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Must-See Video: Landon Donovan ad for World Cup

Landon Donovan USMNT 2014 (ISIPhotos.com)

Photo by ISIPhotos.com

Landon Donovan might’ve wished he were in Brazil right now. But he is keeping his sense of humor about missing the World Cup in a new web ad by the Los Angeles Galaxy. Watch below:

Comments

  1. IMO, it is because the idea that if he didn’t compare Donovan to Green as he says, he should have. JK says his decision was about “today”, but if Donovan “today”, which is now two weeks ago, was better than Green, he should have compared them because you want your best team to be in Brazil. His insistence that Donovan wasn’t good enough but he didn’t compare him to players that he pretty clearly is better than “today”, shows he’s full of crap and it rubs people the wrong way. He did compare them and he decided he wanted to bring Green but by pretending he didn’t compare them, he skirts the questions identifying why he rated Green higher. Not liking a person is probably a legitimate reason to not take them, but pretending that it never occurred to him to compare Donovan to his options at outside half makes him sound kind of stupid, which I don’t think he is.

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  2. Why do people always compare Green to Donovan when they talk about his exclusion? When i think about JK leaving him off I think about Davis and Wondo. Neither of these two players brings anything near the ability that Donovan does. If anyone says but Davis is great on set pieces I will just laugh. Not because he isnt but because that is something that Donovan brings. Donovan has better pace and is much much better at tracking back and helping on defense. Davis was so bad in the Turkey game at getting back that everyone thought Chandler was aweful. Chandler didnt play well but many times he was overloaded on the left due to Davis not tracking back or getting sucked into the middle. Wondo has done nothing in his international career against solid competition. If you dont think that Donovan can still come off the bench and change the game, I disagree along with almost every analyst.

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    • Hahahahahahaha how many all-time national and league scoring records do you hold? Hahahahahaha I didn’t see until my phone notified me, LD trading cards are selling for over $1,000 Hahaha

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  3. Another great tidbit of this ad to me is that Landon is wearing the USA uniform, with his name and 10, and cleats. He is dressed and ready for the field. Awesomeness!

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  4. Klinsmann was right to cut this guy. He could not have contributed. It would be like adding Steve Shak to the World Cup squad. You’ll see. Jurgen Klinsmann is going to be the greatest coach ever to live. He will guide the US easily past Ghana, Portugal, and Germany.

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  5. ANYONE saying that LD was overweight and unfit coming into camp is wildly uninformed. Out of all the players in camp only 2 completed the dreaded “beep” fitness test … KB and LD.

    It wasn’t about fitness. It was about JK picking players that “he wanted”. He’s the coach. It’s his decision … right or wrong. He clearly did not want LD (probably for personal reasons). End of story.

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      • I stand corrected … KB and LD were top 2 behind MB. It was worded on the segment as KB and LD completed the “beep test” as the top 2 behind MB.

      • I think the point still stands though that LD was definitely not out of shape as a lot of people are claiming. LD was either 2nd or 3rd out of the whole team … I say that’s pretty impressive considering his age. Also that means KB was impressive.

  6. I know… need to drop it… just my opinion… but does anyone feel more comfortable with putting Wondo in the game when we need a goal vs. putting Donovan in? If he was being considered as a forward thats who beat him out. That is my heartburn over Donovan being left out. Even if he was only used as a sub, he would be more valuable then Wondo.

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    • No need to drop it. I, personally, have lost all support for JK and I will only watch the World Cup to support the US players. After that, I’m saying goodbye to US Soccer until JK is fired.

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      • The drop it comment was from the standpoint that its not going to change, and the focus should be on the guys there and pulling for them to do the best they can. There are many opinions on the issue and we are all entitled to our own.

        That being said I was watching the ESPN replay of our 2010 WC game against Algeria this morning and it was hard not to notice 2 things:
        1) Donovan has scored some big goals and it is hard to imagine him not there in crunch time when the pressure is on. Who is the take charge leader/pressure performer in the group? Time will tell but I believe someone will step up.

        2) I believe the 2014 edition is much stronger than the 2010 edition, which may not get us anywhere considering our group. Is the 2014 edition stronger because of JK? Maybe/Maybe not, but it makes me happy to see our side getting stronger. And my personal opinion remains they would be stronger with Donovan there instead of Davis or Wondo.

        One more thing on the team… anyone else worried about Zusi on the big stage? I admittedly don’t follow his MLS games, but during the send off series, I started getting concerned about his pace against the teams in our group. We have constantly had great CONCACAF performers who have done poorly against the better national teams. Perhaps I am just merely uneducated on Zusi and don’t get to see him enough.

  7. BTW… Landon did his first ESPN piece last night.

    Alexi Lalas tried baiting him with a ‘Tell me why you think you should be in Brazil’ question and LD responded honestly and with class.

    Alexi just seemed extra pissed off. I guess he knows his days are numbered. Once the current group of Americans retire (who all have far more credentials than Alexi has) he will become the has-been that he so deserves to be.

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    • You mean Alexi “I am outraged that Klinsmann said they won’t win the world cup, but I also told the team to their faces that they won’t even make it out of the group” Lalas?

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      • Yea…that too.

        Plus…

        Klinsmann promised they would attack so I will be disappointed if they win but don’t attack.

        Follwed quickly by….

        Bradley should not roam forward and attack.

      • Yeah that was great. Lalas was acting like a tool. All I could think about was a child screaming at his parents “but you promised!” Lalas just sounded like a baby really.

      • I didn’t see the piece but let’s be fair. When someone says, for example, you need to make kids feel good about themselves, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t ever scold them for serious errors. Or, if you’re talking about relationships and you say that successful relationships are for better or worse it doesn’t mean that cheaters should get a free pass because you committed to the person.

        My point? Lalas’ comments may be taken too inflexibly. He may be thinking about certain times or aspects of the game in which Bradley moving forward could be a problem and as he is relaying that point, it seems like he’s contradicting himself but in his imagination, he is seeing times when it could be a problem.

        He may also be thinking things through in his mind. No one is perfect. Just because he’s on a broadcast stage doesn’t mean he already has all the knowledge and opinions he’ll ever have. He will continue to formulate them, consider, pose them, reconsider, become wiser.

      • Alex, this is one case where you really should watch all the segments of the 2+ hours to get the context of his statements. His negativity and obsession with JKs hopeful failure have gone beyond poor journalism. Unfortunately there’s only one channel covering this thing…
        Both Twellman and Keller called him out on things.. big time…
        He’s making every focal point all about himself… the exact thing he’s accusing JK of doing..
        And no, he won’t change…

  8. I still cannot understand how some fans are not completely livid that Lando is not in Brazil. He is easily one of our top 23 and probably still one of out top 11. LD was the Gold Cup MVP; the same Gold Cup that sparked Bedoya and Diskerud’s inclusion on this team, and LD was head and shoulders better than them in that tournament.

    Brad Davis has no business on a World Cup field; he’s just not that good, and it baffles me that some fans cannot see that. Wondo has no business playing in Brazil. Jozy, AJ and Dempsey will see all of the Stryker minutes. Omar Gonzalez is hurt and just isn’t a world cup caliber CB. I still have a hard time understanding JK’s roster choices. With us playing the free form, Christmas tree or whatever you wanna name it formation with 2 holding kids, Edu should have been on this roster over Gonzo. He would have provided cover at CB and for JJ and Beck.

    We are in the dreaded Group of Death. We will have to bunker in as counter attack. LD is the best option for us on the counter. His speed of play and decision making is unmatched in US Soccer still today despite his age. More fans should be blasting JK for his roster selections instead of just sayin get over it, Landon ain’t in Brazil.

    LD, Boyd and Edu should have replaced Davis, Wondo and Gonzo.

    I’m pulling for us to get out of the group and have supported JK, and do feel he is growing the program. However, if we fall flat on our face, he needs to be replaced. You can’t make the tough choices and fail. You put yourself on an island when you make those decisions, and then those decisions must work. Let’s pray I’m wrong and Davis, Gonzo and Wondo all play well if given a chance, and pray we aren’t looking back questioning LAndon bein left out.

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    • LD probably ought to be there over Wondo – or Green/Davis, if you think he can play wing. Edu over Gonzo? Maybe, but mostly because we’re playing twin-CDMs now. I don’t know that that was the plan when the rosters were picked. Boyd over Wondo? Six in one and half dozen in the other. I doubt either plays or would have played. More importantly, none of those players (except EDU, who would have been a sub covering for a suspened CDM) would help with the thing that will probably doom this team: A young, inconsistnent defense. Face it: The USMNT could fall flat on its face, and none of your problem players could be at fault, nor would any of your solution players have helped.

      Just get over it. Landon ain’t in Brazil, and JK will still be the US HC in a year and two and four. You absolutely can make the tough choices and fail if your bosses empowered you to make the choices and fail. By offering JK his contract extension when they did, USSF did just that. They’re probably paying 4 million a year, and they’re not going to fire him over something that he had no control over (the draw). They, like I don’t see the point of “seething” over something I have no control over. You want to be livid? Be livid over something you can change. Unless you’re Sunil Gulati the HC of the USMNT isn’t.

      Basically.. You’re only raising your own bloodpressure. Relax.

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    • Absolutely agree although i may go with goodson over edu. Either one would bring experience to the back line. I just like that Goodson would be a like for like switch with an injured Gonzo in that he is an aerial weapon and would bring more backline experience than Edu.

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    • +1. Although the “livid” part only lasts so long… “convinced it was a mistake” continues, and for all the reasons you mentioned.

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  9. “came to camp over weight. ”
    You have no idea that’s true or not, and the rumors that folks were printing said that he was killing it at camp.

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  10. It is interesting to me to see the different approach that some sports fans take. What I mean is, a few years back Fred McGriff on the tail end of his career, having already played in many playoff series and I think having won a world series, was being blasted by many for not being a competitor. You see he was being offered up as trade bait by the Rays, in July. He had a no trade clause and opted to enforce it rather than leave his family for the last two months of the season for a possible playoff run. He said his family was more important. Many sports writers saw it as an indictment against his competitive spirit. For years Phil Mickelson was criticized for losing big tournaments and not seeming to be heart broken over it. He played his style, kind of a “go for it” kind of style. And was criticized for not having a champion’s competitive spirit. I think JK and probably most of Europe sees soccer the same. To consider walking away from international team qualifications in order to go to Cambodia and “get his head together”, my words not his, may seem similar to JK as McGriff/Mickelson did to many sportswriters. So JK sees Donovan as not committed. Couple that with the facts that he has lost a 1/2 step, hadn’t been playing well, and came to camp over weight. That’s a lot of reasons not to take him. That all being said, I would have him on the roster. But I can see how JK may have seen it.

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  11. Found the video to be sad.. Does Landon not have any pride? As someone who is indifferent to Landon being on the team I think Landon’s self deprecating / flakiness – persona played into Jurgens decision. And I say this knowing that on the field Landon has always been an all out baller.

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    • It’s sad that Jurgen let his personal opinions on how LD lives his life trump what Landon would have contributed to the team, but I think it’s good to see Donovan have a little fun with it. (he needs to work on his foosball skills though!)

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    • You are absolutely correct in that. Klinnsmann didn’t like Donovan’s sabbatical or Donovan’s attitude. However, no American has played as much as Donovan in the past few years preceding the sabbatical. An MLS season ends Nov 1, playoffs are in Nov, MLS Cup is early December. Galaxy made a few MLS cups in those years, then Donovan had the Beckham friendlies that lasted until mid December, then he went on loan Jan 1(in 2 separate seasons). He was in shape both times he showed up at Everton. Then after the World Cup in 2010 Donovan got zero days rest. If Klinnsmann followed MLS instead of drueling over European Leagues he would have seen and understood this.

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  12. Fact 1: Landon had several opportunities to cement himself on the team and he blew them

    Fact 2: He probably should have made the team anyway

    Fact 3: His exclusion will have some but little bearing on the end result

    Fact 4: Five years from now we can stop this bickering and just appreciate one of the greatest American soccer players of all time. Wish that could happen now… but it won’t. There’s no need to bash the guy, period. Opinion on why he should be on or off the team is acceptable… but why are we name calling????? This is a guy who has scored some of the biggest goals ever… and of course the most ever. He’s a upfront and honest guy… The European fanbase would absolutely love him because of it. We want them to lie and pretend. ugh. If you have something semi-intelligent to say on tactical or football reasons he’s not on the team, that discussion is fun. The rest is just a bore

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  13. He’s a fake person, I don’t want to over talk but it’s so obvious.
    If he would of gotten to Everton for less money and not stay at his beach house in sunny Los Angeles, he would be in Brazil now.
    Not only that, but over talked so much about himself not feeling good or this n that and at the end he cries about not going, what a sissy.
    Another thing, he’s like 32 right, he has no kids right, no wife right, and he can’t go to Europe.
    This sweet pie needs a reality check and change of scenery in life, why not go to red bull. He can still have his beach house, MLS doesn’t play in winter so what’s the big deal.

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      • I said, Donovan SHOULD HAVE GINE FOR LESS MONEY AND NOT FOR THE MONEY.
        Read right please brotha 🙂

      • Andy is right, Donovan had resigned with the Galaxy thus his rights were owned by the MLS. Teams deal with the league and not the team. The MLS wanted more than what he’s worth. He’s worth more to us than them.

      • But he knew that would be the case when he re-signed with MLS. That was a foregone conclusion. Truth is, and I don’t have a problem with this, but he chose the money over Europe with this last contract. His right for sure. He earned that. the flip side is he has to accept the “Big Fish small pond” comments. But Landon is a different guy. Very introspective. So he probably doesn’t care. It’s just a shame he didn’t foresee the damage he was doing to his relationship with JK when he took his extended vacation.
        Water under the bridge. WC starts today !!!

      • hmmmm, many have a different take on what’s a shame, namely that Jurgen took it so personally and couldn’t rise above

    • You are aware that he is a real person, right? He actually lives a life that you and I know nothing about. This is a great ad that shows he can be a good sport. His life goes on in LA, not Brazil.

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    • @ NASL, that’s a pretty judgmental post. How can you criticize someone for making decisions that they feel are best for them. I would argue that the fake thing to do would be trying to please others by making the popular decision to go play in Europe rather than stay home where your heart is and try to help grow the game in America. Europe isn’t for everybody. He tried it, and decided otherwise. It’s so easy for us to sit back and talk about what somebody else should do with their life. He made his decision and he has to live with it not YOU! You should probably think a little more before you start posting judgmental comments about someone when you have no knowledge of their personal life or what they’re going through.

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  14. Landon Donovan used to be good as soccer, but now he’s not nearly as good at soccer, and it makes me sad that he doesn’t get preferential treatment based on the fact that he used to be good at soccer.

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    • I know! But doesn’t it make you happy when a kid who has not proven anything at the senior level for his club and only played in 2 senior games for his country does get preferential treatment based on the fact he is on a Top teams in Europe’s second team!?

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      • Your opinion that he isnt good anymore vs. my facts that Green has not played more than 4 times for any senior team. Where are your facts? I know mine (1 game for Bayern, 3 for USMNT)

      • Green is a big time talent and is going to Brazil based on his potential to prepare him to play a key role in the 2018 WC. It’s an investment in the future, they are not bringing him to replace Donovan and bring experience to the team. Donovan lost his spot to Wondo.

      • Yea I know, I just hate when people act dumb. I would much rather have Green on the team with Donovan than Donovan and Wondo on the team.

        It just pisses me off when people try and justify Donovan not making the team because there were better options. It is crystal clear, using facts not opinion, that Donovan is better than quite a few of the players on the team.

      • If both arguments are equal then why are all you skirts making such a big deal about LD’s exclusion? Green doesn’t get your panties wet enough?

      • Fact: Jurgen thinks Green gives the team the best chance to win. As coach, he needs no other justification.

        Fact: Skirts can’t get over their emotional attachment to LD and will never forgive Klinsy for breaking the precious little hearts.

      • Forgot to add, Fact: Even with JK warning people he was going to take the 23 best players as of right now, only LD and and his army of skirts thought he was a lock for Brazil. Thus, a non-story becomes a story when people can’t interpret what’s unfolding in front of them even though it’s smacking them right in the face. Did people honestly think JK was kidding when he said LD had to earn his spot based on his current form? Big time writing on the wall.

      • I guess you’re naive enough to believe everything your hear/read. Klinnsmann didn’t take Donovan because he didn’t like his commitment and work ethic. He disliked Donovan’s sabatical, didn’t like that he didn’t play any significant time in Europe and didn’t like his comments about not being able to train well for 12 days straight. Tim Howard said Donovan is one of our best 1 or 2 players. I tend to agree with Howard. Even if you disagree with Howard its hard to argue that Donovan isn’t one of our best 23.

  15. Very funny…and nice that lando can find a silver lining with some commercial $$ and the espn gig. but this doesn’t help my personal healing over this TRAVESTY

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  16. Seriously? I had never been the biggest fan but the older he gets the more I like the guy. Doing this commercial with that much-ridiculed photo as the wallpaper. That’s great stuff. He doesn’t take himself overly seriously and it’s pretty refreshing to see.

    Good stuff, Landon!

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