Los Angeles Galaxy and U.S. men's national team star Landon Donovan will not be going on loan this winter, he and the Galaxy announced on Tuesday.
“While I enjoyed my time at Everton last season and still appreciate all the support their fans have given me, I feel that it is important to continue to rest and recover this offseason as opposed to going on loan,” Donovan said. “I never considered being loaned to a club other than Everton, but I have been playing nearly non-stop for the past two years and I believe that this decision will allow me to perform at my best for the Galaxy and the National Team throughout the upcoming year.
"I look forward to re-joining my Galaxy teammates for the start of preseason training next month and beginning our quest for another MLS Cup championship.”
Donovan went on loan to Everton last winter, but will pass on a chance to return to Europe this off-season, choosing instead to stay with the Galaxy heading into the 2011 season.
What do you think of this development?
Share your thoughts below.
Take a note, Edson
Euro*****, there is hope for street cred!!!
Street Cred from whom? Championships give you “Street Cred” in sports. Since MLS has drastically improved, he has failed. The “Prestige” leagues aren’t competitive.
He wont be awesome in MLS until he can win a title vs. the current level of competition.
Prove to who???? The last World Cup is proof the US is picking up ground. It’s no coincidence that MLS is picking up ground also.
Another fan lost in the Eurosnob mentality
Epic??? Dude was good for a couple of games off the pine. Let’s not exaggerate now.
Get over the Eurosnob complex…We are better now
Count me in the disappointed category! You only have one career. He can rest all he wants after he retires. Heck, he’s been resting a month now. Play at the highest level Donovan!!! Play at the highest level! My hope is that his statement will produce a permanent move to Everton.
bs
According to this “polly-anna, mamby bamby bullsh*t” you are talking about then I guess Donovan isn’t the best player in the US…WHICH HE IS or I guess you could argue tied with Dempsey but either way he is right there and it was MLS and being in the states that has helped develop him to this point not the EPL and the so-called best. I guess Robinho should run back to play in the EPL so he can be ridiculed and dissected instead of reinventing himself in Brazil where he is still a dam good player and is not being slammed every time he turns around.
I have never said the MLS is the big fish in the pond. I just feel that the most important thing in the development of a player at the pro level is having good coaches around you, a strong league and the comfort level to excel and for every single player that is different and LD is no different. And the reality of this is that while there are are better coaches in the EPL, the MLS has very good high level coaches here as well that at the pro level can do just as much for you as the ones over there. Steve Nicol, Dominic Kinnear, Brice Arena, Hans Backe, etc are all very experienced professional coaches that would improve any player in the world in their systems.
He’s ruled out a loan move, but not an actual transfer.
I’ve now come across some more information, and there is some major behind the scenes stuff – not having to do with soccer or money – that played into this decision. I wonder if this story will ever be told.
I agree, and I’m sorry I participated in it. They’re both great players and it shouldn’t be on versus the other.
I will always be slightly dissapointed that Landon Donovan left Bayer Leverusken after only 3 months. Because I will always believe that if he stayed he would have been a solid contributor there. Yes he played awful against Liverpool but, that is normal for a player adjusting to a new league look at Nani’s early career at Manchester United. But this was the right move for Landon just loaning him out every winter would start to be detrimental.
That may be, but that wasn’t the question Dargle raised. His question was what has Cahill done for Australian football, not what would have he done if he were LD. I think the question that scenario would beg would be “well why isn’t he playing in Europe, then?”
I’m not saying that it’s is what made him the player he is, but I don’t think anyone can quibble about the benefit and boost that his loan to Everton and the positive experience he had there gave him going into the WC.
all this LD vs CD is nonsense
I don’t know that selling Fellaini to acquire Donovan makes much sense. Donovan is a great addition, which is what Everton needs, not a replacement. Rodwell wouldn’t free up enough cash, a Pienaar sale for Donavan wouldn’t push them up the table.
I wonder how many! Americans would trade Landon Donovan for Tim Cahill? Not me
+1
Its called Marketing….Dempsey is not a camera/press monger like LD, which makes him “Influential”…you cant compare both of their careers.
Not to take anything away from LD, but alot of his goals came in form of penalties and against CONCACAF squads. In addiiton, two of the players mentioned are goalies..we are loaded in that position. Notice that you did not mentioned a striker. The midfielders mentioned except for Dempsey, Feilhaber and probably Stu are the most creative midfielders we have…the rest I guess fit into the boring counter attack, punt and run offense strategy that BB seems to stick with. Yes we are improving, but to say we are making strides is overestimating. If you compare the amount of players that the US produces compared to other countries, we are still in diapers. I understand that the sport has not been supported in this country until just recently…and that is why I mentioned, that I am excited for whats to come from our new crop of young players. I have gone to the MLS combine 2 yrs in a row in Ft. Lauderdale, and I have to admit each year shows how the quality has risen, with that being said, we are a work in progress…but please do not justify LD not going to Europe, by saying that he has proven enough. When watching MLS games this last seasons, I recall alot of the rookies in the MLS, when asked who were the their inspiration to get into the sport, many mentioned the likes of Ronaldinho, Messi, etc…not LD, nor any American player. That will hopefully change. I guess my point is, that until this league becomes one of the top 5, we still have to send our best, where the best play.
whatever the amountof games; I know its more games than the MLS season offers thats for sure, I will leave the actual math to you buddy..anyways thats irrelevant to the topic…the point is that, he should go, and not only for a loan, but as a full transfer.
I’m aware of that, but it also essentially locked him into being in L.A. until he’s 31, at which point his European options will be very narrow, if not non-existent. He basically became an MLS “lifer” with that deal…
actually, he turns 29 in March.
Not that they couldn’t use him, but Everton will be just fine. The Tims, Howard and Cahill, came up huge against ManCity and they may currently be 14th but they are 1 point away from being 8th.
Every US fan should save their concern for Fulham, Wolverhampton and West Ham instead.
And like you said, this is the best move for the USMNT.
You are a nutcase. Really. Get some help. I fail to see what there is to be upset about here.
Also, winning the 07 Gold Cup, finishing second in the 09 Confed Cup, winning our WC group and reaching the final 16 is a success for the US. We are not England, who by the way made the final 16 but didn’t win their group, Euro, or make the Confed, yet retained their manager.
Except that if he hadn’t signed the deal, he wouldn’t have gotten to go on loan to Everton or anyone until 2011…when his contract and option years were over.
Excellent point.
This is the best move for Donovan, the Galaxy, and the USMNT. For Everton, this move sucks.
oh, come on now..Clint’s goal vs. England? Compare that to LD’s goal vs. Slovenia, which was one of the best goals of the tournament? Anyway, they did both come up big, but LD really drove the team as he always does. They’re just different type players – and each very important to the National Team. I’m a big LD fan and he’s been carrying the national team for years now. It’s good Clint has arrived to help him. 🙂
(oh, and if you’re inclined to say something about Clint having the balls to shoot against England in the first place, I’ll remind you – in a friendly sort of way – that about 2 minutes prior to Clint shooting, Landon tried the same shot from the same distance and just missed by inches.
*2010 …my how time flies
Yes exactly. A mature business decision is what this is. Landon has displayed what he can do throughout 2009. He is past the point of having to prove himself with a loan. He will go if compensated fairly in a permanent deal, and THAT is what his decision not to go on loan implies.
“If Donovan really WANTED to go to the EPL, he wouldn’t have signed the three-year contract extension with the Galaxy. It was a move that may have made him “unbuyable.””
Perfectly put TimN.
I read today this is shaping up as the coldest winter in the U.K. in 100 years. Smart move, Donovan.
What EPL side played 80+ games last year?