BRISTOL, Conn. — Hours before his final game for the red, white and blue, Landon Donovan made no effort to hide his anger at Jurgen Klinsmann.
The face of American soccer for more than a decade, Donovan had been counting on going to his fourth World Cup.
And then after practice at Stanford Stadium on May 22, Klinsmann called in the 32-year-old forward and told him he wasn’t going to Brazil.
Donovan was stunned and livid.
He recorded commercials poking fun at his exclusion, criticized Klinsmann’s tactics during the tournament and was reluctant to accept an offer from U.S. Soccer Federation Sunil Gulati to play a celebratory finale for the national team. Ultimately, Donovan accepted and was set to make his 157th international appearance in an exhibition against Ecuador on Friday night.
Looking back, Donovan thinks getting axed benefited him in an unexpected manner.
“Although I didn’t agree with the decision and I still know I should have been there, it was also good for me to say, you know what, it’s not always going to go your way,” Donovan said. “And it took time for me to get to that place. I’m human. I had some very real emotions after. But after a while I said: ‘Maybe this is a going to be a good thing. And I wouldn’t have the opportunity to grow had it not happened. I certainly grew a lot more by that happening than if I had gone to the World Cup and played there, and in that way you can learn a lot from it.’
“I had the opportunity to feel what other players have felt in my career. A lot of times when I made a team I was so happy for me that I forgot about the guy who got cut, so for the first time it kind of put that in front of my face.”
Without Donovan, the U.S. advanced from a difficult first-round group by defeating Ghana, drawing Portugal and losing to Germany. The Americans were knocked out with a 2-1 overtime loss to Belgium, and Friday’s game was their first at home since leaving Brazil.
“I believe this is a day I deserve. I believe this is a day my family deserves for all the sacrifices they’ve made.”
The Los Angeles Galaxy forward, the American career leader in international goals (57) and assists (58), is retiring at the end of the Major League Soccer season.
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Photo by Jay LaPrete/The Associated Press
