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Why Landon Donovan Struggles to Win over International Fans
Published: October 29, 2013
In 2009, Donovan helped lead the United States to an improbable second-place finish at the 2009 Confederations Cup, and on two separate occasions, in very short winter-loan stints, he was named Everton’s Player of the Month.
In CONCACAF, he is arguably the best player ever, with four Gold Cup championships and three Gold Cup Golden Boot awards.
Domestically, Donovan has won every award possible, including five MLS Cups, and has scored 134 career goals in Major League Soccer—tied for the all-time lead in league history.
For the United States men’s national team, he has won USMNT Player of the Year seven times and leads the U.S. in starts, goals and assists.
So why does Donovan still struggle to attain any sort of international credibility?
He “failed” in Germany
In 1999, when Landon Donovan was only 16 years old, he signed for Bayer Leverkusen. As Donovan himself admits, he struggled with the language barrier and the change in culture in Germany. Wanting to return to the states to assure himself a chance at the 2002 World Cup roster, he came home, going “on loan” to the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer in 2001.
That loan turned out to be four MLS season’s long, and it wasn’t until 2005 that Donovan returned to Germany. However, once again, Donovan struggled and came back to MLS—this time with the L.A. Galaxy.
In 2008, Donovan once again tried the Bundesliga, this time with German giants Bayern Munich. Unable to displace Luca Toni, Miroslav Klose or Lukas Podolski in the Bayern lineup, his loan ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - International Football
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