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Donovan delivers assist in Beckham’s charity match

Landon Donovan Rest of World 99

Landon Donovan might have the itch to coach, but he showed on Saturday that he can still play.

Donovan set up the Rest of the World’s lone goal in David Beckham’s Unicef charity match, cutting a pass back to Dwight Yorke in the 67th minute of a 3-1 loss to Great Britain and Ireland. Donovan, 33, entered the star-studded affair at Old Trafford in the 67th minute, and gave his side a glimmer of hope with the ball   that trimmed its 2-0 deficit in half.

Great Britain and Ireland substitute Michael Owen netted the first of his two goals on the night four minutes earlier, and capped the scoring in the 8th minute. Paul Scholes scored the opener in the 13th minute off a precise cross from Beckham.

There were several nice moments in the match played in front of 75,381 fans, including the one that saw Beckham substituted off in favor of his 16-year-old son, Brooklyn. The elder Beckham reentered the match later when he replaced Sol Campbell, and played a series of passes with his son down the right flank that drew cheers from the crowd.

You can see Donovan’s assist (at the 0:15 mark) here:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3PMALMpq0U]

What do you think of Donovan’s assist? Still wish he was playing in MLS and with the U.S. Men’s National Team? How much did you enjoy?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Donovan gets a 6.5 in the player ratings. He was dangerous all half and ROW would’ve been better off starting him. I am guessing he wasn’t match fit just like the world cup but at least the manager had the foresight to add LD as a 2nd half super sub. This proves that we would’ve beat Belgium and advanced to the semis at the very least.

    Reply
  2. i don’t feel all caps strongly since Donovan retired, but yes I endorse this message. now happening to dempsey. USMNT is a mess

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    • Wait…. what is happening to Dempsey? Oh…. father time…. the winding down of a career. Yes….well… JK has left plenty of room for criticism, but…. he didn’t do “that” to Donovan and he isn’t doing it to Clint. “It” was always going to happen as it does to everyone in every walk of life…. just happens quicker and more brutally in the sports world. The likelihood of Deuce making it through this cycle was always a long-shot, and if he does….. t’s not a good sign for the program’s development/progress. The time to phase in players is before the wheels are completely off.

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      • Dempsey won the golden boot in the Gold Cup and has scored a goal in every USMNT game he played in this year and Klinsmann leaves him off the roster for WCQ. THAT is what I am talking about in terms of it is now happening to Dempsey. Now as in NOW not 2018

  3. I DON’T CARE WHAT HE DOES JURGEN KLINSMANN WILL NEVER BE FIT TO TIE LANDON DONOVAN’S SHOES. THAT KRAUT RUINED THE USMNT AND WE WILL NEVER GET TO SEE LANDON PLAY FOR US AGAIN. THE 2014 WORLD CUP WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT LANDON BUT THE FUERHER’S EGO IS SO BIG HE COULDN’T HANDLE NOT BEING THE STAR SO HE CUT HIM. LANDON’S ASSIST TODAY WAS WORLD CLASS, HE OBVIOUSLY STILL HAS THE TALENT TO PLAY FOR US WE JUST NEED TO FIRE KLINSMANN AND BRING HIM BACK INTO THE FOLD. IF KLINSMANN GOES HE WILL COME OUT OF RETIREMENT TO LEAD US TO GLORY IN 2018! HE IS YOUNG ENOUGH AND STILL HAS MORE TALENT THAN ANY AMERICAN OUT THERE. FIRE KLINSMANN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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    • Whatever. The 2014 World Cup WAS NOT supposed to be about about Landon. It was supposed to be judging the potential of the USMNT program. Landon did not retire because JK was now the manager, he was retired because he was burned out.

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      • wasn’t burnt out before at all…performed for JK big once he was invited back by Klinsman, played inspired and fired up ball when back from sabbatical…that’s what they do, they recharge your batteries. ever earned one once in your lifetime so you know what you’re talking about on the subject Anthony? then LD had an incredibly productive season for the Galaxy at left wing after JK cut him for the likes of Wondo, Davis and Green. but hold to your line about LD all you want of course, accurate or not. if so sure in your position why revise history to present it?

      • Who…cares…

        Are we still going to be whining about this in 2018? Or are we going to have live commentary threads for every fat guy game landon plays?

      • he retired because for him soccer was just a job and not something he enjoyed. He made enough money so it was time to enjoy his life

      • YES IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT LANDON. THAT WORLD CUP WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HIS SWANSONG, OUR LAST CHANCE TO SEE HIM PLAY AND THE KRAUT RUINED IT!!!!!!! HE COULD HAVE GOTTEN US TO THE SEMI-FINALS AT LEAST HE WAS COMPLETELY ON FIRE IN THE MLS AFTER THE WORLD CUP. HE WAS SAVING HIS ENERGY AND WOULD HAVE BEEN UNSTOPPABLE.

        AND DON’T GIVE ME THAT “HE WAS BURNED OUT CRAP.” HE TOOK THE SABBATICAL BECAUSE HE NEEDED REST BUT HE WAS ALREADY BACK AND READY TO DOMINATE AND THE FUERHER DIDN’T WANT TO SEE LANDON OUTSHINE HIM SO HE CUT HIM FROM THE TEAM. LANDON RETIRED BECAUSE THE FUERHER HAS RIDICULOUS EXPECTATIONS ON PLAYER TRAINING. I GET THAT IF YOU’RE ONE OF THE YOUNG GUYS YOU SHOULD HAVE TO TRAIN REALLY HARD BUT NOT LANDON. IF YOU’RE 32 YEARS OLD YOU NEED TO REST FOR THE BIG GAMES AND YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE TO TRAIN REALLY HARD EVERY PRACTICE I MEAN HE’S LANDON FRICKIN DONOVAN HE GETS TO PLAY WHEN HE WANTS.

    • Well it’s not like we needed a quality player in 2014 since we had Jozy and Aaron J at top health throughout that tournament. Right? Who could have imagined needing a backup plan, certainly not Jurgen “I get fired from every job” Klinsmann.

      Reply
  4. I’m not the biggest fan of this headline, but come on, Beckham and Donovan are two of MLS’s biggest retired stars. If they play in a charity match with each other it’s probably worth a short article and video from a soccer site that focuses on American soccer.

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    • You clearly do because you commented…people who tend not to care either ignore the article or don’t comment but either way it was a nice attempt at acting as if you don’t haha

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      • Just because I said I didnt care doesnt mean I read the article. The only part I read was the ‘what do you think? Wish Landon was still on USMNT? ‘ junk at the end. Nobody cares if this guy dragged his beer gut around the pitch with 40 yr olds.

      • What no one cares about is the Bryan has issues.
        Plenty seem to care about the game.

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