Why isn't Landon Donovan going to the World Cup?

A friend of mine who is an avid soccer fan and a huge Landon Donovan supporter sent me this email over the weekend:

I’m still just stunned over the Donovan decision, Ferris. I hear he’s been injured and not playing well this year, and I can certainly understand that he wouldn’t start – and may not even play during the tournament. But leaving him off the entire 23-man roster? Inconceivable. Absolutely inconceivable. No one could ever convince me that Kyle Beckerman, Demarcus Beasley or even Brad Davis are better picks. I’m curious as to how my favorite football fan feels about this. Tell me your thoughts some time. In the meantime… 

FIRE JURGEN KLINSMANN!

(And you know me. I never call for the coach’s head. Well, until now.)

So here are my thoughts about Donovan not being on the roster.

1. It's not just about form: Donovan has not been playing great this year. He has struggled to impose himself in games in MLS this year. But there are other players who did make the World Cup roster how have also been struggling (like Josy Altidore). And Donovan has shown an ability in the past to rise up in big moments:



2. It's not just about Donovan's omission, but the players selected instead: It's easy to complain about Donovan not making the team. But then you have to ask yourself: who should have been left home instead? 

Klinsmann considers Donovan a forward (not a midfielder) and he named 4 forwards to the sqaud: Josy Altidore, Aron Johannsson, Clint Dempsey and Chris Wondolowski. Three of those 4 guys are in good form. And Josy is going to start every game as the primary striker for the US, so he wasn't going to be left out. 

3. Can't Donovan play midfield? Why wouldn't Klinsmann bring Donovan to play midfield? This is a tougher question to answer. Donovan may not have the blazing speed he did 4 years ago (he's 32 now). But his vision, passing, shooting and ability to disrupt defenses are all still there. Here, I think, is the strongest case for including Donovan. But, again, who do you leave out? 

He's not really competing against Kyle Beckerman, Michael Bradley or Jermaine Jones. They are all central midfielders, not attacking players (although they can all bring something to the attack when needed).

The remaining midfielders are Alejandro Bedoya, Brad Davis, Mix Diskerud, Julian Green and Graham Zusi.

Bedoya and Zusi are the most similar players to Donovan. They tend to play on the wings, cut inside, whip in crosses and track back on defense. Both are younger and in arguably better form than Donovan. Davis isn't really the same type of player as Donovan; he is a specialist who will be brought in late in games to try to serve in good crosses, free kicks and corner kicks (although Donovan is no slouch at those either).

So that leaves Julian Green. He is an 18-year old German-American who plays in the Bayern Munich system. He's played only a few minutes for Bayern and made his first appearance for the US just a few months ago. He's a highly coveted prospect and has a huge upside. 

But there are rumors that Klinsmann promised Green he would be named to the World Cup team if he promised to play for the US instead of Germany (who he was also eligible to play for).

So it seems to me it came down to Donovan vs. Green. And Klinsmann, rightly or wrongly, elected to go with youth and the future over experience and past success.

He also could have taken Donovan instead of Brad Davis, although Davis is one of the few naturally left-footed players and has easily the most cultured left-food in the player pool.

4. I still think there is more to the story: As you may know, about a year and a half ago, Donovan took a sabbatical from soccer and just cruised around the world. He had been playing high-level soccer for about 14 years straight and just needed a rest and break. Donovan is one of the more introspective players that I've seen and it really didn't surprise me that he did that. 

When he returned, he worked his way back into shape and into the lineups for both the LA Galaxy and the USMNT. Last summer he scored the most goals in the Gold Cup as the US won that tournament. 

But Klinsmann, while seemingly mellow and amicable on the outside, is an intense guy. He was a ruthless, dedicated player who played for the best teams in the world. One of Germany's top strikers during the 1990s, Klinsmann scored in all 6 major international tournaments he participated in, from Euro 1988 to 1998 World Cup. In 1995 Klinsmann came third in the FIFA World Player of the Year award, and in 2004 he was named in the FIFA 100 list of the "125 Greatest Living Footballers."

And I think Klinsmann doesn't like Donovan's attitude. I think there is a severe disconnect between the coach and the greatest US player of all time. I suspect he believes Donovan should have pushed and challenged himself more during his career and doesn't want what he considers a "soft" player on his roster.

I also think Klinsmann is keeping one eye on the 2018 World Cup by naming Julian Green (along with other young players like DeAndre Yedlin and John Brooks); they will gain invaluable experience this summer. Klinsmann recently got a contract extension that keeps him on as manager though the next World Cup. 

5. I would have named Donovan to the roster. But there is no guarantee that the US will qualify for the 2018 World Cup. And if you want to get out of what is the most difficult group in 2014, you need a player like Donovan on the team. Maybe not as a starter. But if the US needs a goal late in a game to advance out of the group or to the next round, I know I would want to be able to look down the bench, see Donovan there and be able to tell him, "Get warmed up."

And I would have taken Donovan instead of DeAndre Yedlin (a defender). I don't think Yedlin will play any minutes in the World Cup - he's too inexperienced and raw. 

6. Klinsmann has put the focus on himself: No matter how the US does, Klinsmann has made himself the focus of the team. He will get tons of credit if the US gets out of the group and advances beyond that. He will also be severely criticized if they do poorly.

And that, in the end, is the silver lining of this whole Donovan controversy. In 1998, the US coach cut his captain, John Harkes, just before the World Cup in France. It barely made a ripple in the sports news landscape. But in 2014, Donovan's omission was a big story all over the news (not just the sports pages). The United States is now a proper soccer nation. And that is a happy byproduct of this event. I just hope all the American viewers who tune into this summer's World Cup aren't disappointed by the US team's performance. And if they are disappointed, they will all blame Klinsmann. 

----------------------------------------------------

Here is the full US roster, BTW:

Goalkeepers (3): Brad Guzan, Tim Howard, Nick Rimando

Defenders (8): DaMarcus Beasley, Matt Besler, John Brooks, Geoff Cameron, Timmy Chandler, Omar Gonzalez, Fabian Johnson, DeAndre Yedlin

Midfielders (8): Kyle Beckerman, Alejandro Bedoya, Michael Bradley, Brad Davis, Mix Diskerud, Julian Green, Jermaine Jones, Graham Zusi


Forwards (4): Jozy Altidore, Clint Dempsey, Aron Johannsson, Chris Wondolowski

Show me the money

How much to American players make for playing in the World Cup? SI's Grant Wahl looked into this and published a great column online. Turns out, making the roster provides a nice bonus, but the farther the team advances, the more money the players will make.

If you don't feel like reading the whole thing, here are the highlights:

• If you are a player on the final 23-man World Cup roster, you make a minimum of $76,000.
• FIFA gives out team bonuses in larger and larger amounts depending on how far the team advances in the tournament. The country's soccer federation can then distribute the money as it sees fit among the players. According to Wahl, in 2002, when the US advanced to the quarterfinals, "each player received $203,000. I have been told the figure would be more than double that amount if the team repeated the 2002 run in 2014."
• And here are the salaries of the MLS players who are competing for a spot on the final roster. As you can see, there is a pretty wide disparity among the players' salaries and just an extra $76,000 would make a big difference for some of the lower-paid players:
  
• Clint Dempsey: $6,695,189
• Michael Bradley: $6,500,000
• Landon Donovan: $4,583,333
• Omar González: $1,250,000
• Chris Wondolowski: $650,000
• Maurice Edu: $650,000
• Graham Zusi: $398,250
• Brad Davis: $392,062
• Kyle Beckerman: $378,750
• Clarence Goodson: $342,000
• Michael Parkhurst: $300,000
• Brad Evans: $293,666
• Nick Rimando: $235,833
• Matt Besler: $200,000
• DeAndre Yedlin: $92,000

61 Days until the World Cup - Answering some questions for casual fans

It's only 61 days until the 2014 World Cup kicks off in Brazil (I knew that without looking it up online, BTW). During the 2010 World Cup, I posted several blogs intended for non-soccer fanatics who were getting swept up in the tournament. I got some very positive feedback 4 years ago, so I'm giving it another go this year.

Here are a few questions casual soccer fans often ask me about the World Cup.

Why do we call it soccer in the US when the rest of the world calls it football (or futbol)?

Brian Phillips wrote a great piece in Slate 4 years ago answering this question. If you don't want to read the whole thing, here's the short answer from the article:

It's an abbreviation of association football. Both soccer and American football come from the same set of precursor sports, which became popular in upper-class English schools in the early 19th century and spread across the Atlantic. All these games involved advancing a ball through an opponent's territory and scoring at the far end, but the rules varied from place to place. Ultimately, the version adopted as standard in the United Kingdom came to be known as association football, while another set of rules won out in the United States. Thus the Americans took to calling their gridiron variety football, and referred to the British sport by the slang term soccer, derived from the soc in association.

Who is the US playing in the World Cup?

The US is playing in what most commentators are calling the "Group of Death." That's a hyperbolic way of saying the US is in the toughest group on the tournament. Their opponents are:

• Ghana - Ranked 38th in the world, but Ghana have knocked the US out of the last 2 World Cups. 
• Portugal - Ranked 3rd in the world, they boast arguably the best player in the world, Cristiano Ronaldo.
• Germany - Ranked 2nd in the world, they have won the World Cup 3 times (only Italy and Brazil have won it more).

The US are ranked 13th. So you can see why this is called the Group of Death. Keep in mind, however, that part of the reason it's considered the most difficult group is because it includes the US. Portugal and Germany would feel a lot better about advancing if, say, Australia (g'day, mates!) were in this group instead of the US.

Can the US advance out of their group?

Yes, if they can earn 4 points. (In soccer, you get 3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie and 0 points for a loss.)

Here's how the results could break the Yanks' way:

Germany ties Portugal
US beats Ghana

US ties Portugal
Germany beats Ghana

Germany beats US
Ghana ties Portugal

That would leave Germany with 7 points, the US with 4, Portugal with 3 and Ghana with 1. The top 2 teams advance, meaning the US and Germany would proceed to the knockout stages.

Who is favored to win the World Cup?

As the host, Brazil are the safest bet. The other favorites are Spain, Germany and Argentina. After that, you could make a case for France, Belgium, Italy, Columbia, Holland and Portugal having a chance.

What other questions do you have about the World Cup or the US team? Post in the comments below.

Fall

If you haven't seen it, here's Mary's first blog entry. She wrote this for the Texas Children's Hospital blog and it was published last week. It's about the time she had the flu a few years ago.

http://www.texaschildrensblog.org/2011/09/when-i-had-the-flu-i-felt-terrible/

I've asked her to write a follow-up after she gets the FluMist next week.

And here's a great picture Meg snapped of John playing soccer today. He played another great game - it's such a joy to watch him play every week.

John focusing on the ball

Goal Oriented

Ever since the World Cup, John has become a soccer nut. He plays at home all the time -- in the hallway or outside in our front yard. And he'll play with whoever is available: me, Meg, Mary or any number of kids in the neighborhood. And he loves to practice and play with his team, the Meteors. This video shows John playing and loving the beautiful game.

John's first Soccer game

The Canadian Meteors played their first match ever today, facing off against Switzerland (or Swiss Cheese, as their coach called them). John played a great game, winning the ball, defending well, and scoring a number of goals. Tom attended the game and snapped some great photos, which are below.

John dribbling toward the goal

After the game, high-fiving the other team

"Go Meteors!"

After the game - player and coach together.

World Cup Final

I have documented in this blog my affection for the Dutch team -- even though they hadn't been playing the total football they've championed since the 1970s. So when the final started, I was planted on my couch wearing an orange Netherlands jersey I bought on a trip to Amsterdam 10 years ago.

By end of the initial 90 minutes, I was so disgusted with the thuggish tactics of the Dutch players that I peeled off my orange shirt and put on a blue one instead. But then, when Iniesta dove to get Heitinga sent off in overtime, I removed my blue shirt and put on a USA jersey. It was a very disappointing final match, although Spain did play better soccer (or at least tried to when they weren't being hacked down Holland) and deserved to win.

As for the Dutch, the entire tournament was like a Greek tragedy for them. For decades, they had been praised by fans, journalists and pundits for playing lovely, attacking football. Yet they were denied again and again the ultimate prize: being crowned World Cup champions. So at some point during the last several years, they repudiated all that had made total football great and instead played like the Detroit Pistons of the late 1980s. I half expected to see Bill Lambier sitting on the bench exhorting the players to foul and dive and whine even more.

The new, thuggish strategy worked -- Holland got to a World Cup final for the first time in more than 30 years. But in a cruel irony, they found themselves playing a team that had embraced many of the principles of total football -- the Spanish. And ultimately, the Dutch were beaten by a team that actually tried to play soccer and were punished by the Soccer Gods for abandoning all that is wonderful about the beautiful game.

The third place game turned out to be a much better match than the final. Uruguay and my favorite player of the tournament, Diego Forlan, fell 3-2 to the Germans. FIFA did agree with my assessment of Forlan and gave him the Golden Ball award as the best player in the tournament. He's 31 and unlikely to play in the 2014 World Cup, but I'm glad he got to shine in South Africa as he almost single handedly (well, not single handedly; his teammate Suarez had a single hand that was also pretty important) got tiny Uruguay to within one game of the final.

Speaking of Suarez, I had no problems with his handball to stop the ball in the game against Ghana. Any player would have done the same thing and would have expected to be sent off -- which Suarez was. It was like a player in basketball committing a hard foul on a fast break to prevent the other team from scoring an easy layup.

What I find much more troubling that sort of blatant cheating is the more subtle act of diving. I hate it and think it leaves a much blacker mark on the game than what Suarez did. I said in the last World Cup and I'll say again: there should be post-match reviews of diving by players. If they are judged to have gone down with no contact, they should be given a yellow card after the game. 

My suggestion will probably not be implemented (Sepp Blatter is not returning my e-mails). But I do think that by the next World Cup, there will be goal-line technology to judge whether a ball crossed the line or not. There may also be extra officials, either on the field itself or on the sidelines, to help the refs get more of the calls right.

There was a lot to like about the 2010 World Cup. The late-game heroics by the US team. The emergence of Michael Bradely as a top midfielder. Tshabalala's strike against Mexico in the opening game. Carlos Teves' cannon (also against Mexico). Giovanni von Bronkhorsts' unstoppable shot against Uruguay. The plucky New Zealand team (who were the only team never to lose a game at this World Cup -- it's true). Some great individual players, like David Villa (Spain), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany), Kiesuke Honda (Japan), Carlos Puyol (Spain) and Wesley Sneijder (Holland).

But what the tournament showed me is that soccer is really still a team sport. Nearly all the "best" players in the world who were featured in the Nike "Write the Future" commercial had poor showings at the World Cup. The squads that played as a team tended to do more and go further than those who may have been too reliant on their big-name players. Of course, you've got to have great players on your team to go far, and the final 4 all had some fantastic players -- but most were not mentioned before the tournament in the same breath as Rooney, Ronaldo, Messi or Ribery.

The next World Cup is 4 years away -- that seems like a long time. Mary will be 12 years old and John will be 8 (note that both of them were born in World Cup years -- coincidence? I don't think so). But there will be plenty of soccer to fill up my free time between now and then, and much of it may be played by John.

He took to soccer like a fish to water, not only watching many of the games with me, but playing soccer in the house. We have a long hallway between his room and Mary's. John has spent hours kicking and dribbling a soccer ball from one end of the hall to another, shouting "gooooaaaall" when he puts the ball between my legs and into his sister's room. I'll be signing him up to play on a soccer team this fall. And I'm sure I will enjoy watching his games more than I enjoyed any of the World Cup games I've seen during the last month. It won't even be close.

World Cup: US v. England

Let's clear up one thing first: the pub Rob and I went to yesterday didn't actually run out of beer. They had run out of beer on tap, but somehow managing to find plenty of bottled beer. I was actually more worried about them running out of ice. Rob and I were watching in a large tent outside the bar where several large flat screen TVs had been set up. It was a typically hot summer day in Houston and the tent was packed with soccer fans, sitting and standing shoulder to shoulder. The combination of the heat of the day and number of people made the tent incredibly hot. I kept scooping ice out of the buckets full of beer bottles and letting it melt on my head and down my back to try in vain to stay cool.

But it was a great atmosphere. US fans outnumbered English fans about 6-1 but every one was in great spirit and was completely into the game. I sat next to an English fan and he and I chatted throughout the game and shook hands afterwards. (Update: You can pick me out in the center back of this photo from the Houston Chronicle. I'm to the right of and English fan wearing a white shirt; mine is red.)

As for the game itself, I have to start with the goalkeeping. Last week I said of Tim Howard: "Goalkeeper: Tim Howard is the clear #1 keeper and one of the top 10 in the world. He will have to play well to keep the English at bay." I think he proved why he is considered among the best in the world with his man-of-the-match performance yesterday.  (No word yet on how serious his injury is or if he will play against Slovenia on Friday.) I also said in an earlier post: "Every English fan wishes they had Tim Howard in goal." I think Robert Green's horrific gaffe proved why that is also true.

I wonder, as Green was watching the ball trickle over the goal line, if he had a moment like ones in the Nike "Write the Future" ads. I bet he imagined himself like Wayne Rooney in the ad, disgraced in England and living out the the rest of his days with a scruffy beard in a trailer park. 

Rooney himself had an OK game. The US defense were clearly concerned about him and did a good job keeping him from getting clear looks at goal.

The US also did well not to fold after coughing up a goal in the first 5 minutes. You may recall that 4 years ago, the US gave up a similarly early goal and went on to lose their opening game 3-0 against the Czech Republic. The Americans kept their heads up, fought back and got lucky on their goal just before half time. But every team needs a little luck to succeed in the World Cup. The good teams take advantage of their good fortune, just like the US did in hanging on for a draw against a favored opponent.

I thought the English coach, Capello, made a few curious coaching decisions. He pulled James Milner after only 30 minutes (coaches rarely make subs that early unless a player is injured) and he had to sub defender Ledley King at half time (recall that King is the guy whose knees are so balky that he doesn't practice during the week). King's replacement, Jamie Carrager, was absolutely skinned by Altidore in the second half and bailed out by a reaction save by Green and the goal post.

The English team is probably disappointed that they didn't go on to win a game in which they scored just minutes in. And the Americans are probably pleased and proud they battled to back to tie. Overall, I think a tie was a fair result as neither team played measurably better than the other.

Slovenia beat Algeria earlier today 1-0, so they now top the group. The US plays Slovenia on Friday and will expect to win to earn the full three points from that game.

If you want to read some good post-match comments from some online soccer writers, here are a few  links:

The Guardian: "But if the USA were not producing too much to trouble the opposition defence, then neither were England. Rooney was conspicuously quiet, struggling to get into the game or even to get hold of the ball, and there were signs of an old problem returning with Gerrard and Frank Lampard being pushed back too deep and the front two becoming isolated as a result."

Sports Illustrated:  "The key group game for the U.S. was always going to be the next one against Slovenia, and that remains the case. If the favored Americans can avoid a letdown against Slovenia, they could take four points into the third game against Algeria and be in a golden position to advance from the group–and perhaps even win it."

ESPN: "The U.S. admittedly got lucky but played well enough to deserve its good fortune."

World Cup: Brian Ching out!

Well, I was close. I predicted the following players would not make the final team:

Marshall, Pearce, Bedoya, Kljestan, Rogers, Findley, Johnson

I got 6 out of 7 right. 

US Coach Bob Bradley surprised nearly every US soccer fan and journalist by dropping Brian Ching. The Flyin' Hawaiian was considered by me and most others as a lock to make the team. Instead, Bradley elected to take Robbie Findley, a speedy forward who has never really shown anything is a US shirt. 

It must have been a surprise to Ching as well; an ESPN soccer writer posted this on his Twitter feed: 

Got a vmail from Brian Ching while i was on flight. Said he was "disappointed and a little crushed." Didn't say why Bradley cut him. 

It's easy to forget when talking about highly paid pro athletes -- who we boo and cheer and yell at and talk about -- that they are regular people too. I've never met Ching but everything I've seen and read about him is that he is a humble, hard-working, stand-up guy.

World Cup is only 21 days away

The first game (South Africa vs. Mexico) kicks off in 20 days, 22 hours and 6 minutes (as I am typing this). I will continue to post updates to our blog about the Ferris Family before, during and after the World Cup. But I will also be writing posts about the World Cup, the American team and many of the other teams in the tournament. All of these posts (which get automatically e-mailed to many of you who read this blog) will have the words "World Cup" at the start of the subject line. So if you don't care about the World Cup, feel free to delete these e-mails.

But for the rest of you, I hope what I write will help get you excited about the World Cup, answer some questions you may have about the tournament and let you enjoy the games a little more. It will all be written from my perspective for an audience of people who tune into soccer every four years but don't know the game or the players inside and out. And if there are particular questions or subjects you're interested in please let me know.

Go USA!

The Beckham Experiment: Houston

I got to the Dynamo/Galaxy game a little early and managed to snap a photo of David Beckham. There was a crush of fans crowding against the barricades but everyone was polite and excited.

Whenever any shadow emerged from the dressing room every person stood on tip toes, cameras raised.

Beckham didn't do much. He nodded and walked onto the field for warm ups. What I thought was cool was that most fans waited an extra few minutes to catch a glimpse of USA star player Landon Donovan.

Now go Dynamo!!

2-0

2-0. Or, in Spanish, "dos a cero." That has been the score of the last two US-Mexico qualifying matches played in Columbus, Ohio (the site of Wednesday's game). The US also defeated Mexico by that score in the 2002 World Cup, knocking "El Tri" out of the tournament.

For more on the recent history of US/Mexico games, as well as a primer on the US players to watch, read Ives Galacrep's column on ESPN.com.
The photo above is of Oguchi Onyewu, a US defender, staring down one Mexico's former star players, Jared Borgetti, in 2005. This image is a favorite of US fans as Onyewu completely owned Borgetti in that game.

"But there is no hate."

ESPN.com has a column with a little more background on the US/Mexico rivalry. The piece closes with a comment from U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati: "But there is no hate."

Having watched nearly every US/Mexico match from the last decade, either in person or on TV, I have to ask Sunil: Have you been hanging around with Michael Phelps?

The Mexicans were the top dog in North American soccer for decades and futbol is the most popular sport in Mexico. Throw in the very complicated cultural, historical, economic and political relationship between the US and Mexico and you've got a combustible mix.

Bottom line: The Mexican players hate losing to the US. And their fans hate it even more. And despite recent US dominance (there's no other way to describe the last 10 years) the Mexican players still think they are the superior team. But the US seems to have Mexico's number these days and that drives the Mexican players and their fans totally loco.

The road to South Africa

During the 2006 World Cup, I created a blog for friends and family to read my commentary on the games, the US team, and other soccer related news. (I'm using a different blog program b/c I wasn't crazy about Yahoo's tool.)

As the US starts gearing up the final round of qualification for the 2010 World Cup, I've decided to start a new blog to follow the team along its journey.

The road to South Africa and World Cup 2010 starts next week as the US takes on Mexico in the final round of qualifying matches.

Now, some say Duke vs. UNC.

Others prefer Yankees vs. Red Sox.

Still others will offer Cowboys vs. Redskins.

But for my money, the single best rivalry in all of sport is in soccer: US vs. Mexico. There is palpable hatred present at all of these matches. And there are no butt slaps before the games, no hugging or praying afterward. Just two teams that openly despise each other.

And the latest battle is coming up in less than a week on Wednesday, February 11 at 7 pm ET on ESPN2. If you're a sports fan, there's not reason not to watch this. NFL season is over. Baseball hasn't started yet. The NBA is stuck in the middle if its Bataan-Death March of a regular season (which will be followed by a nearly-as-long post-season). March Madness is still weeks away.

For a little background, the US was the whipping boy of Mexico for decades. Then, things started to turn in the 1990s. Perhaps the most significant game came in 2001 as the US and Mexico played in a World Cup qualifying match in Columbus, Ohio.

Mexico entered the typically confident -- even arrogant. But the temperature at kick-off was in the 20s and the Mexican players didn't come out for pre-game warm ups.

Typically, the game was pretty rough and two US vets (Brian McBride and Claudio Reyna) went out with injuries in the first half. But the two subs, Josh Wolff and Clint Mathis, rallied the US 2-0 past a shocked Mexico team.

That game, of course, let do the US qualifying for the 2002 World Cup where they met Mexico again in the elimination round in S. Korea. More about that game later.