An Uncertain Donovan

Discussion in 'USA Men: News & Analysis' started by neems, Oct 23, 2012.

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  1. aw072760

    aw072760 Member

    Sep 6, 2011
    Dallas, Tx
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    This guy needs to come back. Now.
     
  2. GRUNT

    GRUNT Member

    Feb 27, 2001
    Lake Oswego, OR
    Club:
    Portland Timbers
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    So, you're telling me I should go for the three-way, and buy my own weed-wacker?
     
  3. ant0n

    ant0n Member+

    Jun 12, 2007
    San Jose, Ca
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Hell yeah....:whistling:
     
  4. jond

    jond Member+

    Sep 28, 2010
    Club:
    Levski Sofia
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I think it's plausible that Landon is staying away in part due to JK and the turmoil. I'll say this though. Every other player is showing up and attempting to deal with it.

    I doubt Clint and Mikey are thrilled at this point, or Boca, or Chero, or any number of players. But, they show up when/if called. They represent our nation despite the turmoil.

    Pressure will ramp up on Landon if we don't get more than a point in the next two, and deservedly so. That comes with the territory of being at the top of our player pool.

    I thought Landon was "itching" to get back. Couldn't wait. Well, then he went to Cambodia to soul search or whatever, went to Vegas, went to Florida, went to Michigan. I mean, even after going to Cambodia he had time to come back and get fit for these games yet chose not to. Apparently not itching enough to get back as people like ipsinka suggest.

    And sure he has the right to do his own thing. No one disputes that. But if he earned that right, it's due to being one of our best, and when you're one of our best people will question why you're not here if everyone else is. And if it's because you'd rather party in Vegas and kick a ball around in Michigan while our country faces two must win games, it doesn't look good.

    Basically, earning the right to do something doesn't absolve someone from criticism and responsibility. Obama has earned the right to go play golf for a week in Hawaii, but he'll be criticized like hell for it.
     
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  5. Suyuntuy

    Suyuntuy Member+

    Jul 16, 2007
    Vancouver, Canada
    Perhaps keeping away was for the good of the team, though.

    If it's true it's breaking into factions, Landon would have been pushed into the leader role in one of those factions.

    Considering he's not in the right mental space (his personal stuff we don't need to discuss, but that must be fairly obvious, considering when he announced his need for a break), perhaps he's done the best he can do.

    Let things sort themselves out, and don't bother the guy still grieving. The rest of the team can do it.
     
  6. jond

    jond Member+

    Sep 28, 2010
    Club:
    Levski Sofia
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Leaders don't pick and choose when to be a leader. You're either there and leading, or you're not and not a leader.

    Kobe doesn't decide to not be a leader because he isn't feeling into it at any given time. That's part of being a leader, stepping up when others won't. Stepping up when the going gets tough. Not going on vacation and avoiding the issue.

    And that's separate from does Landon have the right to step away. Of course he does. But he's not currently a leader on the NT.
     
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  7. koolvid

    koolvid Member+

    Jun 11, 2011
    USA
    Club:
    Fulham FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Is it possible that the LD just doesn't care about /cry
     
  8. Suyuntuy

    Suyuntuy Member+

    Jul 16, 2007
    Vancouver, Canada
    I don't think LD likes being a leader. He never seemed attached to the role of captain, and has been quiet and self-effacing time and again. He comes across more as annoyed by attention than anything else.

    If I have personal stuff going on, the whole mess developing in the locker room would seem to be quite idiotic, and much rather walk away and let it get sorted out, than explode right then and there and tell the guys with issues to grow up (perhaps including the coach).
     
    Dr.Phil repped this.
  9. El Niño Orgulloso

    Jul 5, 2009
    Houston, TX
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    The truth has been revealed, the locker room is cancerous. Lannycakes doesn't want to be a part of this negativity, I doubt he cares if JK calls him back in or not.
     
    butters59 repped this.
  10. Berks

    Berks Member+

    Dec 22, 2010
    NorCal
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    To each his own! ;)
     
  11. Winoman

    Winoman Drinkin' Wine Spo-De-O-De!

    Jul 26, 2000
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    You don't need a weed-wacker. They're doing amazing stuff with Brazilian wax, nowadays. ;)
     
  12. Berks

    Berks Member+

    Dec 22, 2010
    NorCal
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    He is not currently a leader on the NT - I agree with that, and he even said something to that extent during an interview, something like he hasn't been able to be there as much as he would have liked.

    But that doesn't suddenly equal he doesn't step up when the going gets tough. He did that for 10+ years.

    He's been gone 5 months. I count since October since he actually tried to be at those qualifiers.

    10 years of stepping up when the going gets tough > 5 months

    Fair enough to say that we might need him the most right now, and that things are pretty dire, and that he must have heard rumblings from the locker room. Ultimately he decided he still needed the time off and yes, as GRUNT with his weed whacker analogy says, you deal with those ramifications and that includes the ill will.

    But I fully expect him to once again be one of the leaders in the locker room once he's back.

    In looking at the posts in this thread, we (yes, even me and sarcasmo) actually might be saying the same thing really in terms of how useful he'd be. It's just a question of how pissed off we are for what he's doing right now. I personally think we should be more pissed at Jurgen.
     
  13. Berks

    Berks Member+

    Dec 22, 2010
    NorCal
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    He picked a pretty big fight with a certain British national over it. And he was LA's captain for quite some time, and embraced being vice captain on the USMNT. But I catch your overall drift on the petty crap.
     
  14. soccerusa517

    soccerusa517 Member+

    Jun 23, 2009
    Ohio
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  15. Cornballer

    Cornballer Member

    Aug 30, 2005
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    neems, deuteronomy, jclampit and 2 others repped this.
  16. Grumpy in LA

    Grumpy in LA Bringing It Since 1807™

    Sep 10, 2007
    Chicago
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Cross-post:

    Bruce Arena, March 2013


    Wikipedia

    Bruce Arena, May 2008

     
    jclampit, ImaPuppy, neems and 6 others repped this.
  17. Bolivianfuego

    Bolivianfuego Your favorite Bolivian

    Apr 12, 2004
    Fairfax, Va
    Club:
    Bolivar La Paz
    Nat'l Team:
    Bolivia
    Edit: Good find Grumpy! Arena's a prick some times...and I don't blame him for going hard at donovan even if he did the same. He knows how important he is to the team, and he was being selfish when telling him that...scared for his job.

    Nice article! It essentially puts more focus on what many were thinking, and got testimonials about it. His mental state. that's the biggest issue.

    Will he come back the same? Will he be up to take the challange of carrying the USMNT on his back again like in the past? Is he mentally ready/strong like he was before and able to do it? Or will one bad game make him retire from the NT? Who knows.....
     
  18. alexspepa

    alexspepa Member

    Jun 17, 2006
    Charlotte
    Club:
    Tottenham Hotspur FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    i'm afraid our whole team might be resting next summer.
     
  19. Berks

    Berks Member+

    Dec 22, 2010
    NorCal
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Solid article. Also, looks like he was itching to play, so he moved his original time table up. Answers some questions earlier in the thread.

    Thank god that timetable was moved up. We'll need him in June.
     
  20. dcole

    dcole Member+

    May 27, 2005
    What in the article made you think he was itching to play? I read it as his being talked into moving the schedule up.
     
  21. jhw1

    jhw1 Member

    Aug 11, 2012
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Donovan is not a leader in the rah-rah sense, but he is a leader in the sense that his influence gave direction and organization to the group as a whole. From 2009 (at the latest) through June, 2012, the attack went through him. Goal after important goal during that time came from Donovan running at defenders and picking out the right pass, or interchanging with Dempsey: vs. Mexico (twice), Honduras (twice), T&T (twice), and El Salvador in the '09 Hex; Egypt and Brazil in the Confederations Cup; Slovenia, Algeria, and Ghana at the World Cup; Panama and Mexico at the Gold Cup; Antigua and Barbuda in 2012 WCQ.

    The sad fact is that the team still just doesn't know what to do in his absence. Jozy Altidore in particular, and Clint Dempsey to a much lesser degree, are shadows of the players they were with Donovan on the field.
     
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  22. Geneva

    Geneva LA for Life

    Feb 5, 2003
    Southern Cal
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I like how Lalas likes to have it both ways - I did it, but Landon, he picked a bad time, and sometimes you just want to slap him around. Man.
     
    Berks and StillKickin repped this.
  23. GRUNT

    GRUNT Member

    Feb 27, 2001
    Lake Oswego, OR
    Club:
    Portland Timbers
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I can only guess at conversations, but I think it's safe to say he leads by example. Sure, there have been bad days, but he is generally the last player anyone would accuse of not giving his all. That kind of player rubs off on those around him. I am guessing we have all experienced that, in whatever sport and at whatever level any of us played.
     
    Berks repped this.
  24. Ghosting

    Ghosting Member+

    Aug 20, 2004
    Pendleton, OR
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    He also can be a leader off the field... but not in the traditional way. For example, he has been instrumental in labor negotiations, and before the 2006 WC he had a potluck at his house for the USMNT. The linked article above also has this example:
    He's just not your average player, which has some good points, and some bad points.
     
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  25. Berks

    Berks Member+

    Dec 22, 2010
    NorCal
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Was a previous comment in this thread from another poster. And no one forced him to move the date up, ultimately, his call.
     

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