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MLS Ticker: Donovan sidelined for four to six weeks; Kinnear worried with Garcia call-up; and more

LandonDonovanLAGalaxy3-RSL (USATodaySports)

By DAN KARELL

For Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Landon Donovan, having a longer than usual offseason may be just what he needs.

According to a report at the Galaxy’s last media availability of the season, Donovan plans to use the entire offseason to rehabilitate his ailing left ankle, an injury that has kept him at less than 100 percent for the last month and a half. Donovan suffered the injury on September 14 in a 2-2 draw with D.C. United.

“[The offseason] is a little bit of a blessing, and I’m probably going to need the full time to let it heal,” Donovan told LA Galaxy Insider on Monday. “My aim is to take at least the next four weeks and probably six weeks and let the ankle heal and then get myself ready.”

Donovan was left off the U.S. Men’s National Team squad for their November camp in Europe to take care of the injury, but while Donovan is planning on being fit and fresh for the start of Galaxy preseason training, he was unsure if he’d join the USMNT for their winter camp in Los Angeles and Brazil.

“We’ll see what happens,” Donovan said. “I have to speak with (head coach) Jurgen (Klinsmann) and see if that’s something he wants me to be a part of.”

Here are some more stories from around the league:

KINNEAR HOPEFUL THAT BONIEK GARCIA WILL REMAIN FIT WITH HONDURAS SQUAD

With USMNT head coach Jurgen Klinsmann’s decision to leave both Brad Davis and Tally Hall in Houston, Houston Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear only has to worry about the fitness of designated player Oscar Boniek Garcia and reserve forward Jason Johnson during the international break.

With Honduras heading to the World Cup next summer, head coach Luis Fernando Suarez wants to have his strongest squad on hand whenever possible, and has chosen Boniek Garcia for two friendly matches this week. Luckily for Kinnear, Honduras faces Brazil in Miami on Friday before coming to BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston to face Ecuador next Tuesday.

“We’ll just see how it goes,” head coach Dominic Kinnear told MLSsoccer.com by phone on Monday. “I hope everyone’s smart enough to realize how important our game is. We all know their games are important. We have a good relationship with [Honduras head coach Luis Fernando] Suárez, and we want to make sure Boniek is available for both teams and can play his best for both teams.”

The Dynamo still have the second leg of the Eastern Conference finals to play against Sporting Kansas City on November 23 at Sporting Park. The two clubs played to a scoreless draw in the first leg last Saturday.

MLS INTERNATIONAL CALL-UPS GALORE

With a number of teams scheduling either friendly matches, World Cup qualifiers, or even 2015 Asian Cup qualifiers this week, a number of MLS players have been called into action across the world.

From the Chicago Fire, midfielder Arevalo Rios is in the Uruguay squad that is set to face Jordan in the two-legged World Cup qualifying playoff starting on Wednesday in Amman. Rios’ club teammate Joel Lindpere has also been called into the Estonia squad for a pair of friendly matches against Azerbaijan and Liechtenstein.

San Jose Earthquakes right back Steven Beitashour has accepted a second consecutive call-up to the Iranian National Team, coached by former Metrostars boss Carlos Quiroz. Beitashour, who was cap-tied last month in an Asian Cup qualifying match against Thailand, could earn his second and third caps in another match against Thailand on Friday and then a trip to Lebanon next Tuesday.

Toronto FC forward Bright Dike has earned a recall to the Nigerian National Team as an injury replacement for a World Cup qualifying match against Ethiopia on Saturday and then a friendly match against Italy two days later in London. Sporting Kansas City’s Soony Saad has been recalled to the Lebanese National Team for their Asian Cup qualifying games against Kuwait on Friday and Iran next Tuesday, where he could face Beitashour.

Finally, Houston Dynamo rookie forward Jason Johnson is in the Jamaica squad for a home-and-home set of friendly matches against Trinidad and Tobago on Friday and Tuesday and New York Red Bulls left winger Johnny Steele is in the Northern Ireland National Team side for the first time for a friendly match against Turkey.

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What do you think of these reports? Worried about Donovan’s injury? Do you agree with Kinnear’s worries? Happy to see so many MLS players represent their countries abroad?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Why not Magee? Rest the greatest American player ever (Donovan), until Donovan recovers, and put-in Magee. Magee could play like three or four postions.

    Reply
  2. Now we know why Donovan pretty much disappeared in the last 2 playoff games. It is good for the league that more and more players are making their national teams outside of North America. It is this kind of international variety that will also allow the MLS to catch and surpass the Liga MX in quality in the not too distant future.

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  3. Mexico 2 New Zealand 1

    New Zealand 2 Mexico 0

    What kind of grossly disgusting nickname is “Piojo?” That Mexican coach looks like a greasy little fat piojo.

    Mexico sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  4. Landon is no longer who he is,he is not the same. Taking him to brazil isa risk, unless he starts hot but i doubt it. I think landon stayed in mls because he knows in europe he would be a bench warmer, unless he takes a huge paycut.
    Landon, dempsey and altidore who are usa`s big 3 are in trouble of not even going. Theres is so much competition and depth that they r not needed. Landon just stayed in mls for the money,sun, retirement and i guess more mls cups.
    At the end of the day, klinsi can make history with usa or fail, due to the depth usa has and competiton within the team.
    One more thing, we are seeing that its getting tougher for mls teams to win mls cup, so how many for landon, 1 or 3 or zero.

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    • You are delusional to think that any of those 3 players aren’t needed. let alone all 3. Who do you think is out there that is SO clear and cut better than Donovan? Zusi? That’s about the only other that comes close is Fabian and that’s only for left mid really….

      Jozy are joking? if he hadn’t been with us we probably would be playing New Zealand for the playoff right now… Where are you getting that they don’t need any of the 3? Aside from Johansson and SOMETIMES Boyd…..who is out there that makes you think those 3 shouldn’t be taken to Brazil?

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      • Soccer is a whole different sport and unique. In most sports they just throw u in, but in soccer u better b ready. I would like a johanson n altidore connection. Dempsey should play behind them because he really just runs like a deer everywhere like donovan n never scores for the national team. Tim howard is a lock, the defense has so much depth,but basically.there’s so much competition.from the german american boys and if corona or hercules.get their act together, plus eddi johnson agudelo, break shea, bunbury n many more.

      • Dempsey and Donovan just run around like a deer and never score for the the national team? Are you serious? How ;could anyone make such a statement unless they were being sarcastic? Before Altidore went on his tear Dempsey carried the US team and scored something like 6 goals in 8 games and Donovan averaged almost a goal and an assist per game in the Gold Cup. Among all US players in history Donovan has scored the most goals and has almost twice as many assists as the #2 and Dempsey is second all time in goals.

      • el paso tx, put down the peyote and get some fresh air, buddy….your mind works in very strange ways and never makes any sense.

    • It’s hard say what’s with Donovan, but over the years he has appeared to be somewhat of a prima donna. He has also been showered with adulation. There needs to be a lot less of that and a lot more actual team spirit. The bottom line is that Donovan has been very hard on his body over the years and sooner or later repetitive stress will cause more injuries. The way the game is played here in the US and how the referees do not give a hoot about actual injuries (after all we are so used to tackling in football) it’s not surprising that players wear out much faster.

      Could we have an article written about what kinds of things would improve referee’s judgment? The BPL has referees that know what it’s about.

      Reply
    • What depth are you talking about? The depth of mediocrity? Having many players in the players pool doesn’t automatically translate to quality depth. Just look at the 23-man roster for the upcoming friendlies. There are players like Shea who can’t get any playing time with a mediocre BPL team and players like EJ who couldn’t cut it even in the Championship.

      Reply
  5. Are you dopes missing the fact that Landon is attempting to recover from an injury? He’s contemplating whether or not Juergen will want him to be rest and heal or be in the camp.

    Calm down, morons.

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  6. Jurgen Klinsmann: “Having everybody on board, getting everybody together and having those meetings are very crucial to us because we build chemistry for the World Cup. We want to see who’s really 1,000 percent dedicated to everything we do. Therefore, every day we have together in our group means a lot to us.”

    The more I think about that statement, the more I think it has much deeper meaning than obvious on first glance. Think about it: “We want to see who’s really 1,000 percent dedicated to everything we do.” Isn’t that an odd way to phrase it. Wouldn’t you usually say dedicated to the team or to the shirt. But he specifically says, and I don’t think it was an accident, dedicated to everything we (meaning His Majesty, Jurgen Klinsmann and His Majesty’s courtiers) do.

    That statement combined with Klinsmann’s hammering again today about wanting the players to go on loan or that they better be in January camp or else combined with Landon’s lackadaisical attitude in his quotes makes me think that there is a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes right now that is not being reported.

    Reply
    • Reading a LITTLE too much into it there….CCL Quarterfinals are in February and the season might start at the end of February. LD won’t exactly miss that much time of vacation if he starts preseason late or mid January as opposed to January 6th with the US camp, also it remains to be seen if he can land a loan, I can flip it and say the reason he said we’ll see what happens is that maybe Klinsmann won’t care much for the team or situation he could get loaned to. Maybe he would ask Landon to stay in camp instead…settle down with the Conspiracy theories

      Reply
  7. JK just got done saying either you go out on loan or you are in the January camp (it’s mandatory, was the quote), but LD says, “We’ll see what happens,” Donovan said. “I have to speak with (head coach) Jurgen (Klinsmann) and see if that’s something he wants me to be a part of.”

    If he doesn’t want you to be part of it, you won’t be on the plane to Brazil.

    Reply
    • “We made it clear, our priority number one for them is finding a team to get on loan for January-February into March, or if that is not possible, you have to be with us in January camp. That is mandatory. We start on Jan. 6 in Los Angeles,” Klinsmann said.

      Reply
      • “Every time someone is missing because of an injury, it’s a huge opportunity for the next one to come in and get that shot,” Klinsmann said.

      • LD should just come out and say “look guys, I’m going to be in the January camp. I want to play in the world cup but I have another big money contract to finish my career in LA so it doesn’t matter for my career if I go on loan or not.”

        Not watch him prove me wrong and go on loan to a good team.

      • It doesn’t really matter. He’s basically cover if you listen to all JK’s Q&As dating back through qualifying.

      • Doesn’t the January camp fall on the International break for all leagues aside from MLS? If so, MLS players going out on loan shouldn’t be a problem, right?

      • nope, only MLS and Scandinavian leagues, maybe a few others are off during this time. no epl, championship, ligue1, bundesliga, siere a, ligaMX, etc players in the Jan camp..

        in years past players like Landon didn’t attend January Camps as they were either on loan in England or just too good to hang out with the rest of MLS USMNT hopefulls.. I like how Jurgen is changing that. Everyone how isn’t on loan will be there.

        personally i think four weeks of training, two friendlies, one of them will be in Brazil, maybe vs. Brazil?, could be just as good as 4 or so weeks with a EPL team..

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