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It's getting close to now or never for Landon Donovan's potential European return
If the U.S. international wants to try his luck in Europe again, there won't ever be a better time than the present.
Dec 9, 2011 2:00:00 AM
By Seth Vertelney
Stephen Dunn
It won't be long before Landon Donovan doesn't have to hear about this anymore.
Someday soon, there will come a time when the air won't be thick with speculation about whether he stays in MLS, or again tries his luck abroad. Eventually, as the years pass and his career enters its twilight, it will all stop.
Right now though, at age 29, coming off his fourth MLS Cup, and having accomplished everything there is to accomplish in MLS, the talk about Donovan's future will once again begin anew.
Sure, his contract runs for another two years. And sure, he's in his comfort zone, living in his hometown, making millions of dollars per year as the face of American soccer and as one of the biggest names to ever grace a MLS pitch.
For all of those reasons and more, Donovan should be able to comfortably settle down, and spend the rest of his career winning more trophies, and breaking every MLS record that has ever been set. By the time he's done, the MLS record book would have to be renamed “The Landon Donovan Story”.
He's earned that right.
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During his career, fair or unfair, Donovan has been called unambitious on more than a few occasions. He is a professional athlete though – and a damn good one at that – so calling him uncompetitive would be far from the truth.
And so, as a competitive person, and as one of the greatest soccer talents our nation has ever produced, there is no way Donovan wasn't irked by the comments this week by one Brad Friedel, who also happens to be one of the greatest soccer talents this country has ever seen.
Speaking to the BBC, Friedel said “You get a player like a Landon Donovan, who in my opinion chose to take the easy road and stay in the States. It’s much harder to ply your trade over here (England).”
In a completely narrow-minded sense, Friedel is right. It is harder to ply one's trade in England, because, well, the competition is harder. At best though, Friedel's comments lacked nuance, and at worst, they were blindingly ignorant of the difficulty Donovan has endured being the face of a burgeoning league for nearly a decade.
Still, Friedel's comments were useful in the sense that they brought the issue of Donovan's future into the fore once again. It seems that when it comes to another European adventure for LD, it's getting close to now-or-never time.
Regarding a potential move, there are two indisputable elements that should be pushing Donovan towards the exit door: 1. He has exactly zero left to prove in MLS, having recently won his fourth MLS Cup and first with David Beckham. 2. He can still be an asset for a top-flight European side, and that may not be true for much longer.
In many ways, a transfer to Europe would be Donovan's greatest act of bravery, and the ultimate middle finger his critics.
Before his 10-week loan to Everton in early 2010, Donovan was engulfed by accusations that he was a great MLS player who couldn't hack it in Europe. His lack of success during his two stints at Bayer Leverkusen and his brief loan at Bayern Munich was used as proof that he was unable to rise to the highest level of competition.
In just under three months with Everton though, Donovan emphatically proved his doubters wrong. He became a vital part of a successful English Premier League team. Nobody could say he wasn't a top-caliber player now. Donovan was world-class. End of story.
Having proved his worth at the highest level, a return to Europe now would be a huge risk. If he never goes back, the final European impression he leaves is a positive one, a resounding answer to the question that plagued him for most of his career.
But if he does return on a permanent move and doesn't shine the way he did on Merseyside, his legacy could return to where it was pre-Everton: A great MLS and U.S. national team player not quite fit for the top level of world soccer.
It's the move his critics won't expect him to make, and because of this and many other reasons, it's one that he should make.
There is, of course, the question of how large a transfer fee a team would be willing to offer MLS for a near 30-year-old, and whether that fee would equal the on and off-field value Donovan brings to the league.
In the end though, the decision rests with Donovan himself. If he indicates to the Galaxy and to MLS that he wants to make one last transfer abroad, they will oblige him. For everything he's done for the league during his career, it would only be appropriate for the league to return the favor, provided a reasonable offer is made.
And for a player who too often has been accused of taking the easy way out, it would offer definitive proof to the contrary. Even if he went to Europe and struggled mightily, we'll at least be able to say that he tried.
Someday soon, there will come a time when the air won't be thick with speculation about whether he stays in MLS, or again tries his luck abroad. Eventually, as the years pass and his career enters its twilight, it will all stop.
Right now though, at age 29, coming off his fourth MLS Cup, and having accomplished everything there is to accomplish in MLS, the talk about Donovan's future will once again begin anew.
Sure, his contract runs for another two years. And sure, he's in his comfort zone, living in his hometown, making millions of dollars per year as the face of American soccer and as one of the biggest names to ever grace a MLS pitch.
For all of those reasons and more, Donovan should be able to comfortably settle down, and spend the rest of his career winning more trophies, and breaking every MLS record that has ever been set. By the time he's done, the MLS record book would have to be renamed “The Landon Donovan Story”.
He's earned that right.
Follow SETH VERTELNEY on
or shoot him an emailDuring his career, fair or unfair, Donovan has been called unambitious on more than a few occasions. He is a professional athlete though – and a damn good one at that – so calling him uncompetitive would be far from the truth.
And so, as a competitive person, and as one of the greatest soccer talents our nation has ever produced, there is no way Donovan wasn't irked by the comments this week by one Brad Friedel, who also happens to be one of the greatest soccer talents this country has ever seen.
Speaking to the BBC, Friedel said “You get a player like a Landon Donovan, who in my opinion chose to take the easy road and stay in the States. It’s much harder to ply your trade over here (England).”
In a completely narrow-minded sense, Friedel is right. It is harder to ply one's trade in England, because, well, the competition is harder. At best though, Friedel's comments lacked nuance, and at worst, they were blindingly ignorant of the difficulty Donovan has endured being the face of a burgeoning league for nearly a decade.
Still, Friedel's comments were useful in the sense that they brought the issue of Donovan's future into the fore once again. It seems that when it comes to another European adventure for LD, it's getting close to now-or-never time.
Donovan was a hit during his brief time with the Toffees
Regarding a potential move, there are two indisputable elements that should be pushing Donovan towards the exit door: 1. He has exactly zero left to prove in MLS, having recently won his fourth MLS Cup and first with David Beckham. 2. He can still be an asset for a top-flight European side, and that may not be true for much longer.
In many ways, a transfer to Europe would be Donovan's greatest act of bravery, and the ultimate middle finger his critics.
Before his 10-week loan to Everton in early 2010, Donovan was engulfed by accusations that he was a great MLS player who couldn't hack it in Europe. His lack of success during his two stints at Bayer Leverkusen and his brief loan at Bayern Munich was used as proof that he was unable to rise to the highest level of competition.
In just under three months with Everton though, Donovan emphatically proved his doubters wrong. He became a vital part of a successful English Premier League team. Nobody could say he wasn't a top-caliber player now. Donovan was world-class. End of story.
Having proved his worth at the highest level, a return to Europe now would be a huge risk. If he never goes back, the final European impression he leaves is a positive one, a resounding answer to the question that plagued him for most of his career.
But if he does return on a permanent move and doesn't shine the way he did on Merseyside, his legacy could return to where it was pre-Everton: A great MLS and U.S. national team player not quite fit for the top level of world soccer.
It's the move his critics won't expect him to make, and because of this and many other reasons, it's one that he should make.
There is, of course, the question of how large a transfer fee a team would be willing to offer MLS for a near 30-year-old, and whether that fee would equal the on and off-field value Donovan brings to the league.
In the end though, the decision rests with Donovan himself. If he indicates to the Galaxy and to MLS that he wants to make one last transfer abroad, they will oblige him. For everything he's done for the league during his career, it would only be appropriate for the league to return the favor, provided a reasonable offer is made.
And for a player who too often has been accused of taking the easy way out, it would offer definitive proof to the contrary. Even if he went to Europe and struggled mightily, we'll at least be able to say that he tried.
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