“Landon Donovan set U.S. national team and Major League Soccer records for goals and assists, scored in a signature stoppage-time moment that lifted America to a first-place finish ina World Cup group for the first time in 80 years and won five MLS titles — with a sixth still possible,” ESPN writes. “Jurgen Klinsmann was hoping for more.”
Indeed.In an interview with the Associated Press, the USA’s German coach, who famously dropped Donovan from his squad for the 2014 World Cup, downplayed the significance of the future Hall ofFamer’s achievements, saying, “I think it could have gone even further than that.” Klinsmann said this on Thursday, the day before Donovan leads a young USA squad out to play against Ecuador inwhat will be his final international appearance on Friday night.
When asked about Donovan’s legacy during the pre-game news conference at Rentschler Field in Hartford, CT, Klinsmann gavea measured response: “He has been the poster boy of the game, for MLS certainly, through that long stretch of time. He raised the awareness of the game to new dimensions far before maybe a DavidBeckham came into the league.”
But you could sense the criticism was coming: “As a coach, you always want to see a player that drives for his 100 percent,” the German continued. “Iwished in a certain way, ah, he could have done a bit more here and a bit more there.” He also refused to second-guess his decision to drop Donovan for the World Cup: “In that moment in May, thepicture for us was very clear and we were 100 percent behind the decision that we made.”
Klinsmann’s quote, “the picture for us was very clear and we were 100 percent behind the decision that we made,” it was clear that we needed Donovan’s experience against Belgium, needed Beckerman in midfield, a clear back up for Altidore, and misplayed Bradley as a attacking midfielder. Klinsmann never misses an oportunity to miss an opportunity, how ironic coming from a World Cup striker?
Let’s all just stop talking about JK… let’s just start talking about his replacement