He led his team to a whopping nine-win season, and staked out next to last place in their conference for SJ. Maybe it's just me, but I think these MVP-type awards should go to players that improved their teams, not just themselves. After all, it is a team sport.
If you're talking about his MLS team, then that's the wrong criteria for the award. It's not based on club play, never has been. This award is based on play for the national team only.
donovan just doesn't put huge numbers in the stands when he plays...as the mahoney article pointed out...freddy has had a far bigger attendance spike than landon...interesting to see the adu affect next year... I think mls is better served philosophically selling players than buying them... with all the young american talent emerging...get them into mls, let the strong emerge, and sell them to the highest bidders... anyone want to start projecting how much mls will sell freddy for?? 10 million is the 1st bid!! do I hear another....!! it's a flesh market after all....
I agree. I was looking at some raw numbers on what he would have to bring in, attendance wise, to make a $9 million transfer worth while. Break the $9 mil down over 3 years (an average contract in Europe) and then by 30 games a year. That's $100,000 a game. What's the average ticket price? $15? He doesn't bring in 7,000 fans on his own for each game of the season. This is a little rough but you get the idea.
MLS decided long ago that it wanted no part of an overpriced Euro talent. Why would it now want to overpay for an overpriced talent of its own? Talent is talent. MLS needs more of it. Getting a 19-year old Landon on loan was prudent. Paying $5M for his contract is not. The same $5M can go a long way in North America.
Donovan played well this year but really the award should have gone to Beasley. He brought everything this year game in and out. I know he lead the team in assists and tied for most goals but really beasely's overall play this year has been better than Donovan's. When nobody would step up offensively in Holland, Beasley stepped up and provided the offense. Grenada, mexico, Poland etc, he played very well in all these games. Not to say that Donovan played sh###y because he had some great performances, mexico and Panama most notably. Regardless congrats to LD for the award. I hope everything works out for him with leverkusen.
Here is one sportswriter's reasons for picking Donovan. His reasons are not far-fetched; he chose Donovan for solid reasons, not for the glamour choice, as some posters believe. http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=13327416&BRD=1710&PAG=740&dept_id=353130&rfi=6