http://thelagalaxy.blogspot.com/2009/10/breaking-news-landon-donovan-named.html More here: http://la.galaxy.mlsnet.com/news/te..._id=7507376&vkey=news_lag&fext=.jsp&team=t106
Congrats, LD. I don't think anyone can dispute the choice this year*. *Of course, this is BS, where is someone posted that the Earth is round, someone would show up to refute that...
Really? Wow, would've figured it would have been Reyna, but I guess Wynalda did play the entire decade.
No one does cranky like Grahame L. Jones: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2009/10/soccer-galaxy-landon-donovan.html
Yes he does cranky well. And heartfelt congratulations to Donovan!! Cranky does make one valid point though that I've thought about a lot: Why ( other than GK's) hasn't a country with a player population the size of the US's produced another player remotely in Landon's caliber in the last decade? We had Adu who never really blossomed into the star we hoped. Eddie Johnson? Altidore? Gooch? Dempsey? All good to great at times, but not close to Landon's consistent quality. Beasley got worse. It looked like Charlie Davies had a chance to emerge as a star (and hopefully he will recover fully and this will happen) but very unlikely to ever be close to Landon's quality - given that Landon was a star by age 20. The best relatively younger emerging possibilities we have I guess are Holden, Rogers, Torres, and hopefully a recovered Davies. But Torres is the only one of them that shows skills comparable to Landon's... we'll see how he develops. And hopefully somewhere out there in this great land right now there is a young teenager that will turn into a world class player who we all be raving about in a few years...
Purely anecdotal, but in the last 10 years the level of individual skill in the West Los Angeles AYSO has increased dramatically. As an example, in Boys U8 it is still largely swarm-ball, but it is now fairly routine to see a 7 year old work a scissor or cryuff move. 10 years ago, not so much. So there's hope! (shelbo - AYSO ref )
it is a good question, though probably one for another thread. i suspect that for most of these guys, we should check in again in another 5-10 years and see where they are. there's a lot of potential in davies, altidore, holden, torres and they are still quite young. i suspect the answer would be different for each player. i think that LD has a combination of factors that make him who he is--natural talent, great speed/quickness, great head for the game, gets loads of playing time, knows that both his club and country depend upon him, driven to succeed, and, i think, he feels like he has something to prove (i've got to think that LD always has on his mind that his own fans are constantly critical of him for not staying in europe).
Getting back to Donovan, you hit the nail on the head. It's not any one of those factors, its the combo of all of them. But especially the combo of a great touch AND outstanding speed and quickness. The only thing he lacks is size or he would not only be playing in Europe, he would be starring in Europe. Or wherever he wanted to. Still might happen of course. And if you want to see what mad skills alone gets you (without size, strength, or speed to go with it) sadly you have to look no further than Freddy Adu. Not bad, but not great.
Not buyin' into the circle-jerk. Congrats, Landycakes for the "award." Now, when he can handle a ball sufficiently so as not to be nearly instantly stripped of it by an opponent, he will impress me beyond his one-time breakway ability. Breakways and a slick marketing dept reliant on repetition of one liners does not an outstanding player make.
I know I shouldn't respond to trolls such as yourself, but you've caught me at a weak moment. Please share with us your fabulous insights into the paucity of Landon Donovan's ability. Let us know how someone who has nothing but "one-time breakaway ability" became the first US player to get ten assists in a year. Please share your wisdom about which US players have better touch on the ball and better vision. Clearly he must have the best (and most unselfish) players in the world around him in order to have scored so many goals in the last ten years.
Yes, Donovan should only be considered eligible for an award after he learns how to do silly, faggy stepovers before he's instantly stripped of the ball. He should watch a few Cristiano Ronaldo videos for pointers.
Off the top of my head: Davies, Altidore, Edu.... Buddle (who's minute-for-minute work rate and minute-for-minute playing time to goals ratio strips Donovan consistently. Do the math). Troll? Hardly. Been an LAG fan longer than you've been out of high school. I don't do absolutism like trolls do... oh that makes me a troll, huh. Idiots. If you can't see the marketing ploys behind this "award" and if you cannot do that math, I bet you believe there are still WMDs in Iraq, right? Jeebus. Course that's what I get for daring to doubt the glorious Landycakes. "Faggy stepovers"? Jeebus, is that what 'Merkaan soccer has done to the beautiful game? Only valuable if SFP is the norm? Puhleez. What's the matter, boyz, can't hold lightning in both hands? Basta! Mature and devoted LAG fans can. We can cheer Landycakes and curse him in the same breath... it's about his performance and not how nicely we stroke each other. Or him.
I've heard of species of mammals that hibernate in the winter, but this is the first time I've ever seen something that's literally slept all summer. Wow.
I'm afraid it's you that can't do the math. Buddle had 5 goals in 1255 minutes this year - a goal every 251 minutes. Donovan had 12 in 2152 - a goal every 179 minutes. In case you're wondering, that means Donovan was better this year in that stat. As for work rate - that's (usually) in the eye of the beholder. IMO, your eye is pretty prejudiced if you think Buddle's work rate outstrips Donovan's consistently.