Arena described Donovan for exactly what he was. There is a reason that in most polls after the decision 30% of respondents supported Klinsmann's choice. Klinsmann's record as a USMNT coach speaks for itself; the 2nd winning-est coach in the program's history with record single year, two year win % and the record win streak. Your wish has been granted, we now have a coach that is the antithesis of Klinsmann. Berhalter thinks that he is some kind of tactical genius, soccer is chess and that his complex system and MLS players is the answer. Lets check back in 3 years or so and see how it turns out!
Arena also said thought Landon could have helped the team in the same quoted section.and further said:. “If there are 23 better players than Landon, then we have a chance to win the World Cup,” Arena said. https://www.mercurynews.com/2014/05/22/wondolowski-in-donovan-out-for-world-cup/ For reference, 39% of people voted to give Herbert Hoover another term in the middle of the Great Depression. A lot of people are inclined to give the benefit of the doubt to authority.
It's amazing to me that this discussion has raged for six years and I've never seen anyone talk about what clearly happened: Donovan was suffering from clinical depression and needed to take a leave of absence from work to deal with it. This was reported in late 2014, so it's not a secret. The fact that Klinsmann punished him for this and many fans seem to agree that Donovan deserved retribution for 'abandoning' the team, shows how primitive people's understanding of mental health issues remains in the goddamned year 2020. Clinical depression means Donovan was incapable of doing his job THROUGH NO FAULT OF HIS OWN, just as surely as if he had ruptured an ACL or had a heart problem, as fan favorite Clint Dempsey did at one point. By summer 2013 he had recovered, as was clear from his dominating performance in the Gold Cup. Even if he was no longer the all-go LD of 2010, the notion that he had nothing to contribute on a team that played Brad f*cking Davis is utterly risible. To argue otherwise is either soccer-ignorant or merely perverse. Assessing this in terms of what the team achieved - an abject second round exit made respectable only by a career-defining performance by Howard - is backwards. Was the decision to leave Donovan out justified at the time it was made? Clearly no. It made no sense. It appeared vindictive and ego-driven. It did not improve the team. Arguing that the team subsequently lived up to expectations or whatever says literally nothing about whether Klinsmann did the right thing in the first place. And he didn't. It was gross and disrespectful, not just to the (so far) greatest player in US soccer history, but to literally every other player who might have to deal with mental illness during their career. It would be legally actionable in virtually any other workplace too and I'd bet 99% of the yahoos pissing on LD in this thread would file suit if it happened to them.
All of this! I've said it many times, this was no different to me than a pulled hammy or the flu or whatever. The "results only" thinking is silly. Most drunk drivers make it home safely, that doesn't make it a good idea.
Landon Donovan on why the team decided to forfeit tonight's match against Phoenix Rising FC. #SDvPHX pic.twitter.com/7BcqzZBSrV— San Diego Loyal (@SanDiegoLoyal) October 1, 2020
Why does Landon not say anything about the unfair treatment of US player selection and lack of integrity? Here is his boy Bradley jogging back in the 2010 world cup after one of the worst WC passes of all time which leads to Ghana's goal. Ohh i think this looked so familiar 8- years later vs Colombia.
How do you logically jump from the content you quoted to your comments? At a complete loss how anyone with a reasonable mind would make that jump.
But you dont comment on the "logical" jump of the original video that has nothing to do with Klinsmann. As expected.
Meh, its sharing stuff about Donovan. If you thought it didn't belong just say that. Now, what makes you think your comments are relevant at all to the post you quoted?