I have mixed feelings on LD, but what he says here is absolutely true.

And we really needed him in that WC.

Landon Donovan on what he said to Jurgen Klinsmann after he didn't take him to the World Cup with the USMNT 😳

(via @CBSSportsGolazo) pic.twitter.com/8gxB0o1SP8

— USMNT Only (@usmntonly) November 6, 2023

You think we really needed 32 year old Landon Donovan on that team? Maybe 28 year old LD or younger, but I don't think he would have played in 2014

In reply to ColoradoMooseHerd

ColoradoMooseHerd said:

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You think we really needed 32 year old Landon Donovan on that team? Maybe 28 year old LD or younger, but I don't think he would have played in 2014

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Dude when Josy got hurt 30 seconds into it, yeah. We needed him.

Yes, but you did not know the injury was going to happen and I would not have chosen Donovan over the other forwards on the team.

Didn't he skip a majority of the trainings and games leading up to the World Cup?

Then expect to be handed a roster spot-

In reply to MookieBlaylock

MookieBlaylock said:

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Didn't he skip a majority of the trainings and games leading up to the World Cup?

Then expect to be handed a roster spot-

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He took a sabbatical and came to camps after it.

In reply to MookieBlaylock

MookieBlaylock said:

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Didn't he skip a majority of the trainings and games leading up to the World Cup?

Then expect to be handed a roster spot-

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No. But you'd think the coaches would plan for everything. Including injuries.

Not a big fan regarding Landon's comments on the European players. All of them had US serviceman as parents and were all eligible. Most have them had already been playing with the team for several years. I think most fans wanted us taking the best talent and if we would have gotten past Belgium, no one would have cared if they were born at a US military base in Germany.

In reply to ColoradoMooseHerd

ColoradoMooseHerd said:

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Not a big fan regarding Landon's comments on the European players. All of them had US serviceman as parents and were all eligible. Most have them had already been playing with the team for several years. I think most fans wanted us taking the best talent and if we would have gotten past Belgium, no one would have cared if they were born at a US military base in Germany.

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And we might've if we had Donovan.

In reply to Rudyjax

Rudyjax said:

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ColoradoMooseHerd said:

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Not a big fan regarding Landon's comments on the European players. All of them had US serviceman as parents and were all eligible. Most have them had already been playing with the team for several years. I think most fans wanted us taking the best talent and if we would have gotten past Belgium, no one would have cared if they were born at a US military base in Germany.

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And we might've if we had Donovan.

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I don't think a 32 year old Donovan would have made a difference. I think you are imagining him as still at the top of his game which he was not.

In reply to PatAg

PatAg said:

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ColoradoMooseHerd said:

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You think we really needed 32 year old Landon Donovan on that team? Maybe 28 year old LD or younger, but I don't think he would have played in 2014

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No chance you were watching games back then and have this opinion.

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I was watching. I do not get overly excited about his season in the MLS when he was trying to prove a point against weaker competition.

After being left off the world cup team in May 2014, he led the MLS in assists, won the MLS cup and was named to the MLS best 11 in his final season. I think he took it personally that he was left off of the World cup team and put on a show.

He definitely could have helped us.

I understood Klinsmann's perspective even if I disagree and think it was dumb (Donovan was definitely still a better player than some of the substitutes that went). What made it seem like more than just that was that Jonathan Klinsmann got on Twitter gloating about it which made it seem like it was personal.

In reply to ColoradoMooseHerd

ColoradoMooseHerd said:

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PatAg said:

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ColoradoMooseHerd said:

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You think we really needed 32 year old Landon Donovan on that team? Maybe 28 year old LD or younger, but I don't think he would have played in 2014

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No chance you were watching games back then and have this opinion.

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I was watching. I do not get overly excited about his season in the MLS when he was trying to prove a point against weaker competition.

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We took 9 MLS players to that World Cup who were not named in the MLS team of the year in 2014 (including a guy named Clint Dempsey and one named Michael Bradley).

In reply to JJxvi I can't remember if Dempsey and Bradley played the whole season in MLS.....part of me is remembering that they (and Jozy) transfered in midseason? But it may not have been that year?

Dempsey signed with Seattle in the August 2013 played some and then was loaned to Fulham short term in the offseason before starting the season with Seattle on opening day of 2014. Michael Bradley transferred to Toronto in January and played the entire 2014 season there. (Each obviously missed a month+ of time or whatever though). I did not count Jozy as an MLS player as he was still with Sunderland and did not join Toronto until 2015. A 10th MLS player on that roster (Omar Gonzalez) did also make the MLS Best XI with Donovan.

In reply to Rudyjax

Rudyjax said:

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Quote:

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I guess nobody but me remembers Wondo missing a sitter from inside the 6 against Belgium.

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I still call missing a sitter a Wondo.

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Better yet, you would refer to making a sitter as a Lando if LD was on the roster and made that goal, right?

In reply to jessexy

jessexy said:

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Rudyjax said:

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Quote:

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I guess nobody but me remembers Wondo missing a sitter from inside the 6 against Belgium.

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I still call missing a sitter a Wondo.

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Better yet, you would refer to making a sitter as a Lando if LD was on the roster and made that goal, right?

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I don't do well with hypotheticals.

In reply to Rudyjax

Rudyjax said:

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Quote:

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I guess nobody but me remembers Wondo missing a sitter from inside the 6 against Belgium.

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I still call missing a sitter a Wondo.

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It's a shame for several reasons, one of which is Wondo(w)lowski is one of the best individual people to have ever played for the USMNT.

Donovan's sabbatical is always over played to me. He took time off between the end of the 2012 MLS season and it went into the start of the 2013 season. He missed the off-season then like 4 matches or so for LA, most of which he would have been off anyways. He did miss 2 WCQ games which I think annoyed JK more than anything.

In reply to wangus12 Yeah, I think he pissed off JK, who was used to getting whatever he wanted and JK decided he was going to cut Landon out to prove how serious he should be taken. If the team has a successful tournament, no one ever talks about the issue again. We all know how that played out.

I finally caught up with the show and finished this latest episode. Not sure what portions are in the clip above, but I think he's spot on - and his comments regarding dual-nationals have nothing to do with the agenda Kate was trying to push… to be fair he could've explained/defended himself a lot better.

The series is great to watch (full disclosure though, I've skipped the Carli Lloyd ones). In Jozy's episode, he told a story in an entirely different context that I think unintentionally sheds some light on what Donovan was getting at. Jozy was asked who the funniest player he ever played with on USMNT was. He replied Timmy Chandler - but not because he told jokes, but just because his mannerisms and demeanor were funny. He then proceeds to mimic how Chandler griped during his first CONCACAF trip to Honduras, and how afterwards he said it was too much (the heat, bad pitch, fans, etc), and he disliked it so much that he proceeded to take a 3 month hiatus (which by the way JK didn't seem to have a problem with).

To me, that hits on what Clint said as a better take on what Donovan was trying to say: if you aren't willing to be there when it's hard, then it's a sign that you really don't care and you shouldn't be there. And I agree 100%. And I think Ggg does too and that's why guys like Brooks and Pefok fell out of favor. I'm no Ggg fan, but I have zero problem with these guys getting excluded (if my hunch is accurate and they really don't care one iota about representing the USA and really just want to be on an international team for more exposure).

I look forward to see what future guests the show gets - my opinion of everyone involved so far has increased… except maybe Kate… she sometimes asks bad questions but I guess you can't bat 1.000 and others of hers are home runs.

In reply to deadbq03

deadbq03 said:

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I finally caught up with the show and finished this latest episode. Not sure what portions are in the clip above, but I think he's spot on - and his comments regarding dual-nationals have nothing to do with the agenda Kate was trying to push… to be fair he could've explained/defended himself a lot better.

The series is great to watch (full disclosure though, I've skipped the Carli Lloyd ones). In Jozy's episode, he told a story in an entirely different context that I think unintentionally sheds some light on what Donovan was getting at. Jozy was asked who the funniest player he ever played with on USMNT was. He replied Timmy Chandler - but not because he told jokes, but just because his mannerisms and demeanor were funny. He then proceeds to mimic how Chandler griped during his first CONCACAF trip to Honduras, and how afterwards he said it was too much (the heat, bad pitch, fans, etc), and he disliked it so much that he proceeded to take a 3 month hiatus (which by the way JK didn't seem to have a problem with).

To me, that hits on what Clint said as a better take on what Donovan was trying to say: if you aren't willing to be there when it's hard, then it's a sign that you really don't care and you shouldn't be there. And I agree 100%. And I think Ggg does too and that's why guys like Brooks and Pefok fell out of favor. I'm no Ggg fan, but I have zero problem with these guys getting excluded (if my hunch is accurate and they really don't care one iota about representing the USA and really just want to be on an international team for more exposure).

I look forward to see what future guests the show gets - my opinion of everyone involved so far has increased… except maybe Kate… she sometimes asks bad questions but I guess you can't bat 1.000 and others of hers are home runs.

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I've seen clips...where is it?

In reply to deadbq03

deadbq03 said:

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I finally caught up with the show and finished this latest episode. Not sure what portions are in the clip above, but I think he's spot on - and his comments regarding dual-nationals have nothing to do with the agenda Kate was trying to push… to be fair he could've explained/defended himself a lot better.

I look forward to see what future guests the show gets - my opinion of everyone involved so far has increased… except maybe Kate… she sometimes asks bad questions but I guess you can't bat 1.000 and others of hers are home runs.

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Kate Abdo is HOT AF!!!!!!

In reply to Rudyjax

Rudyjax said:

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I've seen clips...where is it?

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If you watch the above video to the end, it is on CBS Sports.

Google it:

kickin it cbs sports episode 2

In reply to jessexy

jessexy said:

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deadbq03 said:

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I finally caught up with the show and finished this latest episode. Not sure what portions are in the clip above, but I think he's spot on - and his comments regarding dual-nationals have nothing to do with the agenda Kate was trying to push… to be fair he could've explained/defended himself a lot better.

I look forward to see what future guests the show gets - my opinion of everyone involved so far has increased… except maybe Kate… she sometimes asks bad questions but I guess you can't bat 1.000 and others of hers are home runs.

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Kate Abdo is HOT AF!!!!!!

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Best part of Champions league.

Landon is a self serving DB at times. But, he 100% should have been on that team. Jurgen let his own ego get in the way of the smart decision just like Berhalter couldn't find a way to work with Gio.