News: Landon Donovan: Final National Team Appearance vs. Ecuador on 10/10

Great news!!!!

 

Wow! That's great news.

Lets hope he pulls a hat-trick like he did back in the day!





Really going to miss the guy. At his best--was unstoppable.

 

Bocanegra is not impressed.

 

Very nice of US Soccer to do this.

 

I don't think JK gets any plaudits for this. His absence from the US Soccer release was deafening.

If the tea leaves are right, and JK was made to do this, well, that's disappointing. But i guess it's just Klinsmann being Klinsmann.

 

I'm going to be in Florida. Absolutely devastated that I'm going to miss it.

 

To repost myself:

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/artic...donovan-usmnt-squad-vs-ecuador-final-farewell

"Klinsmann" (wink, wink) calls in Landon Donovan for final USMNT match. Statement by Sunil Gulati, who apparently located his balls in time to realize that Landon Donovan has meant more for US soccer than Jurgen Klinsmann ever will and, probably (and properly), decided to overrule the coach.

 

happy for landon. not sure if it matters whether or or not klinsmann wanted landon to have this farewell match since, in the end, landon is having this farewell match.

id be curious (hopeful?) to see if this has any impact on secondary market ticket prices

 

Can't wait until the 60th minute substitution when LD walks right past JK.

 

So Klinsmann actually tweeted about it. Unlike Donovan breaking the MLS scoring record. Unlike Donovan announcing his retirement. I wouldn't be surprised if Gulati forced him to do it.

 

So excited I will be in attendance.

And I can picture it now. Landon gets subbed off to a standing ovation and on comes...Julian Green.

 

As long as not Jonatan Klinsmann it's fine.

 

Yeah, I'm sure Gulati and Klinsmann had a talk.

Also Klinsmann says or his PR guy says he's excited for the fans. Nothing really congratulating Donovan.

 

I'm glad Donovan got a farewell game and don't care if Klinsmann was uninterested or not. For Donovan, it's a just reward for his many years of service and success as the best US player ever. For Klinsmann, his job is not to be sentimental and I appreciate that about him.

 

Bravo!

Whoever pulled this off, well done.

Not to see LD on the field one more time for the US would have been a travesty.

I hope the place is packed!

 

FYP

 

FYP

 

Shockingly, this thread has already turn into a bash JK rather than focusing on Donovan and his final game with the USMNT. While I frankly don't care about "appreciation" games, I think that it's great for the fans and US Soccer in general. Donovan has been apart of my best memories from a club and national team perspective. I wish him the best in retirement and hopes that he continues in the game in some aspect (just not as commentator!)...

 

USSF didn't want to miss out on the money grab from the Landon Goodbye tour.

 

So excited to at least watch the game. If I can rustle the cash up I want to go to Hartford.

 

I mean thats kind of cynical. He should be honored and I am sure they will do some kind of ceremony for him at the game!

 

One way or another this FYP was awesome. Not sure which.

 

This is fantastic by USSF; very glad that they are seeing fit to honor LD like this.

I hope that this sets a precedent for our top guys; Dempsey and Howard are two other all-time greats that will likely deserve one when that day comes.

 

Unfortunately for JK, it is also not in his job description to allow peevishness to damage the USMNT and cripple our WC run in Brazil through personal vendettas. Yet, there it was. Hope you appreciate that about him too.