Landon Donovan?s first meeting with reporters in months is over, and the U.S. national team?s all-time leading scorer had lots of interesting things to say.
Donovan answered questions after Thursday?s Galaxy practice at the Home Depot Center in his first get-together with members of the press since December; he went on sabbatical and more or less disappeared from public view after the MLS Cup post-game news conference four months ago.?(Donovan did have some public comments relayed recently through the magic of citizen journalism?last month.)
Donovan is saying all the right things, not just about the Galaxy but also about the U.S. national team. (It?s almost surreal, isn?t it, to think that the program?s all-time leading scorer and noted Mexican team killer was just one of us, just another Joe watching from the States as USMNT did proper battle in Mexico City?)
Donovan spoke with candor, respect and humility about his place with the Galaxy and the U.S. national team, and of his personal relationships with the respective managers, Bruce Arena and Jurgen Klinsmann. For instance, in discussing his conversations with Arena:
Understandably, no coach wants to lose one of their players for three months, or a few months of the season. At first, Bruce wasn?t ecstatic about it, but I?ve known Bruce a long time and I think he understood pretty clearly how passionate I was about needing this break and now I think everyone can agree that it was absolutely needed and the right thing to do.
Donovan talked about the need to work his way back into both teams, with absolutely no sense of entitlement, certainly the correct attitude considering that both teams have gone through periods of transition or (in the U.S. case) pretty rough times during the period of his absence.
Donovan still wants to get back on the field in early April. Looking at the Galaxy schedule, would it surprise anyone to see Donovan make an appearance off the bench during the team?s April 3 home leg of the CONCACAF Champions League semifinal series against Monterrey? (Depending on what the match looks like over last 20 or so minutes, naturally.)
Meanwhile, teammates certainly seem happy to have their wise, quick attacker back on the field. Galaxy left back Todd Dunivant, a good friend of Donovan?s in addition to his longtime teammates, says Donovan may even make an impact quicker than people think.
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