All-Purpose, Never-Ending Soccer Thread

Dude, I wasn't trying to hate on Donovan. I was just repeating what the announcer said, though you have to admit he has struggled in international events in the past.

 

OK, allegedly he hasn't struggled in international events, but he should have at least challenged the goalie last night and L.A. would have at least had a chance to tie the game.
It was their best scoring chance and Donovan headed an easy header over the goal, rather than going at a goalie. That much is true.

 

What's troubling about Donovan's career path is that so many of his best moments were at least 5-6 years ago -- such as the '01 MLS Cup and the '02 World Cup, along with the youth national team successes. When he's needed to take that next step, he hasn't answered the bell. Prior to the '06 World Cup, I listened to him proclaim how much he'd learned about leadership and taking better care of himself, and he went out and played like crap in two of the three matches in Germany. He's wonderfully talented and he's done a lot of impressive things, but he clearly lacks the drive that one needs to make the jump from very good to great. He's made the choice to stay within his comfort zone in SoCal, and given the lifestyle, it's hard to blame him. But if he had Dempsey's motivation or DeMerit's persistence, he'd be truly extraordinary.

 

The thing that annoys me about Donovan is this: He is really fucking cool. He is a great interview. He seems like a cool dude. Plus, I really like the way he plays, for the most part. I want to believe he is going to lead the U.S. World Cup teams in the future (though he looks really, really old because of his near baldness), but I just can't see it.
I tried to get fired up over Beckham and Donovan playing together, but I am not sure I see it with my untrained soccer eyes.

 

Aye. But with my wife there and my Rangers Supporters shirt, I don't quite believe I had much of a shot.

 

Well, I got an expert opinion from a family member who was a Provincial and National soccer standout. He was chosen to represent Canada at their last World Cup appearance but for undisclosed reasons, he declined the offer. What Moralez lacks in height, can be compensated by skill and speed. He can be a huge factor by those two things alone.

 

Agreed on all counts, especially the interview part. Get him talking smack about Mexico and just let the recorder run.

 

Yes, and he has not struggled.
He was a star at the U-17s in 99, a star at WC 2002, a star at Gold Cup 2007. No one has scored more goals for the U.S., and he's still only 27, and he has played much of the time for the U.S. as a playmaker.
People love to pick on this guy. The guys at World Soccer Daily NEVER QUIT. It's getting to be ridiculous.

 

Donovan positives: Just about everything he did from 1999-2002. Leading national team scorer.

Donovan not-so-positives: a Nearly two-year scoring drought that ended this year .. ..on a PK, I believe, which is how he has scored about a fourth of his national goals. A well-earned rep for disappearing for long stretches during MLS games and World Cup qualifiers for 2006.

Understand, Donovan burst onto the scene as a youngster and was very effective until he made a name for himself. Then he lost his way for a while, with consistent focus clearly a question before, during and after his second Leverkusen return. He got too comfortable. But now, he's very obviously re-finding his focus, and was indeed the best player we had at Gold Cup 2007, where there were a few contenders for that title. I give a lot of credit for that to the coaching staff.

Note I don't say he failed in Germany, because sometimes a player just isn't completely cut out for the experience. When Anschutz bought out his Leverkusen contract, that was great news, because now he no longer has the situation of "Play well, and go to Leverkusen." Now he can go to the highest bidder if he decides to leave again. I don't like when he rips on his younger teammates like after the Guatemala game, saying they need to step up, and those are the guys who are sticking it out in Europe. But he's doing better now, and it will be interesting to see how much more he improves in the next cycle.

 

But what do you think the chances are of him leaving again? I've never gotten a sense that he'd truly want to do that. Going back to Leverkusen was something that he did because a) he sort of had to, and b) he was "supposed" to do that as a talented young MLS player -- not because he personally felt the need to rise to that next level.

 

Saw DC United-RBNY yesterday.

DC has a forward named Fred. Who the fuck is Fred? I never heard of him before yesterday, and usually the good South American footballers go with one name.