From the 1994 World Cup through the 2010 edition, the U.S. national soccer team became increasingly American. Played by men born and bred to the game in the U.S. By the time South Africa 2010 rolled around, every man who made the starting XI for any of the four games the Americans played — and […]

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A few days back I posted an entry about how I doubt I will be able to cheer for the U.S. national team at the coming World Cup, because I have developed an animus towards Jurgen Klinsmann, the coach who dumped Landon Donovan. That provoked some reaction, some of it more than a bit tart. “We don’t […]

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Landon Donovan had not scored a goal in Major League Soccer this season. Which was a part of the cover given to Jurgen Klinsmann when he tossed Landon off the U.S. national team’s World Cup squad. Landon rejoined the Galaxy, was in the lineup for the home match with Philadelphia last night, and what happened?

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In the wake of Jurgen Klinsmann‘s cavalier treatment of Landon Donovan, I have arrived at a crisis point. Do I support the team Klinsmann will coach at Brazil 2014? Or do I withhold my love until he is gone? I am leaning towards the latter.

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I will be writing more about Landon Donovan and Jurgen Klinsmann, and his monstrous remake of the U.S. team but, meantime, here are a couple of videos you might enjoy. The first is Andres Cantor’s call of Donovan’s goal in the waning minutes of the game with Algeria at South Africa 2010, the one that […]

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It wasn’t right. It wasn’t smart. But anyone who says they didn’t see this coming had not been paying attention. Landon Donovan, booted from the U.S. national team. He will not play in the 2014 World Cup … and the average American fan is aghast. Yes, this is the Landon Donovan who is the leading […]

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Roger Bennett of the Men in Blazers podcast duo has spoken with U.S. and LA Galaxy star Landon Donovan about a variety of topics. Thanks to reader DM for alerting me to this. Landon comes on around the 47-minute mark of the podcast, and does about 25 minutes. Among the topics covered:

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I was in the office today when this story exploded. Which is what stories do in the era of Twitter. They turn into flaming meteors the size of New Jersey which slam into the news cycle, crushing everything else. When the 144-character primary news source (that would be Twitter) gets hold of a story it […]

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A month ago, I noted with alarm that Landon Donovan, the greatest soccer player to play for the U.S. national team, appeared to spend a lot of time walking during a Galaxy game in Tijuana. Which led me to wonder if he were pacing himself … or carrying an injury. And it may have been […]

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Let’s start with full disclosure: I have not been in the same room with Landon Donovan since 2009. Rarely even in the same hemisphere with him. In touch, in contact from time to time, but not in the same place. My perceptions of him are based on lots of conversations from around 1999 to 2009. […]

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