What They're Saying: Landon Donovan
- by Soccer America , Jun 2, 2017
-- Landon Donovan, whose USMNT record of 57 career goals Clint Dempsey is chasing. Dempsey will enter Saturday's game against Venezuela with 56 goals after scoring four in World Cup qualifying in March. (New York Times)
That's a good record to have but to keep things in perspective one also need to look at how many games it took to get there. I am sure Landon did it in less games. But as the record is broken Landon effort becomes irrelevant. Clint is one of the best on the planet when it come to club and international as he deliver the goods on both sides. If he had support around him he would be in top 100 of all time.
Right now, LD is tied for 28th most international goals. If Deuce gets his two goals to surpass him Clint will be tied for 25th (with Messi who is currently on 58 goals). Among active players only Ronaldo is ahead of them sitting on 71 right now (tied for 9th). LD 157 games, CD 131 games.
Silver, do you have a link for that info ? I want to keep that as a reference.. where does Neymar ranks on that list ?
CD is doing it in less games that is really incredible-- that just put CD incredible performances in perspective.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_men%27s_association_football_players_with_50_or_more_international_goals
Thanks
Other notables that are currently playing: Rooney 53, Neymar 52, Shinji Okazaki 50 & Edin Dzeko 50
Who was the overall better player Donovan or Clint Dempsey. I say Donovan was the better all around player.
It has to do with what positions each player plays in. Donovan was more likely to play in midfield and on the wing than Dempsey who is playing mostly as a forward. this is why Donovan accomplishment is more significant than Dempsey's.
And because Donovan was more of a play maker, he had 58 assists for Dempsey's 17 assists only.
Good valid point--
Gus add up the goals and the assist for each and the speed and skill of each and tell me who the overal best player was again.
Oh when Landon first came to the Olympic team before he join the National team he had no idea how to play the flank. He would disappear for long periods of time. He was so bad on the flank that the coach had him riding the bench. I think the coach of that team was a black guy who coach both the boys and the girls team of Portland a college. You would think he would teach Donovan how he wanted him to play the flank. But, he never did.
Nick, I think you remember history wrong. The coach was Clive Charles and he favored Conor Casey over Donovan because Conor was stronger and more physical. Donovan was more artistic of the two. Chalres was a fan of Conor and he liked him more than Donovan. I didn't like the fact that Charles kept Donovan on the bench, then, but not because he didn't know how to play the wing. It was the coach's preference of style.
It was Clive Charles so Casey was a flank player? Maybe that is why he played Donovan on a flank. Still does not change the fact that Donovan did not know how to play the flank. Why didn't he teach Donovan how to play that position the way he wanted him two. So he did not disappear? What ever happened to Casey?
Casey played in Germany and MLS. Read more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conor_Casey Donovan was 18 years old in that Olympics. Whatever we disagree on his talents, he sure became the best USMNT player in my opinion.
I am just saying Donovan had more of a complete game. I always thought Donovan was an offensive mid not a striker. I thought he was a play maker who could also score. I hate to say this because I don't want to get flack. I thought he was like a platini type player, but to a lesser degree. But coaches kept putting him at striker and he still kept scoring and kept getting assists. My thoughts o Dempsey when he first came up. I thought he was a lot better without the ball then he was with the ball. But what I really liked about him was no matter what position you played him further back or up. When team mates had the ball and were up. He was always up to put in a chance that his team mates started. Every team needs at least one guy like that.
Agree