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Landon Donovan: This Is Clearly The Best I've Ever Played
The USA's all-time leading goalscorer and assist-maker feels up to the challenge at Azteca.
Aug 11, 2009 11:36:38 PM
By Noah Davis
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO -- Hours after arriving from training in Miami with the United States Men's National Team for its Wednesday afternoon CONCACAF World Cup 2010 qualifying match against archrival Mexico, Landon Donovan (along with Bob Bradley and Carlos Bocanegra) spoke at a press conference held for American journalists who made the trip.
The game will be played at Estadio Azteca, a site where the Americans have never won, but Donovan believes a summer of high-pressure matches at venues across the globe have helped acclimate the Stars and Stripes to difficult situations.
"My experience is that until you play in the game you don't fully understand what it's about, but we have a lot of guys who have played in a number of high-level games, and particularly high-level games recently, so that's good," he said. "I don't think anyone will feel unprepared going into the game."
Donovan, who started along with Bocanegra, Oguchi Onyewu, and Steve Cherundolo in his team's 2-1 loss there during the 2005 qualifying campaign, learned explicitly what makes playing at Mexico's national stadium so tough.
"There are very specific things, like the flight of the ball, for one, is different," the U.S.'s all-time leading scorer said. "A ball that you might think you might get your head on goes over your head and as a defender that plays a bit of a role."
Later, Donovan expanded upon the many hazards of playing in Mexico City.
"This is the highest altitude I have ever played at and probably most guys, so that's a clear factor," he said. "Just the quality of the air sometimes can weigh on you and you can feel it in your lungs a little bit. The size of the stadium -- that many people -- is not normal. A lot of guys play in front of 60,000 or 70,000, but to play in front of 100,000, 105,000, 110,000 is different. The size of the field. Actually the pitch is big. And just the emotion and the passion of the crowd is a little bit different."
Of course, "It's there for both teams, and we have to deal with it."
The Los Angeles Galaxy striker also touched upon his recent run of good form, assuring the gathered journalists that his excellent play of late should continue into the future.
"This is clearly the best I've ever played, but I want to stress that that's not something that's going to come in a stretch and go away," Donovan said. "This is me now and this is how I play."
Bocanegra pointed to his mates' play as an inspiration for the U.S.
"When Landon's flying on the field, he pulls the rest of the team along with him," the team captain said.
If Donovan flies around the field on Wendesday and manages to lead his team to a result, he'll certainly draw more ire from a Mexican fanbase that has given him his fair share of abuse over the years. Still, the lightning rod of controversy said that he noted a new level of respect from his opponents and their supporters.
"On the field I don't expect a lot of respect from their players or fans, but they aren't bad people by any means," he said. "They are always friendly away from the field."
Noah Davis covers the United States Men's National Team for Goal.com.
If you follow the U.S. Men's National Team, you'll love their dedicated page on Goal.com
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO -- Hours after arriving from training in Miami with the United States Men's National Team for its Wednesday afternoon CONCACAF World Cup 2010 qualifying match against archrival Mexico, Landon Donovan (along with Bob Bradley and Carlos Bocanegra) spoke at a press conference held for American journalists who made the trip.
The game will be played at Estadio Azteca, a site where the Americans have never won, but Donovan believes a summer of high-pressure matches at venues across the globe have helped acclimate the Stars and Stripes to difficult situations.
"My experience is that until you play in the game you don't fully understand what it's about, but we have a lot of guys who have played in a number of high-level games, and particularly high-level games recently, so that's good," he said. "I don't think anyone will feel unprepared going into the game."
Donovan, who started along with Bocanegra, Oguchi Onyewu, and Steve Cherundolo in his team's 2-1 loss there during the 2005 qualifying campaign, learned explicitly what makes playing at Mexico's national stadium so tough.
"There are very specific things, like the flight of the ball, for one, is different," the U.S.'s all-time leading scorer said. "A ball that you might think you might get your head on goes over your head and as a defender that plays a bit of a role."
Later, Donovan expanded upon the many hazards of playing in Mexico City.
"This is the highest altitude I have ever played at and probably most guys, so that's a clear factor," he said. "Just the quality of the air sometimes can weigh on you and you can feel it in your lungs a little bit. The size of the stadium -- that many people -- is not normal. A lot of guys play in front of 60,000 or 70,000, but to play in front of 100,000, 105,000, 110,000 is different. The size of the field. Actually the pitch is big. And just the emotion and the passion of the crowd is a little bit different."
Of course, "It's there for both teams, and we have to deal with it."
The Los Angeles Galaxy striker also touched upon his recent run of good form, assuring the gathered journalists that his excellent play of late should continue into the future.
"This is clearly the best I've ever played, but I want to stress that that's not something that's going to come in a stretch and go away," Donovan said. "This is me now and this is how I play."
Bocanegra pointed to his mates' play as an inspiration for the U.S.
"When Landon's flying on the field, he pulls the rest of the team along with him," the team captain said.
If Donovan flies around the field on Wendesday and manages to lead his team to a result, he'll certainly draw more ire from a Mexican fanbase that has given him his fair share of abuse over the years. Still, the lightning rod of controversy said that he noted a new level of respect from his opponents and their supporters.
"On the field I don't expect a lot of respect from their players or fans, but they aren't bad people by any means," he said. "They are always friendly away from the field."
Noah Davis covers the United States Men's National Team for Goal.com.
If you follow the U.S. Men's National Team, you'll love their dedicated page on Goal.com
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