Landon Donovan cut from World Cup roster

LawVHawk

LawVHawk

Well-Known Member
Veteran scorer and penalty kick taker right now will miss going to his fourth World Cup. Tough decision for the US coach, Juergen Klinsmann. But Donovan seems to have slowed a bit and Klinsmann claims others were ahead of him in camp.

Personally, I think this is the right move. The US Men are going to need youth, energy and stamina in order to body up and compete with some of the teams in the group stage. Donovan didn't offer that.

'Grape, your thoughts?

Donovan cut from World Cup roster
 
Some do. I can't wait for hte World Cup this year. Glad it is in a similar timezone so I don't have to watch at crazy times.

I could have seen keeping Donovan for a 80th minute boost to the team, but Klinsman seems to know his stuff. If there are better guys then there are better guys. They will have to play out of their minds to make it out of group play anyway.
 
LawVHawk said:
Veteran scorer and penalty kick taker right now will miss going to his fourth World Cup. Tough decision for the US coach, Juergen Klinsmann. But Donovan seems to have slowed a bit and Klinsmann claims others were ahead of him in camp.

Personally, I think this is the right move. The US Men are going to need youth, energy and stamina in order to body up and compete with some of the teams in the group stage. Donovan didn't offer that.

'Grape, your thoughts?

Donovan cut from World Cup roster
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What is this World Cup you speak of?
 
has it been 4 years already? now fair-weather fake soccer fans will make fun of the rest of us by saying "it's the worlds most popular game, it's a BEAUTIFUL sport". as if that makes it sound more manly. Once the US is kicked out those same people go back to ripping on soccer, thus is the circle of life. Don't even get me started on the injury faking to draw penalties, it's worse than michigan state for **** sake.
 
mrolympia said:
has it been 4 years already? now fair-weather fake soccer fans will make fun of the rest of us by saying "it's the worlds most popular game, it's a BEAUTIFUL sport". as if that makes it sound more manly. Once the US is kicked out those same people go back to ripping on soccer, thus is the circle of life. Don't even get me started on the injury faking to draw penalties, it's worse than michigan state for **** sake.
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I wish I had a like button to push...the rest of the world wants us to care because they are all better than us...but if we really cared we would get better and win it some time, and then they would ***** that we just don't appreciate it.
 
Not sure what to think by the move. On one hand I like going with the youth, but think he'd be a perfect veteran t put into the mix,if for nothing more then the roll of a super sub/mentor. That said I could also see Klinsman looking to "out last" opposition rather then beat them fundamentally which means the younger legs could be needed.

I have two concerns. (1) I think we need the fire power and he's the most proven scorer we have (2) I truly hope its not an ego battle on Klinsman's part.

Either way, knowing this would have been the last World Cup for arguably our best player, it would have been nice to see him selected as a great way to go out.
 
I think he has already given up on this World Cup and is trying to get some experience for the young players who will play for the next one.
 
While I don't follow soccer closely I do enjoy watching the World Cup. This year will be especially interesting because Brazil is such a disaster. Many in that country are starving, without running water, and literally live in filth, yet they've spent billions on this event. To make matters worse, some of the transport Brazil promised to have ready to accommodate fans won't be ready for years. One of the WC host cities, Rio, is actually in danger of losing the 2016 Olympics and probably will if the IOC doesn't save them.
 
thetrza said:
I think he has already given up on this World Cup and is trying to get some experience for the young players who will play for the next one.
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I'm on the fence with Klinsman as a coach. That said in my opinion if his true intention is to throw in the towel and start prepping for the future, with the 23 man roster, then I think he needs to go. IMO 4 years is way too long of a time to start preparing for the next WC especially when he replaced a good coach in Bradley, who couldn't get "to that next level".
 
kicker22 said:
I'm on the fence with Klinsman as a coach. That said in my opinion if his true intention is to throw in the towel and start prepping for the future, with the 23 man roster, then I think he needs to go. IMO 4 years is way too long of a time to start preparing for the next WC especially when he replaced a good coach in Bradley, who couldn't get "to that next level".
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Could this have been in his pitch to get the job? Basically, 'USA soccer is so bad compared to the good European & South American teams that its going to take 5 years minimum to compete. So give me this WC run to implement my system and find my core players, and judge me on the 2018 WC'
 
But you still put a team together to compete. There's multiple opportunities to get your guys battle tested and prepared. My honest bet is that he's been making promises behind closed doors to get the younger guys with dual citizenship the opportunity to play for the USA (ie. Julian Green). Klinsman is constantly toying with his lineups and king changes to his personnel. If he's hell bent on getting a system in place and finding his core players then he needs to figure out who they are and get them playing together rather then shuffling the line up every night. By no means am I saying that I think you're off base with your comment.

Things simply don't make sense to me. He's looking for guys that are playing at a "high level" yet Josie has been absolutely irrelevant in the premier league. Julian Green gets a roster spot playing on a powerhouse's 4th division team in Germany. Our CB's have zero world cup experience and have played less then a handful of games together, and he's been assembling this team for how long? I just don't understand his logic and the fact he constantly contradicts his actions.

I think Donovan being cut had a lot to do with ego. He wanted to send a message that he's in charge. He had every opportunity to keep him off the team after his "sabbatical". Why let him play his way back into this position, invite him as one of the 30 at camp, and then prematurely cut him as the 24th man. Rostering Beasley and Davis, but cutting Donovan, doesn't exactly play into the youth movement.
 
Xerxes said:
While I don't follow soccer closely I do enjoy watching the World Cup. This year will be especially interesting because Brazil is such a disaster. Many in that country are starving, without running water, and literally live in filth, yet they've spent billions on this event. To make matters worse, some of the transport Brazil promised to have ready to accommodate fans won't be ready for years. One of the WC host cities, Rio, is actually in danger of losing the 2016 Olympics and probably will if the IOC doesn't save them.
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Brazil's lack of readiness for the WC concerns me as well. I want the game, the organization and the country to come off well here. I also am friends with the U.S. referee who with two colleagues received the prestigious assignment to officiate at the Cup. I obviously want them, and all the players and participants, to stay safe and to enjoy themselves.
 
You are right, they should have cut Jozi Altidore and Clint Dempsey to make room for the rebuilding process.
 
thetrza said:
You are right, they should have cut Jozi Altidore and Clint Dempsey to make room for the rebuilding process.
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If that was directed toward my earlier post. I think you completely missed what I said. That said, I haven't seen anything out of Josie recently that would make me believe that he's proved beyond a reasonable doubt that he belongs on the roster.
 
That's how you do it, uh-huh, uh-huh. Beautiful goal from Fabian Johnson against Turkey in WC warm-up.

[video=youtube;6KRnULmVPiA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KRnULmVPiA[/video]
 
thetrza said:
You are right, they should have cut Jozi Altidore and Clint Dempsey to make room for the rebuilding process.
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Altidore barely made the roster as is....He is in a funk and hasn't scored a goal in a long time. It doesn't matter much anyways since they have the group of death and won't make it out of their group. Not with how the defense is playing.
 
Sorry that I'm late to the thread.

It's obviously a huge gamble and a major statement that Klinsmann wants to break from the past of US Soccer. He's challenging his guys by creating a power vacuum - a move that's not entirely unusual in world soccer. Donovan is certainly one of the 10 or so best players in the pool and would have been an asset on the field. Jurgen is gambling that by cutting Donovan enough people will step up to negate his loss. As far as whether I agree with the move...it's kind of a wait and see thing isn't it? I definitely knew this option was on on the table, and it didn't surprise me that it happened. I like the boldness of the move, and I appreciate that Jurgen is infusing a sense of "win at all costs" mentality into the team.

Let's just say I cautiously like the move.
 
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