Landon Donovan

[Sibdane]

Re: All this talk of playing in Europe and how it makes for a better player... when Dempsey retires, people will look back and see that Donovan has accomplished so much more in his career.

 

I watch Seattle vs. LA in Seattle for semis of MLS cup this year. Dempsey complained so much and when he was fouled he stayed on the ground so long. He acts like he is owed something from the refs. It's annoying.

[JoeQuince]

Dempsey doesn't have half the footballing brain that Donovan has. Donovan is the best American player we have seen. The hard part to swallow about Landycakes is that he has always had so much potential to be so much more than he was, but he wasn't as hungry for success as the fans. He's always played the game for fun, and, beyond his hard work and success for the national team, has never had the ambition that you want to see from somebody so talented. I don't think he's ever cared to be deemed a failure, because I don't think he's ever thought he has anything to prove to anybody. Either that, or he was so afraid of trying and failing that he just went for being comfortable. It could be a bit of both, but I lean towards the former with him. There's always been a lot of pressure on him to be the savior of US soccer, but that's not who he's ever wanted to be.

[markjazzbassist]

Dempsey who spat his dummy out at Fulham and went on strike to force a move...

 

doesn't have anything to do with playing ability. like saying gazza wasn't great because he's an alcoholic, mutually exclusive.

 

to my fellow americans re: dempsey v donovan. i think the reason we differ is because i don't care about national team form. when i talk about best player i factor about 90% club playing and only 10% national team. they spend the majority of their lives playing for clubs 38+ matches a season, they play what 10 matches a year with a national side if they're luckY? hence why i choose dempsey, 3rd in premier league scoring, played in england in a proper top league, and has "retired" to the MLS. he's still going too. he's burnout played a ton and he's not quitting. meanwhile donovan played in MLS, did ok for everton no records or insane scoring (against proper competition) and set all sorts of records for the national team while playing trinidad, guatemala, etc. i just can't take that seriously. and then he's gets all wimpy and quits at 32 cause he's tired. you already took a sabbatical, didn't play in the world cup, how are you tired? playing against collegiate USA and central american pros in MLS? Robbie Keane couldn't crack Spurs or Villas lineup week in and week out, goes to MLS and is by and far best player, head and tails above everyone else. That says it right there.

 

Tim Howard, went to Man United and didn't do we'll, Landon went home from his spell in Europe, Tim was a man, stuck with it and went to a smaller club and kept at it. He's still rocking.

[Sibdane]

 

 

 

doesn't have anything to do with playing ability. like saying gazza wasn't great because he's an alcoholic, mutually exclusive.

 

to my fellow americans re: dempsey v donovan. i think the reason we differ is because i don't care about national team form. when i talk about best player i factor about 90% club playing and only 10% national team. they spend the majority of their lives playing for clubs 38+ matches a season, they play what 10 matches a year with a national side if they're luckY? hence why i choose dempsey, 3rd in premier league scoring, played in england in a proper top league, and has "retired" to the MLS. he's still going too. he's burnout played a ton and he's not quitting. meanwhile donovan played in MLS, did ok for everton no records or insane scoring (against proper competition) and set all sorts of records for the national team while playing trinidad, guatemala, etc. i just can't take that seriously. and then he's gets all wimpy and quits at 32 cause he's tired. you already took a sabbatical, didn't play in the world cup, how are you tired? playing against collegiate USA and central american pros in MLS? Robbie Keane couldn't crack Spurs or Villas lineup week in and week out, goes to MLS and is by and far best player, head and tails above everyone else. That says it right there.

 

Tim Howard, went to Man United and didn't do we'll, Landon went home from his spell in Europe, Tim was a man, stuck with it and went to a smaller club and kept at it. He's still rocking.

Dempsey had two decent seasons with Fulham and couldn't crack spurs lineup and left, so you counter your Howard argument right there. Dempsey isn't present for entire games either. They played in the same league this year, and Donovan was arguably the better player with 19 assists and Two players don't have to play in the same league to know which one is better though. You can tell by watching Donovan that he's just the better all around player. You can see it when they played on the field together on the field for the national team. I don't see how you can discount the national team when the world cup is considered one of the most competitive competitions in the world.

 

Sorry, but Fulham was/is bad. Dempsey wouldn't have seen even the minor success that Donovan saw at Everton in 2 months. BTW, didn't Dempsey go back to Fulham and do absolutely nothing in his loan spell?

 

You also seem to forget how MLS is set up in regards to transfers. The best player in the league is going to go at a premium. PL clubs aren't going to pay over the top for a player when they can get a comparable one at a cheaper price.

 

All this wimpy talk just cracks me up.

 

We'll just have to agree to disagree.

[Sibdane]

Just to add to this? Why does Donovan's retirement play into this? Maybe he doesn't want to play anymore. That's not an indicator of ability by any means.

[markjazzbassist]

We'll just have to agree to disagree.

 

exactly it's nothing personal, and i totally get that people won't agree with me which is fine. i'm just not a LD fan that's all, i am truly excited to see who the next breakout young american star will be. hopes for yedlin but with the spurs move we will see.

[EFC-Paul]

No denying that Dempsey is/was a good player technically he was inferior to Donovan but knew where the net was and had that ability to be in the right place at the right time very similar to Cahill in many ways for me but he always came across as a smacked arse and far to arrogant for my liking and I don't think he'd have fitted in well here

 

If I had to pick either it would be Donovan he did well here and had all the tools to carry that on I always thought it was a shame he didn't make a permanent switch over here earlier in his career

[Sibdane]

No denying that Dempsey is/was a good player technically he was inferior to Donovan but knew where the net was and had that ability to be in the right place at the right time very similar to Cahill in many ways for me but he always came across as a smacked arse and far to arrogant for my liking and I don't think he'd have fitted in well here

 

If I had to pick either it would be Donovan he did well here and had all the tools to carry that on I always thought it was a shame he didn't make a permanent switch over here earlier in his career

Blame MLS. They have a say in transfers as well, not just the team.

 

I think Donovan would've definitely come here permanently if he could have. He lists himself as an Evertonian still on his twitter page.

[markjazzbassist]

Blame MLS. They have a say in transfers as well, not just the team.

 

I think Donovan would've definitely come here permanently if he could have. He lists himself as an Evertonian still on his twitter page.

 

yeah man MLS really needs to get their act together if they want to be a "top" league. I love that Juergen just rips them a new one every chance he gets. Then he gets his old coach Arsene Wenger to say "it's not a top league, it's really just a league where aging stars go to retire". Light a fire under Don Garber's ass and get rid of salary cap, remove the trade thing with MLS control, start promotion and relegation, and no more playoffs, its not american football, have the cups, no more frisking draft either, champions league (they need to make that better too) and win the league outright like all other leagues in the world.

 

really needs fixing tonk, i'm with you.

Edited December 12, 2014 by markjazzbassist

[nutmegwolf203]

 

yeah man MLS really needs to get their act together if they want to be a "top" league. I love that Juergen just rips them a new one every chance he gets. Then he gets his old coach Arsene Wenger to say "it's not a top league, it's really just a league where aging stars go to retire". Light a fire under Don Garber's ass and get rid of salary cap, remove the trade thing with MLS control, start promotion and relegation, and no more playoffs, its not american football, have the cups, no more frisking draft either, champions league (they need to make that better too) and win the league outright like all other leagues in the world.

 

really needs fixing tonk, i'm with you.

 

Promotion and relegation would change the league completely. I hope that's something they're considering. In regards to playoffs, I agree with you...but some of the playoff games were fun to watch. Either improvement would force the league to add more teams, which would also be a good thing.

[Sibdane]

 

Promotion and relegation would change the league completely. I hope that's something they're considering. In regards to playoffs, I agree with you...but some of the playoff games were fun to watch. Either improvement would force the league to add more teams, which would also be a good thing.

 

yeah man MLS really needs to get their act together if they want to be a "top" league. I love that Juergen just rips them a new one every chance he gets. Then he gets his old coach Arsene Wenger to say "it's not a top league, it's really just a league where aging stars go to retire". Light a fire under Don Garber's ass and get rid of salary cap, remove the trade thing with MLS control, start promotion and relegation, and no more playoffs, its not american football, have the cups, no more frisking draft either, champions league (they need to make that better too) and win the league outright like all other leagues in the world.

 

really needs fixing tonk, i'm with you.

The NASL gets a lot crap for being the second league, but they don't have a salary cap. A few big investors and I can see them poaching some stars from MLS sides.

[thoward18]

 

yeah man MLS really needs to get their act together if they want to be a "top" league. I love that Juergen just rips them a new one every chance he gets. Then he gets his old coach Arsene Wenger to say "it's not a top league, it's really just a league where aging stars go to retire". Light a fire under Don Garber's ass and get rid of salary cap, remove the trade thing with MLS control, start promotion and relegation, and no more playoffs, its not american football, have the cups, no more frisking draft either, champions league (they need to make that better too) and win the league outright like all other leagues in the world.

 

really needs fixing tonk, i'm with you.

 

Remember what happened in the 70s without the salary cap? You had two teams dominating while everyone else went bankrupt. The salary cap is in place for a reason. That being said, I agree that they need to loosen it up a bit. The promotion/relegation thing is also financially motivated. It's a totally different animal in the US. Most of the teams in NASL right now play on college fields. Imagine an MLS game played on artificial turf with seating room for 5K people. Meanwhile, you'd have teams constantly going out of business as they are relegated because American sports fans are fucking awful and bandwagon like crazy. A handful of teams in MLS have trouble as is getting fans to the stadium. If they were relegated? Forget it. The MLS Cup thing is similarly motivated. Playoff games are a HUGE portion of MLS' revenue. The final especially. It builds massive hype and gets them constantly in the news on social media, ESPN, etc. that in no way would be matched by a "normal" season. There's also the key fact that playoff-style competition is what Americans have ingrained within their sporting culture. Look at all the Americans that were flabbergasted by the idea of the U.S. "clinching" a spot in the round of 32 with a loss to Germany in the group stage. And you have plenty bitching about watching 90 minutes just to see a tie; something which doesn't happen in any American sport.

 

MLS certainly needs to become a bit more European in its structure. I agree. But also recognize why MLS exists as it does today. It needs to be a very slow crawl towards that. Both for financial reasons as well as cultural.

[markjazzbassist]

 

Remember what happened in the 70s without the salary cap? You had two teams dominating while everyone else went bankrupt. The salary cap is in place for a reason. That being said, I agree that they need to loosen it up a bit. The promotion/relegation thing is also financially motivated. It's a totally different animal in the US. Most of the teams in NASL right now play on college fields. Imagine an MLS game played on artificial turf with seating room for 5K people. Meanwhile, you'd have teams constantly going out of business as they are relegated because American sports fans are fucking awful and bandwagon like crazy. A handful of teams in MLS have trouble as is getting fans to the stadium. If they were relegated? Forget it. The MLS Cup thing is similarly motivated. Playoff games are a HUGE portion of MLS' revenue. The final especially. It builds massive hype and gets them constantly in the news on social media, ESPN, etc. that in no way would be matched by a "normal" season. There's also the key fact that playoff-style competition is what Americans have ingrained within their sporting culture. Look at all the Americans that were flabbergasted by the idea of the U.S. "clinching" a spot in the round of 32 with a loss to Germany in the group stage. And you have plenty bitching about watching 90 minutes just to see a tie; something which doesn't happen in any American sport.

 

MLS certainly needs to become a bit more European in its structure. I agree. But also recognize why MLS exists as it does today. It needs to be a very slow crawl towards that. Both for financial reasons as well as cultural.

 

how is that different from any other league? prem- chelsea, city, united. liga - madrid, barca, ligue 1 - psg, monaco, serie a - juventus, inter

 

promotion/relegation is american greedy capitalism the problem, owners can't deal with having shit teams and not making money (which is terrible, merica).

 

how is playing to 5k different than some english championship sides? yeovil town last year? come on man that's what makes it fun, your little town could be doing something special and dominate the local paper day in and out, all of a sudden people are going to the matches and economic impact to the city and boom they build a bigger stadium.

 

i'll concede on the playoff thing with the money, just don't expand it please, it's already too many games.

 

i can care less about people bitching about ties and 90 minutes and relegation and the like. it's a european sport, fifa governs it and it's a beautiful game. i would LOVE LOVE LOVE to see relegation/promotion in all sports, my hometown cleveland browns would be playing high school football, the cheap bastards. just cause we live in america doesn't mean we have to dumb everything down to the lowest common nascar follower and bud drinker. keep it classy, if they don't' want to watch, screw them. we've got enough latin american immigrants that watch that espn is catching notice so i ain't worried about meathead frat guys not watching.

 

overall great points man, i love that all of us do want MLS to grow and become a proper league. Granted we have different ideals, but it's all for the betterment of the game, and i'm happy about that. Now new orleans just needs a NASL team, all we have is semi pro here, gotten get to a match.

[thoward18]

 

how is that different from any other league? prem- chelsea, city, united. liga - madrid, barca, ligue 1 - psg, monaco, serie a - juventus, inter

 

promotion/relegation is american greedy capitalism the problem, owners can't deal with having shit teams and not making money (which is terrible, merica).

 

how is playing to 5k different than some english championship sides? yeovil town last year? come on man that's what makes it fun, your little town could be doing something special and dominate the local paper day in and out, all of a sudden people are going to the matches and economic impact to the city and boom they build a bigger stadium.

 

i'll concede on the playoff thing with the money, just don't expand it please, it's already too many games.

 

i can care less about people bitching about ties and 90 minutes and relegation and the like. it's a european sport, fifa governs it and it's a beautiful game. i would LOVE LOVE LOVE to see relegation/promotion in all sports, my hometown cleveland browns would be playing high school football, the cheap bastards. just cause we live in america doesn't mean we have to dumb everything down to the lowest common nascar follower and bud drinker. keep it classy, if they don't' want to watch, screw them. we've got enough latin american immigrants that watch that espn is catching notice so i ain't worried about meathead frat guys not watching.

 

overall great points man, i love that all of us do want MLS to grow and become a proper league. Granted we have different ideals, but it's all for the betterment of the game, and i'm happy about that. Now new orleans just needs a NASL team, all we have is semi pro here, gotten get to a match.

 

 

 

All your arguments are based in your personal preference and not a pragmatic look at the economic landscape. Just because YOU would be okay with/prefer something doesn't mean that the vast majority of America would. Promotion/relegation works in Europe because it's a completely different mindset. Look at how many fans still support the likes of Leeds after all these years. In the U.S? Forget it. A handful of shitty seasons was enough to put the likes of the Penguins and Islanders, teams with histories of success, on the cusp of relocation. On the other hand, you could take any random team in England and put them in the EPL and they'd gain a massive following. Not going to be the case in the U.S. We've had teams fail in Miami and Los Angeles, while the Revolution (in Boston) have had their fair share of economic struggles. If a team in some mediocre city in the midwest got promoted to MLS? Forget it. No chance of them gaining the necessary following quickly. Soccer in the U.S. right now is barely profitable as a whole, and that's largely because of a few teams carrying everyone else. A relegation of one of the main teams might very well be enough to sink MLS as a whole.

[markjazzbassist]

All your arguments are based in your personal preference and not a pragmatic look at the economic landscape. Just because YOU would be okay with/prefer something doesn't mean that the vast majority of America would. Promotion/relegation works in Europe because it's a completely different mindset. Look at how many fans still support the likes of Leeds after all these years. In the U.S? Forget it. A handful of shitty seasons was enough to put the likes of the Penguins and Islanders, teams with histories of success, on the cusp of relocation. On the other hand, you could take any random team in England and put them in the EPL and they'd gain a massive following. Not going to be the case in the U.S. We've had teams fail in Miami and Los Angeles, while the Revolution (in Boston) have had their fair share of economic struggles. If a team in some mediocre city in the midwest got promoted to MLS? Forget it. No chance of them gaining the necessary following quickly. Soccer in the U.S. right now is barely profitable as a whole, and that's largely because of a few teams carrying everyone else. A relegation of one of the main teams might very well be enough to sink MLS as a whole.

Right and if we stick with hockey they did relocate Quebec city only to realize the fan base there isn't huge but deeply passionate and are goung to put another team there. Same thing with Winnipeg. Hartford has been clambering for another team as well. Just cause they're small doesn't mean they aren't deserving and just cause a city is big doesn't mean they should get one.

 

Right and shit cities shouldn't have a team if they don't support. The owner will have enough business sense just like a European owner to say this town no one likes soccer I won't put a team here, instead it's fuck it put the team we'll get corporate sponsors and play to no one. Future Miami team and past Miami team.

[Louis]

It's rumoured he's coming out of retirement to re-sign with LA Galaxy.

[markjazzbassist]

It's rumoured he's coming out of retirement to re-sign with LA Galaxy.

 

oh my gosh, i can't stand this guy, i really can't. decent player on his day but he is such a drama queen.

[Louis]

Only drama queens use the expression "oh my gosh".

[Sibdane]

It's rumoured he's coming out of retirement to re-sign with LA Galaxy.

 

Very happy about this as long as he can knock off the rust and contribute to the Galaxy.

[markjazzbassist]

Only drama queens use the expression "oh my gosh".

 

if he just played the game i'd be fine with him. the sabbatical, the Juergen Klinnsman hates me, the retirement too early, now the comeback. juxtapose that with clint dempsey, shows up every week, is not drawing attention to himself, plays the game well.

[Louis]

Confirmed:

 

 

 

I am very happy to announce that I have decided to rejoin my hometown team the LA Galaxy for the remainder of the MLS season. While this decision may come as a shock to many, I want to explain how and why it was made.

Two weeks ago, I was working as an analyst on the LA Galaxy vs. Vancouver Whitecaps match and during that game, the Galaxy suffered injuries to three players: Jelle Van Damme, Steven Gerrard and Gyasi Zardes. Over the next few days, Nigel De Jong was transferred to Galatasaray and news broke that Gyasi would be out for the rest of the season. Since my retirement, I have remained in close contact with many of the staff and players on the Galaxy. I spoke with some of them that week and they jokingly asked if I was ready to make a return to the field to help fill some of the void left by the injuries and departures. I reminded them that I haven’t played a meaningful soccer game in almost two years and I certainly couldn’t fill the holes left by those players.

Over the ensuing days, I began to think about their inquiries and it struck me that perhaps this is something I should consider. I care so deeply about the Galaxy organization, and I believe I could help in a small way to aid the team in its quest for a 6th MLS championship. Further, the opportunity to have my son Talon on the field with me after a game was a feeling that I would never be able to replicate.

I then had a candid conversation with Bruce Arena and we began down the path of deciding whether this made sense. We both agreed that if this was going to happen, the expectations would be minimal and he would use me in situations that made sense for the team. I’ve spent a lot of time speaking with my family and close friends over the past several days, and we all agreed that this would be a wonderful opportunity and a win-win situation for everyone.

I know this won’t be received well by everyone. That’s ok. I’ve always made decisions in life based on two guiding principles: my own happiness and the happiness of those I love and care about. Being on the field again, being able to help an organization that has meant so much to me and having my son in my arms after a game will undoubtedly make me and all my loved ones happy. That’s all that matters.

To my fans:

I thank you all for your unwavering support. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate each and every one of you. I’ve been fortunate to lead an incredible life, and I can’t wait to be on the field again and hear your cheers. Also, as all you parents know, having a child is truly a life-changing experience. Nothing would make me happier than standing on the field with Talon and the rest of my family celebrating the Galaxy’s 6th championship on December 10th. I will do everything in my power to make that happen, and I hope we are all there celebrating together!

[Hafnia]

I recall him being a bit of a sulk when beckham came over.

 

Was alright for us, way over hyped though.

[marcopaulo]

Shit myself thinkin this was in the rumour thread

[duncanmckenzieismagic]

https://twitter.com/lagalaxy/status/773996719847591936

 

That's our first January signing sorted

 

 

[Hafnia]

https://twitter.com/lagalaxy/status/773996719847591936

 

That's our first January signing sorted

 

 

 

What a nauseating bell end.

[markjazzbassist]

What a nauseating bell end.

 

i agree. loves the spotlight. sadly his end product doesn't live up to the hype. dempsey 23 goals in the premier league one season (3rd overall in the league in scoring that year), donovan couldn't hack it at Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich, and did ok here at Everton but nothing like dempsey who was scoring at will.

[Sibdane]

 

i agree. loves the spotlight. sadly his end product doesn't live up to the hype. dempsey 23 goals in the premier league one season (3rd overall in the league in scoring that year), donovan couldn't hack it at Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich, and did ok here at Everton but nothing like dempsey who was scoring at will.

 

smh.

[markjazzbassist]

tonks i really respect you as a poster and a person but sadly this is just something we don't see eye to eye on. i give it 2 good matches with LA galaxy before the US press starts calling for him to be on the national team again.

[Sibdane]

tonks i really respect you as a poster and a person but sadly this is just something we don't see eye to eye on. i give it 2 good matches with LA galaxy before the US press starts calling for him to be on the national team again.

 

I was more shaking my head at the Dempsey comment. I don't even understand why that argument is being made right now. He's a big deal in American soccer history. End of.

 

No one thinks he's going to make it to the national team again. He's going to be a bit part player. I guarantee it.

[markjazzbassist]

 

I was more shaking my head at the Dempsey comment. I don't even understand why that argument is being made right now. He's a big deal in American soccer history. End of.

 

No one thinks he's going to make it to the national team again. He's going to be a bit part player. I guarantee it.

 

i agree but the fanboys and press love him. there will be an article on espn i guarantee it. if he has a run of a couple of good games they will mention it.