ACBerb
Dec 5 2004, 07:16 AM
It took a little longer than it should have but Landon Donovan finally made the move most people outside Major League Soccer have been hoping he would make. He is back on his way to Bayer Leverkusen after finally overcoming his terrible experience as a teenager playing there, an experience that left Donovan begging to stay in MLS even as the league's other stars were begging to get out.
Donovan decided it was time to stop enjoying the comforts of home and time to start taking the necessary steps to become one of the world's elite players.
He should be applauded for finally accepting the challenge European soccer presents but the move comes a year later than it should have. Like a homecoming king getting left back and repeating his senior year, Donovan seemed out of place in MLS this year. He didn't have his best season ever but he still dominated at will and you still got the feeling that there was nothing left for him to accomplish.
Sure, fans in San Jose were grateful, and it certainly didn't hurt Brian Ching's rise to stardom, but Donovan should have bolted MLS the minute he took off his champagne-soaked uniform after the 2003 MLS Cup.
If he had made the move a year earlier, Donovan would have faced the likes of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Roma in meaningful games for Leverkusen this year. Instead, he had to suffer through another slate of games with San Jose in front of sparse crowds with very little on the line.
Though it may have been a mistake, you can understand why Donovan wanted to stay this past season. Apart from the obvious comforts of playing close to family and friends, he likely felt some loyalty toward assistant turned head coach Dominic Kinnear, who replaced Frank Yallop as coach after the 2003 season.
A year later it is hard to ignore the fact that San Jose is not the same team that won titles twice in four years. Jeff Agoos and Pat Onsted (both 36) aren't getting any younger, Ronnie Ekelund isn't returning and, aside from Brian Ching and Richard Mulrooney, there isn't much reason for optimism. Throw in the struggles the franchise has had with securing an owner and the speculation of the franchise being moved and the decision quickly became an easy one for Donovan.
Donovan needs the real challenges that MLS just can't provide. The competition for playing time, the opportunity to face the world's best on a regular basis, the pressure of playing in front of packed stadiums. He was quick to point out in his farewell press conference that the gap between European soccer and MLS isn't as wide as some would think, but would you expect him to say differently? Would Donovan really say, "you know it really is time for me to stop playing in this weak league"?
For all the progress and improvement of skill and tactics in MLS, it still can't compare to the European top flight. Most players who have departed the league for Europe have avoided taking hard shots at MLS publicly, but most readily admit that any player looking to truly test themselves must make the move.
That isn't a knock on MLS, just the reality faced by a nine-year-old league when compared to leagues with multiple decades of tradition and boatloads of cash. The league has made exceptional progress in its first decade, and is coming off its most successful year to date, but we shouldn't forget that it still is only its first decade.
Donovan's decision should have been an easy one but it was still somewhat surprising considering the years he spent putting off the move. Perhaps it took seeing close friend and U.S. national teammate DaMarcus Beasley enjoy early success since his move to Dutch champion PSV Eindhoven. Being the competitor he is, Donovan must be foaming at the mouth to match Beasley's European exploits. He also had to realize what he missed out on by delaying his move to Germany by a year.
It isn't about Beasley though. It isn't about the money either. It's about a World Cup 18 months from now that will define Donovan's career. He sees it coming and now he'll have his best chance of being prepared to star in the next World Cup. Auf Wiedersehen Landon, and take your time coming back to MLS the way you took your time leaving.
Donovan decided it was time to stop enjoying the comforts of home and time to start taking the necessary steps to become one of the world's elite players.
He should be applauded for finally accepting the challenge European soccer presents but the move comes a year later than it should have. Like a homecoming king getting left back and repeating his senior year, Donovan seemed out of place in MLS this year. He didn't have his best season ever but he still dominated at will and you still got the feeling that there was nothing left for him to accomplish.
Sure, fans in San Jose were grateful, and it certainly didn't hurt Brian Ching's rise to stardom, but Donovan should have bolted MLS the minute he took off his champagne-soaked uniform after the 2003 MLS Cup.
If he had made the move a year earlier, Donovan would have faced the likes of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Roma in meaningful games for Leverkusen this year. Instead, he had to suffer through another slate of games with San Jose in front of sparse crowds with very little on the line.
Though it may have been a mistake, you can understand why Donovan wanted to stay this past season. Apart from the obvious comforts of playing close to family and friends, he likely felt some loyalty toward assistant turned head coach Dominic Kinnear, who replaced Frank Yallop as coach after the 2003 season.
A year later it is hard to ignore the fact that San Jose is not the same team that won titles twice in four years. Jeff Agoos and Pat Onsted (both 36) aren't getting any younger, Ronnie Ekelund isn't returning and, aside from Brian Ching and Richard Mulrooney, there isn't much reason for optimism. Throw in the struggles the franchise has had with securing an owner and the speculation of the franchise being moved and the decision quickly became an easy one for Donovan.
Donovan needs the real challenges that MLS just can't provide. The competition for playing time, the opportunity to face the world's best on a regular basis, the pressure of playing in front of packed stadiums. He was quick to point out in his farewell press conference that the gap between European soccer and MLS isn't as wide as some would think, but would you expect him to say differently? Would Donovan really say, "you know it really is time for me to stop playing in this weak league"?
For all the progress and improvement of skill and tactics in MLS, it still can't compare to the European top flight. Most players who have departed the league for Europe have avoided taking hard shots at MLS publicly, but most readily admit that any player looking to truly test themselves must make the move.
That isn't a knock on MLS, just the reality faced by a nine-year-old league when compared to leagues with multiple decades of tradition and boatloads of cash. The league has made exceptional progress in its first decade, and is coming off its most successful year to date, but we shouldn't forget that it still is only its first decade.
Donovan's decision should have been an easy one but it was still somewhat surprising considering the years he spent putting off the move. Perhaps it took seeing close friend and U.S. national teammate DaMarcus Beasley enjoy early success since his move to Dutch champion PSV Eindhoven. Being the competitor he is, Donovan must be foaming at the mouth to match Beasley's European exploits. He also had to realize what he missed out on by delaying his move to Germany by a year.
It isn't about Beasley though. It isn't about the money either. It's about a World Cup 18 months from now that will define Donovan's career. He sees it coming and now he'll have his best chance of being prepared to star in the next World Cup. Auf Wiedersehen Landon, and take your time coming back to MLS the way you took your time leaving.