Landon Donovan is clever enough to have done this on purpose. He might not be devious enough, though.

Anyway, whatever went through his head … pretty much count on it getting into England’s.

Landon today was quoted by yahoo.com as saying that 1) England superstar forward Wayne Rooney seems tired and that 2) all the pressure in the World Cup match on June 12 between England and the U.S. is on … England.

The key quotes:

First, on Wayne Rooney, who has been hobbled by injuries for the past month-plus:

“Rooney is a top player. In my opinion, he is one of the best players in the world right now. But the other part of it is that he has played a lot of games and he is tired. He is probably worn out. Injuries are a part of that. Things happen when players are tired. When they just keep adding games to the schedule, it makes it difficult.

“Any time you come into a World Cup, because of the timing of it, big players who play a lot of games in Europe are coming right at the end of their season, so it is always an interesting dynamic how to balance that.”

Rooney, by the way, has played in 49 matches since the Premier League schedule began, last August. A crushing load, especially because Rooney often played as a single forward for Manchester United, which is an extra burden. Also, even though Rooney is only 24, he has an unusually heavy build for a skill player, and he may just be breaking down. As Landon has suggested.

As for whom expectations are heaviest, he said:

“Of course, there is more pressure on the English players. If we don’t do well in the World Cup, people care for a little bit. But if England doesn’t do well in the World Cup, it is absolutely devastating to their country, their families, to their people.

“That is something [the English] live with. I don’t know if they look at it that way, but that is how I look at it.”

This will get attention in England for a couple of reasons.

1. In the giddiness that grips all of England before every World Cup, someone suggesting they might not win their first Jules Rimet trophy since 1966 is … jarring. For months now (and we’ve been watching the process over at the countdownsa-2010.com blog), England has been reveling in pretty much nonstop praise. It is what they do, over there. They build expectations to a fever pitch, and then they turn to acrimony and self-loathing when the Three Lions go out, generally in the quarterfinals on penalty kicks.

2. Landon is someone they now know. He previously was vaguely recognized as “the best guy to play with Becks over in America.” But now that he has done 10 weeks on loan with a good English team, Everton, and played well … he has some credibility in England.

I work in the same room with more than a few English guys, and some of them reacted as if they had been poked in the eye when they saw Landon’s opinions. They were dismissive. Almost angry.

Which means his comments are agitating the queen’s English subjects. Count on it. Maybe Landon did.