By ADAM SERRANO
The LA Galaxy will be without Landon Donovan yet again.
Donovan won't play in Sunday's match against the Chicago Fire due to knee inflammation, which will be his third straight match out of the line up for the Galaxy. Donovan's missing the match with the Fire causes particular trouble for the Galaxy, which will also be missing midfielders David Beckham, Jovan Kirovski and Juninho due to suspension.
With three midfield starters missing, expect youngsters Michael Stephens and Paolo Cardozo to be placed in the lineup alongside Chris Birchall when the Galaxy take on Chicago on Sunday.
Starting to worry about Donovan's long-term health? Think the Galaxy can win without Donovan and Beckham?
Share your thoughts below
Seriously, Jason? Ives has an industry leading website, is among the elite soccer journalists when it comes to knowing everything about the American game, he writes a column for FoxSoccer.com and appears on FSC’s nation-wide broadcast as a foremost authoritarian due of his knowledge of soccer in America; and all you have to comment on is his weight? Try achieving something for yourself before bashing others. What a tool you’ve shown yourself to be.
My point is he’s never played “impaired” and played well.
We lost that Mexico game and he played poorly. Sometimes I think the US is better off if he’s not there as opposed to being there but not playing on all cylinders. In that Mexico game and actually, whenever he’s around, the team still kept/keeps waiting on him to save the day.
I’m hoping he doesn’t play the Spain game. He needs the rest and they need to learn how to live without him.
and if it hurts before the Gold Cup…
Of course there is some kind of injury if the knee swells. It’s called inflammation. It does not have to be any more serious than that, even though it could be. It could very well be osteoarthritis of the knee because all of the years of training. If he needs his knee cleaned out because of wear and tear, he can do that easily after the Gold Cup. He is probably doing therapy for his knee and if it hurts during the Gold Cup, they can easily give him a steroid (cortisone) for the inflammation two weeks before camp begins for the Gold Cup. Give Donovan the rest he needs and he’ll be fine.
Question is: who’ll be captain now?
Not exactly an “injury” but he did go a full 90 in the qualifier in Mexico City while infected with the swine flu.
I agree with you but actually, as far as I’m aware, he’s never played hurt.
So in the macho world of professional athletics he does have to prove he can produce even while in pain or injured. He is on a team with a guy who went to a World Cup with a half healed broken foot after all.
Beckham played poorly at that Cup so maybe Donovan will learn from that.
I agree with the physician, I think he has an injury that is close to a tear inside the knee. Being the gamer that he is, he is biding time to see if it heals with rest. My issue is that if it does not heal properly, later on they will state what the injury is, then he will be out longer than if they would have shut him down to let the injury heal in the first place! Landon, dont risk it! We know you are a workhorse. Better to heal properly and be back at full strength. You have nothing to prove.
I really miss Edson Buddle 🙁
We have about a month and a half before the Gold Cup.
Wouldn’t you agree that is not a lot of time to resolve knee “issues” whatever they may be?
USMNT fans should perhaps be worried then because, great as he is, Donovan has always been healthy and it’s unlcear that he can perform at the level the US needs him to be at if he isn’t his normal uber-fit self.
Folks, knees just don’t “swell.” There is some sort of injury. My guess is given the constant level of training and competition that Donovan endures, he likely has a cartilage or meniscus issue going on. Meniscus tears in avid runners are not uncommon, and I would think soccer players, given the constant amount of impact from running, would be no exception to that. You can get a meniscus tear without necessarily having an acute or traumatic injury. They can occur from chronic wear. I’m not an orthopedist, but I am a physician, and am interested to know exactly WHY his knee is swelling.
Dude. Time and place. First off, Adam Serrano wrote this post. Second off, try email.
plus 1
What is MLS policy on lying on injury reports? First they say he’s “resting” then it’s “knee inflammation”.
Overall I’m not worried because it’s only been a week he has missed. They just happened to have had 3 games in that week so it seems longer.
I sure hope so. He needs to go to Everton for 2-3 years, year round, and then come back an finish his career in the MLS.
Damn Ives, I just saw you on FSC. I appreciate all you do, but seriously, how about looking after your health a litte? Definitely packing on the lbs.
While it does suck for us Galaxy fans. I am not too concerned with his body breaking down. Landon has always been able to stay injury free. He will be fine.
Originally Arena announced that he was just giving Donovan a “rest” since he’d have a busy schedule. What this sounds like to me (especially since Donovan has actually been very durable and tough physically) is that this problem is more than just “some swelling”.
Heh heh, spelling snap!
Any possibility that Donovan is going to be sold this summer?
yes, I am worried about Landon’s “long-term healthy” LOL
Donovan has barely had any serious injuries in his whole career, his body clearly want his to rest a little. I’m not worried, if this is still happening by next month, yeah then I’ll worry, not for the galaxy mind you just for the USMNT.
I have a bad feeling that Donovan’s peak is now in the past, probably in 2010. He went so long without injuries, and now he has this persistent bugger. I hope it’s not a preview of what’s to come, but we may have to imagine the USMNT without him sooner than we thought.
Sorry to be a sourpuss — or a sourtrout.
Damn and JPA is not scoring…thanks Bruce Arena for not developing the future for the gaLAxy…embarrasing!!!
GalaAvesta starting to have some real problems.
Oh well, along as Donovan is healthy by the Gold Cup…