I agree, he's better than Zusi and Bedoya. Also, for context, he's a little younger than JJ, and he has less miles + injury degradation. He was a speed player, but at the same time not reliant on that attribute. His best characteristic was arguably his mind. At the very least that should keep him a good player in MLS. Never should have bowed out when he did on account that an athlete's career is finite and you can't get in a time machine and get those years back. I think he'd be of use for the USNT, especially if we're never going to call-up Villafana to keep Fabian at wing permanently. But who knows if that fence is mended at all. It's possible it is, and that precipitated a move, whereas when he retired he didn't see significant nt action as much of an option. That's what I think kept him going, and Howard has said this about himself as well. Also, he could have been paying attention to his old teammate Carlos Ruiz tearing it up for Guatemala.
L A Times . . http://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/la-sp-donovan-20160908-snap-story.html Landon Donovan, who retired after leading the Galaxy to a Major League Soccer title in 2014, is returning to the team. Two sources who were unable to speak on the record confirmed Donovan’s return to the Galaxy and said the signing could be announced as early as Thursday. Donovan has not been training regularly with the Galaxy first team so it’s unknown when he might be ready play in his first game. Donovan is the all-time MLS leader in goals and assists. He is also the leading scorer in U.S. national team history. Donovan, 34, cited burnout when he retired from soccer six months after being cut from the U.S. national team by Coach Juergen Klinsmann ahead of the 2014 World Cup. He is still eligible for selection to the national team.
The worst case scenario is that Dempsey got some personal news with negative ramifications for the US and helped talk Donovan into returning to soccer and taking his place.
You're thinking too hard. Bruce had LD's cellphone number and a need for another veteran player. And he kept calling until LD gave up. Here is Landon after the last call:
I'm sorry, LD is my favorite American of all-time, but the dude has been playing pickup soccer with the Fox Sports set the last 18 months. A litttttttttttle premature and pretty unfair to Zusi/Bedoya.
In all honesty if you had to build a team would you take in season Zusi or Donovan even without watching him practice?
I hope it's bunk. Landon retired in the best possible way: at his peak, as a champion. This would be unnecessary. Time to let the ego go, stop worrying about making his records unreachable, and focus on what he always wanted: his own children. The only reason I'd want him back is if we're about to get eliminated in the Hex and needed him. But that's not going to happen.
I don't think he is contemplating playing for the national team. He is suggesting he will be a reserve player for the Galaxy, after all.
Nah. Brad Davis is 14 assists away from his record, Wondo is 27 from his other record. Lando has what it takes to go from reserve to starter in a few months. I bet he wants to up his numbers before those two reach them. It'd be a way to spoil his magnificent adieu in 2014, IMO.
It's almost as if you wrote that post without having read anything about Donovan's thinking. At least, I hope that's true, as the alternative is that you just are writing about yourself.
It would be shocking if he could step on the field and be anything other than mildly effective after 22 months and not training. I would love to see it, but not holding my breath.
Agree. I think he gets like a good 10 min run out...if he still has game shape. And then that is a test to see if he can still keep up with the pace. But given his freak nature, I am sure he's not THAT out of shape. He'll be used as a super sub by Bruce unless he just scores instantly on his first appearance. His reasoning for coming back is sincere and neat too.