Major League Soccer

MLS Playoffs: Canales Corner: Donovan Claims MVP As His Own

Major League Soccer's resident outspoken player made as much noise on the field as off it, which helped the Galaxy to the championship match.

Nov 20, 2009 8:33:24 AM

Landon Donovan, Los Angeles Galaxy (A. Canales/Goal.com)

Photo Gallery

Zoom

Landon Donovan, Los Angeles Galaxy (A. Canales/Goal.com)

Teams

By Andrea Canales

Trying to get LA Galaxy striker Landon Donovan, the newly-crowned Most Valuable Player of Major League Soccer to look his best for an on-camera shot, the assembled media informed him that he had a blade of grass on his face, perhaps the result of diving header and tumble he took going for a ball in practice.

Obligingly, Donovan rubbed his face in the general direction of the offending speck.

"It's still there," the reporters told him. Donovan sighed, and swiped at his face again. The cameraman invited him to lean forward into the giant lens, in order to use that as a mirror to find the greenery.

"I'm ugly, dude; one piece of grass isn't going to matter," Donovan joked self-deprecatingly, finally flicking the bit of debris away.

If image is everything, Donovan has yet to follow the scripted blueprint for soccer success.

Otherwise, his lines upon receiving the MVP accolade would have been far different.

Oh sure, Donovan had some of the expected responses.

"To be honored as an athlete individually is is great," Donovan attested. "It's not just fans or media, it's also your peers. When your peers name you the best player, I think that's special."

Yet Donovan defied the typical sports answers in many ways. Usually, for example, players feign shock and surprise that they won an award, apparently hoping the put-on bashfulness of "who, me?" will endear them to fans.

""I wouldn't say I'm surprised," Donovan said of winning the honor. "I worked very hard to get to where I am."

It's also tradition to leave the talk of exerted effort aside, letting others make that case on the winner's behalf, such as Galaxy coach Bruce Arena did.

"This year has been his best year in the league, even though statistically, it has not been," Arena argued. "He has demonstrated his value as a player on our team and that's allowed him to be the MVP this year. We've played him in every spot possible to make our team better. He's sacrificed the opportunity to score goals in order to be able to help us. We've played games where he's gotten us the goal and then taken on defensive responsibilities in the midfield to kill the game off. He's done an awful lot of things and he's truly been the most valuable player."

It's not in the athletic star playbook to reference any past failures when basking in a recent triumph, but Donovan brought up his low point before any press people had a chance to mention it.

"This has been a reclamation project since the 2006 World Cup," Donovan stated.

Truth be told, Donovan planted some landmines on that journey to redemption. By going public with criticism of the world's most well-known soccer star, Donovan brought a spotlight of attention on himself that was unprecedented. The larger audience of the sport had a collective "who the hell are you?" moment, then leaned in for a closer look.

If, as some have attested, Donovan's statements called out David Beckham and put pressure on the superstar to vindicate himself by playing his best, they did double that damage to Donovan. After all, he was an American upstart playing soccer in MLS - a league many who had never seen a single kick of game action still had no compunction slating as horrible. His credibility on the world stage was practically nil, and yet he had the temerity to demand that the Galaxy deserved one hundred percent of Beckham's effort.

The vultures were circling, waiting for the crush of contempt to annihilate Donovan so they could pick at his carcass.

Landon Donovan had a stellar year for club and country

Donovan didn't break under the strain, however. Though he made his controversial statements in 2008, their release in the summer of 2009 came in the middle of a banner year for the player, one in which Donovan led the USA team to the Confederations Cup final, as well as to the top spot in CONCACAF qualifying for the World Cup. He also led the Galaxy back to the MLS playoffs and the championship final.

Along the way, Donovan mended fences with a certain English midfielder, apologizing for not communicating more directly and keeping his views in-house. The move reflected a growing maturity on Donovan's part.

Though Carlos Bocanegra is usually the captain for the United States, it is Donovan who straps on the armband for Los Angeles.

"We discussed the importance of the role he plays as being the captain," Arena explained. "You bring it into the locker room every day. He's done all the little things right. People see who scores the goal and who makes the stop, but there's a lot of stuff going on in between."

Often, though, it's considered uncouth to acknowledge one's endeavors. Most sportsmen go out of their way to credit others for their own accomplishments. The modesty may be false, but it works in winning the gullible over.

Asked to whom he would dedicate his MVP award, Donovan didn't hesitate. "People who have helped me the most know - but also to myself."

When things got hot in the kitchen of the LA Galaxy, partly as a result of his own actions, Donovan hung in there and buckled down. Now he and his teammates have cooked up an improved season that is still waiting for the final validation of the MLS Cup.

Landon Donovan will captain the Galaxy in their sixth MLS Cup Final

"If we don't win on Sunday, then these (awards) don't mean a whole lot," Donovan explained.

Donovan has never lost an MLS championship final, and has claimed the top prize three times - in 2001, 2003 and 2005.

He stated that in some ways, this game will mean more because of the Galaxy's recent prolonged absence from the playoffs. What is unstated, but still a lingering truth, is that 2009 may also be Donovan's final year in MLS and his last chance at the domestic title.

There's still plenty of room for improvement in Donovan's career, as he himself has acknowledged.

"It's not like I get everything right all the time," Donovan said.

Yet sometimes the unvarnished truth, the road less traveled, and the simple facts add up more than the pat answers. Donovan is who he is, grass flecks and flaws, and now the 2009 MLS MVP.

"I can look myself in the mirror this year and say I really worked hard and earned this."

Andrea Canales is Chief Editor of Goal.com North America

For more on Major League Soccer, visit Goal.com's MLS page

Thank you for your comment!

Please enter your name

Please enter your location

Please share your comment!