Don't play pretend with me. Neither of us were born yesterday. You know full well you asked a loaded question. Your buddy's got a question, have him sign up for BS, don't make these stories up and play us for fools.
He already is an international star. he doesn't have to play for Man U to be an international star!! I am nto really sure what argument you are trying to make here other than slam American soccer.
Forget Donovan... you guys remember Orange Traffic Cone? I want to know why Orange Traffic Cone isn't making the jump to Europe.
Donovan is a star and they play by different rules. There have been stars that decided they wanted to play for a different club and eventually they werer placated. FIFA and soccer over all care about the image of the game. They will do what is best for the game. If LD does not want to play for Leverkausen they will find a way for him to sign with another club. Right now he wants to play in the US. When he wants to move they will find a way for him to play in England, Spain or Italy. Do not consider what is right or wrong. Alwyas consider cash. What will make the sport the most money. That is what makes everything work. Welcome to Capitalism.
If Landon wanted to go to Europe, he could just go to BL and be done with it. However either is afraid of sitting on the bench, of failing, or he just wants to go to England or Spain. Also the fact that his contract is FUBAR doesn't help the situation at all.
I am ebarrassed to know we are rooting for the same team and sitting in the same stadium on many occassions. I was a US fan when you still had dippers on.
You know, I said the same thing. In fact, I said it first. And I even had the good fortune to spell embarrassed properly.
Oh gosh... This thread AGAIN. Anyhow, I shall explain, but first, let me say that I completely disagree with Donovan winning player of the year award. Bocanegra deserves it far and away. He's been a much more important and productive player for the Nats and his league play is second to none in defensive Now, on to why Donovan isn't in Europe. Simply put, the only team he could play for is Leverkusen. And, as I understand, the case is not only that Donovan doesn't want to play in Europe, but Leverkusen don't want him there either. He'd bench warm. They're content with their lineup. If they weren't, they'd call him back and we would have heard some sort of news regarding the situation. Now, you ask, "Well, can't another team buy him?" Yeah, they could. BUT! Currently Donovan is on loan to MLS from Leverkusen. Leverkusen have to honor that contract. Therefore, if a team were to approach Leverkusen to buy Donovan, Leverkusen would have to buy out his loan contract. They would pass that cost on to any potential buyers. That makes the asking price for Donovan WAY too high for his caliber of player. (He's good, but don't kid yourself, he wouldn't be starting for any top table team... think Rangers, think Blackburn, think other mid-table or UEFA cup teams... yes I know Rangers aren't mid-table or UEFA cup, bite me.) Donovan isn't playing in Europe because the cost associated with bringing Donovan over from MLS is too high compared to the benefit he provides.
Strider--but do you see clubs interested in paying money for Donovan? As Bryan mentions, they have the loan contract to MLS to consider. Now LD could whine and get MLS to release him from having to fulfill the contract, but that's not likely. So he's not going to move to Europe at least until his MLS loan spell is finished (I think after the 2005 MLS season). If Donovan is going to play for another club without going back to BL he'll have to be enough of a star that some other club will fork over a sizable chunk of cash. And AFAIK Spain and Italy have limits on the number of non-EU players, so it's less likely for them to spend the dough on Landon. That leaves England, as they got rid of the number of non-EU players restriction, and Donovan is a cinch for a work permit. I'm not denying that money speaks. I said BL would sell LD if they got a good enough offer. But I don't know if that will happen.
Roehl you need to calm down a bit here, i don't undestand why you think everyone is trying to screw everyone, in my part of the world people are usualy honest. My englez might not be right so you need to pardon me i wasn't as fortunate as some of you here, so maybe that is what tick you off. Anyway thanx Kevin, Bryan and everyone here who answered the question with some thought and not trying to be a wise a$$. It was an honest question and i will pass it on to my friend.
Re: Re: Why isn't Donovan in Europe ? By your definition, should an international star be one who is recognized by soccer fans around the world? Is LD recognized around the world?
There is no precise defintion of international star but Landons performance at the World Cup put him in the memories in the world of soccer.
One of the conditions of the loan to MLS was a lengthy extension to his contract. I think the idea was to make sure they got something for him. He's with them until 2008.
They are, and if you were a fan of MLS, I would have thought if you were asked "why isn't Donovan in Europe?" you would have had the good wisdom to reply "what's wrong with MLS?" Seriously. How does an American soccer fan forget to defend the reputation of the domestic league? This is me being honest. I am perfectly calm.
Whoa whoa. I'm an American soccer fan... I'll defend MLS' reptutation. But, when defending a reputation, you have to be honest about what that reputation is. MLS has little reputation. Plenty of things are wrong with MLS. (Among them, minimum salary of 24k. Bump the salary cap up to 2.2 million and bump the minimum up to 60k.) Among other things wrong... we have a 10 team, debt ridden league which works a lot like American sports and not soccer. If a player wants to get his skill to international level so that he is recognized, the place to do it is Europe. Not MLS. Sorry.
His point was about the quality of the league, not its financial standing, or what some ignorant Europeans think about it.
If we are going to go by the quality of the league, then there's even more to bitch about. This is the equivalent of being protective of Single A baseball clubs and their quality. Yeah, its good, but if you want to be the best, you shoot for the Majors. The Majors in this scenario is over an ocean.
pragmatic: Dealing or concerned with facts or actual occurrences; practical. Check. We are definitely practical people. We deal with facts, not wishes of what our league could be but isn't right now. That isn't to say we are dreamers of what it someday will be. cynical: Believing or showing the belief that people are motivated chiefly by base or selfish concerns; skeptical of the motives of others Check. Economics states that any person bases choices on themselves. I gurantee you, Donovan is not here for the good of others. He's here because the it is where HE wants to be. self-defeating: Injurious to one's or its own purposes or welfare Hardly. The ones who are self-defeating are those who go out without being cynical and pragmatic (or in other words, logical and practical).
I dont really think he wants to go back to europe right now, i think he is happy at home, in the states, hes doin his thing and hes enjoying life here