Am I the only one still thinking about that dribble all the way from midfield past all the Welsh defenders? I keep thinking that he's going to score on that sequence. I can imagine it on Sportscenter had he scored that goal.
You might want to put an [R] in the title heh. They replayed it like four times after the game on Telemundo. It was neato, but let's not forget it was a 'B' Welsh team. I'm just keeping my expectations down so when he surprises hell out of us and pulls it against a world power in a WC match it'll be all the better. He can. Let's just hope he does.
I was thinking the same thing. Obviously the boy is not Maradona but that run bared more than a passing resemblence to Maradona's famous goal against Italy in 1986 I believe it was.
It was just a good run until he turned around that defender in the box. Shame he couldn't finish such a beautiful run...
Great work by Donovan, but it wasn't a Maradona circa 1986 type run by any means. Maradona did it vs 11 whereas Donovan got the ball with only 3 - 5 players between him and the goal. 8) Landon really has to be kicking himself for not getting a 2nd or even a 3rd goal today. I can't wait to see how he performs at the Confed Cup.
They showed him after the run and he looked majorly POd. Who knows, a goal on the end of that one might put him in the EPL next season. If I was a manager and hadn't seen much of him, my eyes would be WIDE open after seeing that. Landon Donovan is starting to get good at uncorking these runs you usually only see in Junior High, or 13 year olds against the Guatemalan U-17 team.
It was a great run to watch but a shame he didn't put it in the back of the net. The kid's got skills, no doubt about it, but he could have easily had a hattrick tonight. Shame, but another US victory is always worth it either way.
Calling Richard E. Fidler - Please, please, PLEASE put the Donovan "almost goal" on your USMNT video clip website, at least for a little while! Us "Americans Abroad" would love a chance to see the action, even if it's only a replay... http://www.richardefidler.com/usasoccerclips/
He had a similar run to the one last night in the game against Venezuela. Only in that game he scored. I can't remember if he got by as many defenders in that game though.
The goal remined me a Little of Diego's in 86. Nice sweet run, showed he was above everyone on the field. Makes me wish he played in a better league.
It was Ziege that he nutmegged, and his run last night was waaaay more amazing looking than his nutmeg and shot against Germany. If Donovan can do what he did last night to a team like Italy, Germany or England in a World Cup, it will be much better than if he had put it in last night. That run wasn't one of those runs like Owen against Argentina in '98 where you kick it and run really quickly at it, he had some great touches to keep it away from the defense, and that last touch to set up his shot more than resembled Adu's touch to set up his shot against Jamaica. Everyone should just forget about Adu and let him develop. Donovan has the speed and sufficient ball skills to do that RIGHT NOW, and everyone seems to overlook him when they're busy fawning over a 13-year old. Not to take anything away from Adu, but we just need to let him develop.
maradona's run was against england in 86 and it was the same match where the handball of god happened.... donovan is saving his handball for when it really counts..
Forgive me for bringing up a negative here, but that run is LD in a nutshell. Great speed, skill, anticipation, but a frustrating inability to finish. I admit I haven't seen him play much at club level, but over the past few years with the MNT, he seems to impress to a point, then fail to beat the keeper. I know -- he's young, he's not an out-and-out striker, he does other things well, runs til the cows come home -- but he would be such a force if he had even a trace of scoring touch. That run was great, fantastic, and some credit should go to the keeper. But after making a great run earlier he blasted an uncontested header from 6 or 7 yards out right into Paul Jones' legs. And there was another good chance at some point where after a nice buildup he pushed a cross just wide of the post. Just finish one of those three, man, and I'll shut my piehole. But he is one of our better players and maybe I'm nitpicking...
Let's go to the videotape: It's Dietmar Hamman. And after watching it again, it was an awfully sweet move. Hamman looked completely flummoxed afterward.
On that one it's hard to fault him. I don't know of another American player who even tries that subtle spinning low shot. I think maybe on some fields that ball turns into the bottom corner. Really a great shot and it takes a world of creativity to even try something quite that unconventional (most strikers would have either tried to settle or blasted a one touch shot).
everyone forgets to mention that along with another defender, he blew right by Simon Davies -- the #10 for Spurs. but then again, davies must've been about ready to pass out after having to constantly cover the left-side (and poorly at that). i'm positive that had it been earlier in the game or that donovan didn't have to run from his end of the field, that he'd have enough energy to place and finish that shot. it's good to see that he hasn't lost his creativity by cont. to play in MLS. (and this is not a discussion about the merits of MLS vs. Europ. so just stop right there...)
Was it Davies that clocked Donovan on the back right after that run? Such respect for the hosts! About five second later, Agoos takes down one of the Welsh strikers. A good guy to have on your team. That run at the goal deserves to be on any highlight reel, including a fine save by "Darrell."
I'm no LD fanboy/apologist, but the header was actually a pretty tough one. He made a great run to get to it and had only a sliver of net into which to put it. The keeper did very well there.