Is Landon Donovan Any Good?

I think he is a good player that has some bad days like every other player has. In the game against Czech R., he seemed lost but against Italy we saw bits of the 2002 WC Donovan (he was excellent in 2002)

Posted from  United Kingdom

Jeckyl and Hyde.

It’s amazing: everytime I ready to write him off as another talented American who just doesn’t know what to do with the ball, he plays a match like he did versus Italy.

I think that the problem with Landon is that he’s really being asked too much.

He’s got absolutely brilliant moments when he’s attacking in order to make the final pass to someone, but he seems to lack the aggressiveness to score himself.

But that’s because he’s being asked to play both roles. Jeckyl and Hyde.

If the US could develop EJ into a truly consistent striker, the he and Landon would match up perfectly.

Landon and Reyna are the only two American players who pass with a purpose. Most of the other Americans hit the ball into space…somewhere, and hope another Yank will run on to it.

Landon and Claudio actually play the ball where ball puts their teammates in the most dangerous position. Unfortunately, many other Americans are late on the uptake and don’t realize what’s happening.

Right now, I’d take Landon over Claudio anyday.

Posted from  United States

Good point Cajun Nick: Landon and Claudio are definitely the two best passers on the US team.

In all fairness to Reyna, he just doesn’t have Donovan’s electric pace (which gives him more time on the ball).

Of course, Donovan at 24 is probably better than Reyan was at 24.

Hey, if Rooney can come back for the last group game, i only think it fair the soccer gods let us have JOB for the last game. He is another fantastic passer….

I really want to see Eddie Johnson and JOB in the lineup for thursday…

Posted from  Dominican Republic

I didn’t see much positive in his Italy performance - everyone else seems to disagree. What I saw was a failure to jump start an attack or to create options for tired teammates.

But Donovan is a rare player. He’s clearly got the smarts and skills to compensate for the gradual loss of speed that will come with age. I’m in the camp of fans that wishes he would take his assets and and put them to the best possible use - in Europe. He needs to face higher quality defenses and more competition within his team in order to realize his potential.

Posted from  United States

EJ and JOB = YES!

Here’s my starting XI:

————Keller————
Dolo–Conrad–Gooch–Bocanegra
–Dempsey–JOB–LD–Convey–
——–EJ——————
————-McBride———

There’s no Reyna, for two reasons:
1)if JOB is fit, then he’s fresher than Reyna, and we’ll need some fresh legs in midfield for Ghana; and
2) he’s carrying a yellow.

I know that some would say, “Who cares how many yellows he has; if we don’t progress, then no one plays in the next round.”

True. But, if JOB is fit, then I think that he give us a better chance of progressing.

Posted from  United States

Completely agree Nick. But that’s a young, inexperienced 11….

Posted from  United States

Joe,

It’s true that the collective World Cup experience of the group isn’t much to write home about.

However, let’s not forget that Ghana, with regards to World Cup experience, has even less than we do.

They do have world-class players, like Essien and Appiah; but, with the hopes of Africa riding on their shoulders this year, I wonder if that’s not going to shake them up a little.

Plus, my line-up really reflects a presumed fitness for JOB; and I’m not sure if he can go the full 90. If he can’t, then Arena needs to put Reyna in the line-up, but make definite plans to sub in JOB at half, or the 60-minute mark.

Posted from  United States

Landon Donovan is one of the best players on the US team, but many people expect to much out of him.

The last world cup he was looked at as a talented kid who would made chances.

Now, it seems everyone expects him to lead the US to victory alone. That’s a lot of pressure.

I think he did a great job against Italy.

Even if JOB is fit, he has gone several years without playing matches consistently.

I would be worried about him being match fit and making quick decisions against a very fast Ghana side.

I think we should naturalize a few Argentines and Brazilians, like the Mexicans did (and several other countries for that matter)

Posted from  Dominican Republic

I wonder if some fans watched the same game that I did v. Italy. LD was all over the damn pitch! In the first 20 minutes, when the US had Italy rocked back on their heels, LD was the main reason. He came out and went right after them. He just abused several Italian defenders. Fast-forward to the 91st minute… who was still racing all over the pitch? LD. That kid left it all on the field. If everyone on the team would put that much effort into the Ghana game, the US would probably win big.

Landon has incredible vision and superb skill. I think he has the potential to become everybit as good as an average European soccer star (Like Michael Owen or Freddy Ljundberg, if he played in Europe), but I think he is already smarter than most players in the mid-upper 20’s, even with his lack of European experience.

One thing that makes Landon an atypical American player is that instead of deperately looking to pass the ball when pressured, he holds it and defenders can’t seem to take it away from him (like Reyna).

I think that he suffers from two team related problems:

Can’t really count on there being an American pool of talented forwards so that he can concentrate on the attacking midfield spot.

Can count on Reyna to be the holding midfielder so he can’t find his right spot in the midfield.

If Landon had the European experience, he might become one of the best in the game, but he won’t get that experience because even if he went to Europe he would be unhappy. Even if it costs him as a player (and costs us as fans)he is hella happy in Califonia.

I respect him most for having the wisdom at such a young age to take responsibility for his own life by choosing to take care of himself first.

Posted from  United States

Landon is a good player, certainly one of the very best that has ever played in the MLS and one our better players on the USMNT. However, he will never be the complete player and superstar (to me anyway) unless he makes it somewhere in the one of the following leagues: EPL, Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga (he’s already dropped out of there) or the Dutch league. I suggest he go get a gig with a lesser EPL or Division 1 (Coca Cola?) team to get a real shot at playing in European conditions. Otherwise…he’ll just be the best player in the MLS.

Posted from  United States

Donovan was an embarrassment. Does he have skills? Of course he does, but when the crap hit the fan, and his country’s pride was on the line on the world’s biggest stage, this so called star of American soccer just flopped. He is so soft. We all need to face the facts and admit that the American national team needs a complete overhaul if we want to avoid the same result in South Africa in 2010.

Posted from  United States