Photo by ISIphotos.com
The Los Angeles Galaxy has scheduled a press conference for Wednesday to make a "Major Player Announcement", with head coach Bruce Arena and captain Landon Donovan scheduled to attend.
The announcement? The Galaxy still hasn't revealed that part, but sources tell SBI the club will be announcing that Donovan is heading to English club Everton on loan.
What is the SBI take? I gave my take on the loan move last week.
What do you think of the move? Share your thoughts below.
Unless it turns into a transfer.
Yeah. Is it going to be on TV or espn.com?
The first paragraph made you seem like a realist – the second proves you are a hater.
This will be yet another unsuccessful stint overseas for Donovan. It should also be his last. Once he starts missing easy shots and starts doing his disappearing act, he will be on the bench until he comes home. Donovan is far too inconsistent to be considered a great player by anything but MLS standards. I hope he proves me wrong, but I doubt that he will.
A little side note about Donovan: I wish he would stop his little girl routine when he takes a penalty kick. It makes me want to just slap him. Crouching and fretting before taking every penalty kick is pathetic. I knew he was going to miss his penalty in the MLS Cup final. (No I am not a Donovan hater, just a realist.)
Those uniforms are REALLY bad!
Extremely excited and anxious.
that got me thinking. what is the craziest possible outcome of this “major player announcement”???
Signing Steve Nash or Chad Ochocinco is the best I can come up with.
What are you talking about? When and when did you hear/see him say that?
Around 4pm Grant Wahl tweeted:
“LA Galaxy to make ‘major player announcement’ tomorrow. Donovan/Arena to attend. Expect confirmation of Donovan loan to Everton.”
GRANT WAHL has just said that the major announcement is NOT about LANDON’s loan and it does involve PLAYER ACQUISITION!
Huh???
Anyone have any clues??
Is it just the Loan + Contract Extension?
what the hell are you on about?
hopefully the ives doubters are done now
What’s your source, Ives?! Post your source if you even have one! Post your source if you are a real journalist with integrity, man! Post it! Hurry!
I like that 🙂
Brilliant
my prediction: the ENTIRE la galaxy team is joining the Premiere League starting the season after the world cup. donovan can play in the premiere league permanently and the EPL can expand it’s market share in the United States. a true win win for all.
… or they can just announce something that everyone’s know for over a week.
Why I think you’re wrong wrong (IMHO), John Sweeny:
I don’t see how Landon would even consider a long term deal with the Galaxy at this point.
He’s no longer the petulant little punk who flamed out at Leverkusen. If nothing else, the Beckham experiment and his recent separation/divorce seems to have forced him to grow up a lot and come to grips with what he wants out of life/career. Seeing him on the pitch and in interviews this year, he is clearly taking everything more seriously – and he’s proven everything he can here in the States.
Someone who is as confident in his abilities as Landon now is, simply cannot settle for being the big fish in the small pond anymore. Outside the US, he gets little to no respect. Landon knows it, and he’s got way too much pride and confidence right now to not take his shot at proving he’s not just the best American field player in the world, but one of the greatest players in the world, period. And, no matter how well the US does in the WC, he will never be universally considered “world class” until he proves it in one of the world’s big leagues.
John O’Brien is finally healthy and has signed with the Galaxy.
Ankle insurance…
I have to wonder why a “temporary loan” would warrant a “Major Player Announcement” label ? This has to be more than a loan. Long term Everton or LA contract ???. I hope it’s not an LA contract, Donovan needs to playing in Europe long-term. Everton has a surplus of decent mids/forwards already; just some near-term injuries. I don’t know if Everton would be a good long-term fit unless Everton is planning to move players out.
Another club maybe …?
A loan deal to Everton is madness. The single most important player on the USMT World Cup squad is to play in the EPL as a temp for maybe twenty games. He will be a target for every English football goon. He will be lucky to make it to the opening match against ENGLAND in the World Cup.
(SBI-I think you’ve watched one too many bad sports movies.)
I will never understand why the Euro-lovers are excited to see LD at Everton….like any of the front runners are really Everton fans ?
Him playing on a losing team for 3 months ( 20 games ) is really going to help him going into the World Cup ? No, just a chance to get injured.
Maybe they are rooting for England too.
MLS is at a crossroads with more money coming in and “never-going-to-win” EPL teams struggling. I really doubt this is an LA press conference to announce an Everton signing only.
Maybe LA will get Fellaini or some other Everton player who won’t be in SA this summer on loan while Landon is on Nats duty.
That would be a major announcement. (Though I doubt it will happen)
I hope they come out and say Donovan has been transfered and not loaned. I feel he can make an impact in any league in the world, and will benefit from the fast pace of the EPL. Although I’d rather see him in La Liga, it won’t hurt his career to play in the Premier League, he’ll just need to find a good yoga class to strengthen his knee and ankle tendons.
Landon and Bruce wanna be there to welcome former teammate Claudio Reyna to LA!
And DC United is like the kid in middle school who no one talks to or hangs out with because he eats red ants and worms and is always pooping his pants.
haha to my post earlier. I was talking about how the Galaxy draw everything out and make a big deal about everything. Although they are run much better now than they were with Lalas. I just want this to be over so we can move along, the same way we all felt with the first Beckham loan.
And I respect Galaxy for what they’ve done and were rooting for them in the Cup last month. I wish we had Arena as our coach. But we still have more stars 😉
Got ya. Add “joke” to that list as well.
What time’s this announcement by the way?
Apparently it’s directed at the 3rd comment in the thread, but Zero cool isn’t familiar with the “reply” feature.
I really really hope that isn’t the case. If he’s inked a new contract with LA then what is the point of this loan? I realize the loan likely isn’t an audition to permanently join Everton, but it’s got to be a chance for LD to prove to other clubs he’s got the goods.
I don’t get where this is coming from.
Is this directed at someone in particular?
I hope Donovan has the option to stay if he proves himself to be a better player. This business of coming back to the Galaxy sucks.
Yeah, John Sweeny, that’s what I’m thinking. I figure they’ve re-negotiated Landon’s contract and signed him to big bucks long-term, but they’re letting him go on loan too.
He didn’t say anything about Beckham not returning from AC Milan. You need to research what Donovan’s gripes were. Had nothing to do with Beckham going to AC Milan. In fact, Donovan supported Beckham and understood his desire to play at Milan.
So a good point has been brought up. What team would call a press conference about a “major player announcement” just to say that the team’s best player is exploring other opportunities in another league. Hooray Galaxy! Are best players are leaving! Woohoo!
If this is actually the reason it just shows how low MLS is on the soccer totem pole.
Ives, you’re completely missing the big story, which is that the Everton loan deal is the small part of this, LA and the league must have inked LD up for several more years or we will find out something new, but LA won’t advertise the fact that they’re losing someone.
I freaking tired all this rumors and speculation let that guy go and probe to himself and to the world that he is a complete player and that he can do it on the big stages. He did it in 2002 and he did on the confederation Cup that he can play. Now do it on a league that is very elite and show that you are who we all want you to be. Now with Donovan playing in one of the best league, Beasley getting in shape, that is batman & robin again in the world Cup. Jones hopefully can get ready for the world Cup. Demerit already getting playing time. Castillo & Torres always ready. I hope Orozco get a chance to proof himself in january camp and get a call from B. Bradley. All we need is ADU, OUCHIE, DAVIS & EDU to get in the picture soon. SO I’M HAPPY IF THEY LET DONOVAN GO ALREADY
I have no idea whether Donovan is really good enough to be an impact player in the EPL, whether he will fit in with Everton, or whether his loan is a good idea to stay match fit or an unnecessarily risky move in a Cup year. But I sure hope he scores a bunch of goals, doesn’t get hurt, and shows up on American tv a lot so we can see how it plays out first hand. It seems to me that whatever happens with Landon will be the biggest soccer story in the U.S. this year outside the World Cup.
Ives if its being held at an ESPN facility does that mean its going to be on tv?
(SBI-Not sure about live, but I’m pretty sure Donovan will have some air-time on the networks tomorrow. We shall see.)
As long as LD doesn’t extend his contract with the Gals, then any loan is fine. Because the Galaxy should not be allowed to sidestep the MLS salary cap with an illegal 2nd grandfathered DP anymore.
Good question. It has me wondering if “major player announcement” means more than a 3 month loan. Why would they make such a big deal about an offseason loan that presumably has no impact for their team’s upcoming season, unless…
(SBI-It’s a World Cup Year, ESPN has EPL rights and World Cup rights, and it’s important to ESPN and advertisers and MLS to pump this move up. It’s not a coincidence that this press conference is being held at an ESPN facility.)
“Get over yourself?”
Sounds like SOMEONE is a bit bitter about their “Tradition” and missing the playoffs
what the hell are you talking about?
Who cares if he has to come back after 3 months. They play a killer schedule, and if he actually plays and performs well + great WC performance…he’ll be on his way.
This loan is more important about building up his credibility, and letting EPL and other Euro teams that he can play. After the WC (hopefully) teams will line up with offers that MLS won’t be able to turn down (overly optimistic I know).
Did the Galaxy do all of this last time Donovan went on loan?
Everton’s uniforms and Liverpool’s weather will make him a happy man to be leaving after a few months.
even if he knocks in 20 goals for everton in 3 months he’s going to have to come back b/c of what he said about beckham not returning in time
Henry will be joining the Galaxy. Stole him from the Red Bulls.
Get over yourself Galaxy, come out with it all ready. You’re like the kid in middle school who everyone lets hang out just because they feel bad for them.
WOOOOHOOOO!!
Fantastic.