OT: Landon Donovan Left Off USA WC Squad

[UConnDan97]

Wow...

http://www.espnfc.com/news/story/_/...ovan-maurice-edu-left-world-cup-squad?cc=5901

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Seriously guys there's not another board for the soccer nonsense?

 

[whaler11]

Any time you can leave the most popular player in the history of the country off the roster to bring an 18 year old with zero experience or someone that has 5 goals in 9 games for the San Jose Earthquakes you have to do it.

I'll give him credit. He's got a sack. Go three and out now and....

 

[Jimdish255]

If Klinsmann can't set aside his ego long enough to give this team a fighting chance I see no reason to keep him around to develop this program regardless of potential benefits. The WC only comes around every 4 years and unless Donovan requested to have his name withdrawn this would seem to be a personal decision which leaves us undermanned and demoralized. Maybe we can pack it in and hold Portugal under 10.

You win coach.

 

[UConnDan97]

Seriously guys there's not another board for the soccer nonsense?

The World Cup comes around once every four years. I'm sure you can find it in your heart to skip over two threads instead of one, even if you can't skip posting in them...

 

[DarthGrumpy]

I know LD is out of form and the miles appear to have caught-up with him; but, his experience in a big stage is going to be missed. If the US does not make it past group play, which was already a strong possibility due to who is in the US's group and the travel, a lot of fingers will be pointed at Klinsmann.

 

[uconNYC]

Donovan took the escalators, if you know what I mean.

 

[LRock34]

You guys are crazy. If Klinnsman had kept LD he would have been doing it only to satisfy LDs fans. The guy is the greatest American player in history but he's 32 and he is not as fit as he needs to be.....even by his own admission. Klinsman kept the guys that fit his plans for the WC. I respect him for doing what he felt was best instead of simply satisfying the fans.

No matter the result US soccer needs to keep him around.

 

[ZooCougar]

I guess Donovan can head back to the minivan and eat his orange slices. I agree that he took the escalators. In any other country he would have been pilloried for taking the vacation that he did.

Still surprising though.

 

[ZooCougar]

You guys are crazy. If Klinnsman had kept LD he would have been doing it only to satisfy LDs fans. The guy is the greatest American player in history but he's 32 and he is not as fit as he needs to be.....even by his own admission. Klinsman kept the guys that fit his plans for the WC. I respect him for doing what he felt was best instead of simply satisfying the fans.

No matter the result US soccer needs to keep him around.

I agree, it was a tough decision and he has some stones.

 

[ZooCougar]

Seriously guys there's not another board for the soccer nonsense?

Do you object to the smoking bans in public places too?

 

[UConnDan97]

You guys are crazy. If Klinnsman had kept LD he would have been doing it only to satisfy LDs fans. The guy is the greatest American player in history but he's 32 and he is not as fit as he needs to be.....even by his own admission. Klinsman kept the guys that fit his plans for the WC. I respect him for doing what he felt was best instead of simply satisfying the fans.

No matter the result US soccer needs to keep him around.

My position is this: If you need a goal in the third game of the round robin to advance, and there are 20 minutes left in the game, are you grabbing Donovan off the bench, or Johannsson?

Look, there's no question that Donovan lost his mind for a bit there, and was not in proper shape or form to be in the starting 11. From that standpoint, I agree. But to leave him off the 23-man roster is foolish, IMO. If you need a goal, where the hell are you going to turn? The quality off the bench is not there. I don't care how many goals Wondo scored in friendlies, he's just not the quality that's going to be able to finish against teams like Germany or like Portugal. Landon is. So that means that leaving him off the plane is a mistake...

 

[connectikev]

It was never gong to be easy to have the USA advance, Dropping LD is a move that I understand - you need to develop new horses. With or without Donovan, the USA faces a tough road. But it is time to turn the page - the 2006 squad is past their prime - this group has a chance to become the core for 2018 and possibly 2022.

 

[UConnDan97]

It was never gong to be easy to have the USA advance, Dropping LD is a move that I understand - you need to develop new horses. With or without Donovan, the USA faces a tough road. But it is time to turn the page - the 2006 squad is past their prime - this group has a chance to become the core for 2018 and possibly 2022.

Let me play devil's advocate for a second: How much development are the new horses going to get on the bench?

I would wager money that there will be at least 2 or 3 people from the 23-man roster who don't even see the field at the World Cup, and likely more than that. That's the point that I was making about it being a mistake to not take him. You are limiting your attacking options as well as creating an off-field distraction for the team...

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Let me play devil's advocate for a second: How much development are the new horses going to get on the bench?

I would wager money that there will be at least 2 or 3 people from the 23-man roster who don't even see the field at the World Cup, and likely more than that. That's the point that I was making about it being a mistake to not take him. You are limiting your attacking options as well as creating an off-field distraction for the team...

Especially if there is an injury or Card suspension, the latter of which almost always happens to the US. I’ll take LD with his experience at 66% over most of the youngsters at 100% on the roster. The time to develop youngsters is in friendlies, which Klinsman has been doing, and in certain qualifiers. Not on the big stage of the World Cup in Brazil in what will likely be very unfriendly conditions. Plus, as many have said, in the situation were the US is tied with Portugal with 5 minutes left and needs 3 points, I trust LD’s craftiness to find the back of the net.

I hope I am wrong and Klinsman proves me wrong; but, this looks like a move driven by ego and not need and talent evaluation.

 

[SubbaBub]

You guys are crazy. If Klinnsman had kept LD he would have been doing it only to satisfy LDs fans. The guy is the greatest American player in history but he's 32 and he is not as fit as he needs to be.....even by his own admission. Klinsman kept the guys that fit his plans for the WC. I respect him for doing what he felt was best instead of simply satisfying the fans.

No matter the result US soccer needs to keep him around.

Brad Davis, Terrance Boyd, Green, Yedlin, Brooks, Wondolowski, and Bedoya should all have been left off before LD. On his worst day and their best days, LD is better than these guys.

If you tell me he wasn't fit, fine, but that's not what the reports out of camp were saying. Is he 2002 - 2010 vintage, no but he's not being replaced by international superstars.

It's ballsy of JK to the point of stupidity. There is no upside for him, LD didn't have to start.

 

[John]

Seriously guys there's not another board for the soccer nonsense?

it clearly comes with a soccer warning, just don't click on it.

 

[BlueMAB]

He didn't deserve to start, but he didn't deserve to be left at home either. We have a poor defense, and will need goals to advance, and we just decided to leave (arguably) our most dangerous weapon off the bench at home. I hope this decision doesn't come back to haunt us and Klinsman.

 

[B1GEast]

This is the first time in a while that I'm actually excited about US soccer. This decision brings even more drama to the event. I'm also surprised that he was left off the team. WingU is correct, should have brought him with us.

 

[Carl Spackler]

My position is this: If you need a goal in the third game of the round robin to advance, and there are 20 minutes left in the game, are you grabbing Donovan off the bench, or Johannsson?

Look, there's no question that Donovan lost his mind for a bit there, and was not in proper shape or form to be in the starting 11. From that standpoint, I agree. But to leave him off the 23-man roster is foolish, IMO. If you need a goal, where the hell are you going to turn? The quality off the bench is not there. I don't care how many goals Wondo scored in friendlies, he's just not the quality that's going to be able to finish against teams like Germany or like Portugal. Landon is. So that means that leaving him off the plane is a mistake...

It's about time for Jozy Altidore to step up and finish on the service - no?

 

[UConnDan97]

It's about time for Jozy Altidore to step up and finish on the service - no?

Well, yes, but Jozy's expectations shouldn't change the 23-man roster. That's why they allow 23 men to come along. The first 11 don't always get it done...

 

[Carl Spackler]

He didn't deserve to start, but he didn't deserve to be left at home either. We have a poor defense, and will need goals to advance, and we just decided to leave (arguably) our most dangerous weapon off the bench at home. I hope this decision doesn't come back to haunt us and Klinsman.

I don't know why everyone seems to think that Donovan is the only player that can score goals in world cup competition. The guy took a walkabout for several months in the jungles of southeast asia in the middle of World Cup qualification a little over a year ago, and was left off a roster for the most recent international friendly because he wasn't fit - both Klinsmann, and he himself confirmed that he was having knee problems. I don't think this decision for Klinsmann was nearly as hard as everyone seems to think. Much harder to tell him probably that he wasn't going, than to actually make the decision he wasn't going.

I think leaving off the guys like Parkhurst, and Evans were probably much tougher decisions.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Well, yes, but Jozy's expectations shouldn't change the 23-man roster. That's why they allow 23 men to come along. The first 11 don't always get it done...

Yup - just was responding to who you think should be looked at for scoring a needed goal!

Donovan wasn't fit to be a starter as recently as a few weeks ago. He wasn't fit enough to even play. Personally, I think that Julian Green, and Aron Johannson are much more valueable to the program both now for this WC, and in the future than Donovan - and the experience they will get on the bench - and hopefully the opportunities to do something on the pitch? So I don't think the decision was that hard at all.

 

[UConnDan97]

I don't know why everyone seems to think that Donovan is the only player that can score goals in world cup competition.

Really??

2010 World Cup Scorers - USA:
Donovan - 3
Bradley - 1
Dempsey - 1

Overall career goals - USA current squad:
Donovan* - 53
Dempsey - 36
Altidore - 21
Beasley - 17
Bradley - 12
Wondolowski - 9
Zusi - 3
and a bunch of guys with 2 or 1

So in summation, THAT'S why everyone thinks that Donovan is at least one of the very few on our roster than can score goals in WC play. He shines in the big moments, as does Dempsey. That's why it's a big loss...

 

[UConnDan97]

Let me qualify all of my comments with the fact that I hope Klinsmann was right in his decision, and that Johannsson and Wondo light up the freakin' sky in Brazil. And if there were a lot of "behind-the-scene" shenanigans that led to this (outside of the sabbatical), then so be it. That's why he's the coach and I'm posting stuff on the internet...