That I understand indeed. Which might have held if he hadn't flopped a few times in Europe and then later succeeded. But either way he proved he could hang among the best of them. Beasley is underrated despite showing well in the CL which is something to be definitely credited today when the CL is the greatest trophy around.
He was more motivated to go to Europe after 2006, I think. He just wasn't into it early in his career, during the Leverkusen run (the same instance). I think he more or less went at the time because it was what was expected of him and not what he really wanted, so he didn't succeed.
from the NY Times http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/28/sports/soccer/28soccer.html?_r=0 and of course there are t-shirts.
Actually, I did hear it on NPR once... To describe the reputation Donovan has in some Corners of the internet for not pushing himself.., YMMV
I remember that nickname coming as a takeoff of the Sopranos episode " Johnny cakes". I thought it was stupid anyhow. why leave SoCal to live in flipping Germany? If I were Landon I would have maybe considered a Mediterranean team but no thanks to England, Germany etc... Lifestyle and sunshine matter.
Direct quote from the article: "Landycakes is the derisive nickname critics have hung on Donovan." And what known critics, if any? (The article doesn't specifiy). Certainly, no respectable commentator has been using that nickname. As I said, only the trolls are going with the Landycakes. crap. IE trolls. And not so ironic...trolls roll with derisive names.
In Internet slang, a troll (/ˈtroʊl/, /ˈtrɒl/) is a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people,[1] by posting inflammatory,[2]extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a forum, chat room, or blog) with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an emotional response[3] or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion I don't think people calling Landon Donovan "landycakes" qualifies as trolling. It's definitely an insult. Although, I know LD fans that call LD "landycakes"
That Sopranos episode is from 2006. LD had the name Landycakes as far back as 2004. Also, why leave SoCal for Germany? Have you been to Germany? I'd rather live in Germany than SoCal. But I've lived in SoCal most of my life.
Let's see. $4.5 million a year. Manhattan Beach, CA 2 minute walk to the Pacific Ocean. 12 minute drive to work. versus ANYTHING ! I understand the hate.
Until recently wasn't he just making a million or 2 a year? Besides I'm sure he could have easily made that in the PL if he had continued the form he showed at the loans with Everton. Plus he could have just as easily found something in Liverpool that would have made it worth his while. Just a poor excuse to say Oh California is better than Germany. Maybe that's true if he was transferring to play in Siberia or maybe Saudi Arabia.
His revival with the national team is quite remarkable and he deserves a lot of credit for adapting to a completely new position. I was skeptical of his ability to defend, but the organization of the defense with him back there is much better than it is with someone like Chandler. He's just become a solid left-back. My favorite DMB moment from the past year was the fantastic counter-attack vs Panama last June when he nearly scored, which would have been one of the best orchestrated counter-attacks I've seen from the USA.
People act as if living in Manhattan Beach is heaven on earth. I'd much rather live in Germany and many cities in England than Manhattan Beach. Besides, Donovan got the name landycakes because his lack of ambition. You're just making excuses for him.
There are many people who move for better weather and sunshine. See how many Germans you meet in the Caribbean. The man has made millions playing a child's game and got to live in the some of the mildest climate on earth while doing so. I envy him for being smart enough to do it. Lebron James has said he is done with winter, if you have the juice to choose, why shovel or wear a parka...ever. Even Brits make fun of how crap their climate is. I have lived in the way north and in the semi tropics and I'll tell you, I know which I preferred and which had the better looking and more cheerful people. Screw the Bundesliga and Premier League and their grey skies and icy rains.
Donovan's choice to play in MLS had NOTHING to do with laying on the beach in SoCal and everything to do with his fear of failure. He's LandyCakes because he's the most talented soccer player we've ever produced and he refused to challenge himself in the best leagues in the world. Instead, he stayed in the MLS and played it safe. This would be like Manu Ginobili playing professional bball in Argentina his whole career and then when asked why he never challenged himself in the NBA his fans responded that he preferred the beaches in Buenos Aires.
Lack of ambition ? Are you kidding me ? The man has almost singlehandedly carried usa soccer for the past 15 years. Not Lalas, Keller, Freidel. Dempsey, Bradley. So, call him names and try to discredit his accomplishments, but to claim he doesn't have ambition is a poor attack.
Nice thread. These past few months Beasley was definitely not in most people's plans at LB. Good to see JK has stuck with him, because DMB's the man for the job. It's cliche, but he's pretty much the definition of a pro. Position change, works hard at it, and is set to make his 4th WC appearance and be our starting LB. Just tremendous. Hopefully he has a great WC and gets a lot of recognition from the National media, because he deserves it. I'm probably pulling for Beasley more than anyone else on our squad this WC.
i think the point is, he's manage to singlehandedly carry usa soccer for the past 15 years despite that "lack of ambition" many people see. imagine what he might have done if he never did anything that would have called his ambition into question.