid of the sub virus, etc. but during LDs time there, there were probably articles on everything else Bmunchina. It's not like the states, where there might or might not be a piece in the local paper about the local MLS team, and might be something in the national press a couple times a season about any individual MLS team.
    Every major paper in Germany writes about bmunch every day. Often several pieces. Sometimes, say when they're stumbling, it's almost the entire sports section.
    He was not targeted. For a bmunchian, he was almost ignored, a marginal sideshow, no more.
     
  16. FakeFlopper

    FakeFlopper Member

    Jul 21, 2005
    Austin, Tx
    I agree, I didn't think this Munich thing was the best situation. I think Klinsi was hoping that Donovan would break out, but realistically, I think this was more likely a chance for other European teams to watch LD. If he were a 3-6 million transfer, I think he'd be gone. I think LD would be best on a mid-tier team, but I don't see a mid-tier team shelling out 10 million for someone his age.
     
  17. DogWalker

    DogWalker New Member

    Dec 28, 2008
    Arlington, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Oh well... maybe LD can play in some other euro leauge :eek:
     
  18. jott

    jott Member

    Aug 13, 2005
    Washington, DC
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I totally agree. Despite his showing the past month or so, I still think he can hack it in Europe, though apparently not with a team of Bayern's caliber. It will be interesting to see if any other teams make an offer for him come this summer, but again, as the (other) face of MLS and US soccer, I can't see MLS/AEG letting him go for under $10 million, and I rather doubt that middle-of-the-road teams would be willing/able to spend that much on someone who is only getting older and balder by the day.
     
  19. lynne

    lynne Member+

    Oct 11, 2003
    Re: Donovan: Lisbon v Munich 2/25/09

    Or maybe either team could realize that small, speedy players are different than tall, target forwards and adapt their play accordingly -- without fundamental changes in the way they play. Just another thought....
     
  20. Seanin

    Seanin Member

    Feb 14, 2003
    Donovan's best chance at a European career was to stick it out at Leverkusen in 2004. Even if he sat the rest of the year after his dismal CL outing against Liverpool, he would have had the benefit of a full pre-season and probably would have broken into the first team eventually. Oh well.

    Bayern Munich was always a tall order. You can't say he didn't make a go of it. A couple of bounces here or there and he might have landed a contract. Let's see what happens this summer. I could see a team like Everton showing interest.
     
  21. mschofield

    mschofield Member+

    May 16, 2000
    Berlin
    Club:
    Union Berlin
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    I agree with the lev comment. I'll be a bit stronger, I think, without question, he would have made it, been an important part of the first team from the opening weeks of the new season.
    But Everton? Is that really a good match? Seems they like a player a bit more willing to get into it.
     
  22. DempC

    DempC Member

    Jul 31, 2007
    I'm starting to think Donovan's original, and much maligned, statements he made upon his return to the MLS after his first failed attempt in Germany was probably his most honest assessment about himself. He seems to be a guy who is very particular about having a specific comfort zone. I know it's been talked to death, but through Bradenton to USMNT to MLS, Donovan etched out a space where he can dominate and thrive comfortably.

    The pressure of European club football is perhaps the highest of any professional sport. The few times I've watched Donovan perform on that level, he appears almost paralyzed with nervousness and too humbled by the talent around him. There's being respectful to good talent, but there's also selling yourself short. Add to that the fact that there is so much more riding on every game in Euro club football...from the team standing in the various league/cup runs to the pundits examining your every move.

    Contrast that with say Dempsey, who, despite being a dark horse pick by Coleman, ended up very quickly demonstrating swagger/confidence at the highest levels of Euro club football. Personality plays a big role in how you will perform in the midst of all that pressure. Even though Donovan has certainly grown up, perhaps he can't escape this aspect of his personality?

    Who knows? I'd love it if he could succeed, but starting over AGAIN in Europe is going to be difficult. It's an almost certainty that he's tainted goods in Germany. His best bet is a mid-table EPL team at this point. Spain and Italy are too technical for him. The EPL's direct and fast paced style is better suited for him. It also gets the best media coverage.

    He's too far along in his career to go down to the lower leagues and try to fight his way up. He also has too many high profile failures at the top tier. If he still has the urge, he needs to go somewhere with not much fanfare, but still high-level enough to be relevant, and where he can get playing time. If he wants to do it, find a mid-table EPL team in need of a striker and go for it there.

    Otherwise, maybe he should just get comfortable with the MLS/USMNT thing he has going on. I mean in the end, it has been great for him personally. Of course, world football doesn't give a damn about either one. But, as long as that doesn't matter to him...

     
  23. Sam Hamwich

    Sam Hamwich Member+

    Jul 11, 2006
    toni is not creative, fast or particularly good at anything but standing in front of goal and flicking it in.

    Klose can handle that.

    International needs variety and pure athletic ability to overcome the lack of playing time as a team.
     
  24. mschofield

    mschofield Member+

    May 16, 2000
    Berlin
    Club:
    Union Berlin
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    so he's the best scorer in recent serie a because he's lucky? I don't like his style of player, it bores me, but he's effective, and he's very good at what he does. he scores goals by the boatload. Does LD?
     
  25. Sam Hamwich

    Sam Hamwich Member+

    Jul 11, 2006
    i didnt say club, I said International play. So, for country.
     

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