Donovan Cut - is this the end of Landon?

Got to think that in the first time in his career, Donovan is not in shape. He had always been among the fittest players for the US, a hallmark of his game really, but you can tell from his play with the Galaxy this year that he has gained some weight and slowed a bit.

 

So I get it Landon was listed as a forward.

But you're telling me we are going to take Brad freaking Davis to the World Cup, to play Ghana, Portugal and Germany, instead of Landon Donovan?

You've got to be kidding me. Landon hasn't been in the greatest of form as of late, but he knows what it takes to play against top-level opposition.

Huge gamble by Klinsmann. I think it was the wrong choice.

 

So anyone leading the protest with black armbands.


Donovan's self imposed exile was the greatest thing he gave to team. It proved they could win without him in friendlies. May have been his downfall.

 

Davis is the closest thing we have to a true dead ball specialist. I'm not saying it is the right call, but I certainly see why

 

If this doesn't have to do with fitness, then IDK what Klinsmann is doing... I wasn't Donovan to start but he still could have been useful as an off the bench guy when were chasing the game... Brad davis made it over him. Just let that sink in Brad Davis

 

Quoted for truth. If we fail to get out of the group, which I doubt we will, then Klinsmann is gone. I've thought for a while that Dempsey, Donovan, Bradley, and Howard will all have to be playing to their potential for us to get out of this group. Seriously, who the hell is going to play on the wings? Zusi and Davis? Bedoya and Green? Wtf... I still rate Donovan higher than any of them.

Although I'm a fan of Green, I'll put it this way:

The best player in the history of the game in the U.S. just got left off of the roster in favor of an 18 year old kid who has done nothing professionally.

Go ahead Klinsmann, prove me wrong.. you've done it before.

 

But a lot of people HATE Donovan too (which anybody who's hung out here for any length of time can tell you). I wonder if moving past that image is part of what he's trying to achieve here (if so I hope a very minor part, as that's nothing to base a World Cup squad on).

Bradley, Dempsey, Howard. Those are the faces right now. And honestly, Dempsey's swagger and Bradley's fire are going to be a lot more appealing to a good segment of the population than Donovan's more introspective style.

Still though, I'm going on record right now and calling this a huge mistake.

 

It is Green over Donovan. Davis has the left foot, no one else has.

 

I'm withholding judgement, but we did a lot of the hard work in qualifying without Donovan. The verteran core of this team this cycle has been Dempsey, Bradley, Howard and Altidore without question.

I also found Donovan's comments in the first ESPN Inside episode about his training completely perplexing.

 

Quoted and bolded for absolute untruth. We'll have to go out in true flaming fashion for that to happen.

 

I agree he was probably going to be a sub, but having someone coming off the bench of his caliber and experience level is huge. I'm shocked.

 

He does almost seem like he doesn't give a shit anymore with some of his quotes lately.

 

What a joke.

Honestly, I do trust Klinns but this is just beyond the pale.

* Cronyism
* My way or the highway mentality
* Rewarding youth and upside over experience and proven track record

Just absolutely stupid. If it weren't so damn transparent that'd be one thing but it's pretty obvious the carrot of the WC for the german-americans was/is a real thing. This team was built on the blood, sweat, and tears of dozens of domestic players and to have them have their dreams ripped out from under them because of backroom deals. Disgusting.

Parkhurst - out, EJ - out, Donovan - out. Altidore hasn't scored a frackin goal in a year and he's in. Timmy Chandler won't fly on a plane for a whole cycle and makes it.

Embarrassing.

 

I don't see any reason to spend even a second thinking about this decision as this player vs that player, form vs class. It is the motivational speaker ripping a phone book in half roster move.

 

But he's always had that tendency, he favors honesty and introspection over the usual rah rah platitudes. Which I'm personally fine with, but sometimes I do want him to just throw down with some Crash Davis cliches like the rest of his teammates.

 

Shocking. Really shocking.

Maybe this is partly a plot to drum up interest in the World Cup and US team. Landon was the guy everyone around the world knew, even many people in the United States who don't follow soccer have heard of him. When the preliminary roster was released most of the international coverage was "Donovan heads group to World Cup". News that he won't make the roster is pretty big. (I know that this almost certainly isn't really the case, but it's hard to reason otherwise.)

 

1) No, he could still make the Gold Cup and Centenario rosters, with improvement.
2) He hasn't been playing well. Boyd is a bigger surprise to me.

 

The only possible way that JK can justify this is Donovan's quotes as of recent. He has been saying "I'm too old for this sh*t" in not so many words. Beep test or not, I think that may have really stuck it to JK.

But no way no how I take Brad Davis over Landon Donovan. No way.

 

This is going to f*ck with the team mentality. Everything they do will be judged against what Landon has done.

JK is a complete idiot.

 

I'm more upset that Boyd got cut.

 

I'm pretty sure Green was promised a spot if he chose the US, would be pretty shitty to then renege on that promise. Yedlin is there for two reasons: get him experience for the next WC and I'm sure JK feels like he needs a really fast back based on our opponents. If he can get him to not get caught up field it might work well. Wondo is really in form so that's not too surprising.

The main person I'm mystified about is Davis. Does anyone want to see him on the field against any of the teams in our group? He's an average CONCACAAF player and nothing more.

 

I'm still in disbelief.

 

I'm shocked he thinks Julian Green is a better player than Landon Donovan.
As much as this team will try to be professional there will be a split that US historically best player was cut for a Germarican who hasn't played a first division game. Wow!