Landon Donovan

At 42 years old, Landon Donovan has this physical status:

Landon Timothy Donovan (born March 4, 1982) is an American retired professional soccer player who is currently the manager of USL Championship side San Diego Loyal SC.

He holds numerous individual records in Major League Soccer (MLS) and for the United States national team and is regarded as one of the greatest U.S. men's soccer players of all time.A native of Southern California, Donovan was a member of the inaugural class of the U.S. Soccer youth residency program in Bradenton, Florida.

He was named Player of the Tournament for his role in the United States under-17 squad that finished fourth in the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship before signing with German club Bayer Leverkusen later that year.

In 2005, after six years with Leverkusen, the majority of which were spent on loan with the San Jose Earthquakes of MLS, Donovan moved back to the United States permanently to sign with the Los Angeles Galaxy.

He later returned to Germany for a loan with Bayern Munich, and twice went on short loans to English Premier League club Everton in 2010 and 2012.

He retired as a player in 2014, but made a brief comeback with LA Galaxy late in the 2016 season and then in 2018 to play for Club León. In MLS, Donovan won a record six MLS Cups and is the league's all-time assists leader with 136.

The Major League Soccer MVP Award has been renamed the Landon Donovan MVP Award in his honor.For the United States men's national team, Donovan is the all-time leader in assists and tied with Clint Dempsey as all-time leader in scoring, and is the second-most-capped player of his country.

Donovan is the only American player to reach the 50 goals/50 assists mark.

He is a four-time winner of the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year award (the only man to do so and the first man to win in consecutive years), as well as the only seven-time winner of the Honda Player of the Year award.

Donovan starred in the U.S. team that reached the quarter-finals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup where he received the Best Young Player Award.

His three goals in the 2010 World Cup made Donovan the highest-scoring male American player in World Cup history and one of the three male American players to score in more than one World Cup, along with Brian McBride and Clint Dempsey. In March 2017, Donovan joined a private ownership group seeking to bring the next MLS expansion team to San Diego, California.

In June 2019, it was announced that Donovan would be bringing a new USL Championship team to San Diego.

Early life and education

Donovan was born (along with twin sister Tristan) on March 4, 1982, in Ontario, California, to Donna Kenney-Cash, an American special education teacher, and Tim Donovan, a semi-professional ice hockey player originally from Canada. Donovan's parents are both of Irish descent, and he holds Canadian citizenship by way of his father. His mother raised Landon and his siblings in Redlands, California, and he attended Redlands East Valley High School when not engaged in soccer activities elsewhere.

Donovan first played soccer with his older brother and when Donovan was six, his mother allowed him to join an organized league, where he scored seven goals in his first match. Donovan was a member of Cal Heat – a club based in nearby Rancho Cucamonga, California. In 1997, he was accepted into U.S. Youth Soccer's Olympic Development Program. In 1999 Donovan attended the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, with other members of the U-17 national team as part of U.S. Soccer's youth development program. Donovan was a member of the inaugural class of the U.S. Soccer youth residency program in Bradenton, Florida. He was named Player of the Tournament for his role in the United States under-17 squad that finished fourth in the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship before signing with German club Bayer Leverkusen later that year.

Personal life

Donovan married actress Bianca Kajlich on December 31, 2006; the couple separated in July 2009, and Donovan filed for divorce in December 2010. In May 2015, he married Hannah Bartell. They welcomed their first child, son Talon, in January 2016. Donovan has spoken publicly about dealing with depression throughout his life and career, and has criticized the professional sports world for its approach to mental health issues.

Since joining the Galaxy, Donovan has resided in Manhattan Beach, California. He speaks fluent Spanish, which he learned both in school and through playing in Hispanic clubs and leagues while growing up in California. He also speaks German as a result of his time spent in Germany. After his two brief stints playing for Everton in which he became a fan favorite, Donovan declared himself an "Evertonian for life".

He was featured on the North American covers of the FIFA 11 and FIFA 12 video games.

In 2016, Donovan became a part owner of Welsh football club Swansea City, joining several other Americans in an investment group that has a majority stake in the club.

Donovan revealed during the 2018 FIFA World Cup that he was a fan of fierce rival Mexico in the absence of the United States national team, having been sponsored to do so by Wells Fargo. He was widely criticized, including from his former international teammate Carlos Bocanegra, who Donovan responded back that he should "remember where you came from" in reference to Bocanegra's Mexican heritage.

In 2020, Donovan appeared as a contestant on the game show Game On!

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Club career

Donovan signed a six-year deal for Bayer Leverkusen, Germany's sporting director Michael Reschke spotted him at a youth tournament in Europe later in 1999. Despite being a regular starter for the club's reserve team on arrival, Donovan had a hard time adjusting to life overseas and was given longer training sessions with United States youth national teams. He was in a German Cup match for the reserve team. Donovan, who was unhappy with his Leverkusen, was loaned to the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer (MLS) for the 2001 season. Donovan was immediately successful in MLS, winning the Earthquakes to MLS Cup titles in 2001 and 2003, making him one of America's most popular faces of soccer. He played 32 goals and 29 assists in league play, as well as ten goals and six assists in the playoffs. Two of those goals were in the 2003 MLS Cup, a 4–2 victory over Chicago Fire SC. For his conduct, Donovan was named Man of the Match. In 2003, he was named U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year.

Donovan made history by becoming the first man to be named the United States Soccer Athlete of the Year three years in a row before returning to the Bayer Leverkusen first team in January 2005. Donovan wanted to leave Leverkusen in the 2004-05 season, only two of which were initiated. Donovan, despite an early bid from English Premier League club Portsmouth, expressed a desire to return to the United States. Since being re-entering MLS, San Jose was denied the opportunity to re-sign Donovan because Earthquakes general manager Alexi Lalas had traded away his rights. Because Donovan is set to leave Germany, the Los Angeles Galaxy, his hometown team, was able to transfer leading scorer Carlos Ruiz to FC Dallas to get to the top of the MLS allocation order.

Donovan has signed a multi-year deal with the Los Angeles Galaxy, making him the highest-paid American player in the league. Donovan played 12 league goals with 10 assists and four more goals as the LA Galaxy captured the MLS Cup for the first time since being a member of the United States. He was named in the MLS All-Time Best XI after the season. Donovan had 12 league goals and 8 assists in his second season with the Los Angeles Galaxy. In the Open Cup, he has also scored three goals. Despite this, Donovan and the Los Angeles Galaxy failed to qualify for the playoffs and lost in the Open Cup to Chicago Fire SC. Donovan's playoff goals make him the second all-time top scorer in the playoffs, behind Carlos Ruiz's 15.

In 2007, Donovan spent a year with the Los Angeles Galaxy. Donovan relinquished his captaincy to the English superstar following his signing and arrival. Donovan was the top scorer in the 2007 SuperLiga tournament. Except in the final, he scored a goal in every match save for the final. In five games, he scored six goals. Donovan had 84 straight season goals, putting him seventh in seventh place on the league's all-time scoring list at this point in his career. Despite the fact that the 2008 season was a disappointment for the Los Angeles Galaxy, Donovan had a fruitful year, scoring 20 goals and 9 assists in 25 games, cementing a strong offensive partnership with David Beckham and Edson Buddle.

Donovan was given the club captaincy on a permanent basis after Bruce Arena, the former national team manager, joined Milan on loan in early 2009. Donovan's book The Beckham Experiment, a scholarly journalist, praised Beckham's dismissive remarks about him in July 2009. He later criticized Beckham's book The Beckham Experiment, naming Beckham as a poor captain and teammate. Beckham later apologised for expressing his apprehensions to a reporter rather than speaking directly to him. Beckham's return to Los Angeles in mid-season is part of his legacy, and Donovan's 2009 campaign was a success, winning the league's Most Valuable Player and MLS Goal of the Year award and leading the Los Angeles Galaxy to MLS Cup 2009, which they lost on penalties. Donovan has signed a four-year contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy, as well as provisions that allow him to obtain loans in the MLS offseason. Donovan scored his 100th goal of his MLS career on August 1, 2010. He became the all-time leading scorer for Los Angeles on September 18, 2010.

In 2010, the Los Angeles Galaxy won the Supporters' Shield for the first time since 2003. Donovan scored 7 goals and a team-high 16 assists in the campaign. In the playoffs, LA Galaxy will ultimately lose to FC Dallas in the semi-finals.

In 2011, Los Angeles Galaxy regained the MLS Supporter's Shield. Donovan scored the title-clinching goal over the Houston Dynamo in the 72nd minute, winning his third MLS Cup title. Donovan was named the MLS Cup MVP.

Donovan said in October 2012 that he wanted to take a break from his professional soccer career, citing physical and mental exhaustion as the primary reasons. Donovan kicked a penalty kick in the 65th minute of play to put LA up by a 2–1 lead in his next match, the 2012 MLS Cup. Donovan's fifth goal in MLS Cup Finals was his fifth. The LA Galaxy defeated their second straight MLS Cup, 3–1.

Donovan returned to training with LA Galaxy on March 25, 2013 and made his season debut against Toronto FC on March 25, 2013. He was named as a 61st-minute replacement. However, when it was returned, it was announced that Robbie Keane would be compelled to relinquish the captaincy to Robbie Keane for the 2013 season. He scored two goals against Chivas USA, tying him with Jeff Cunningham for the top MLS goalscorer with 134 goals. Donovan scored twice against the Philadelphia Union on May 25, 2014 to smash Cunningham's record of 134 goals against the Wilmington Union, giving Donovan MLS' All-Time leading goalscorer with 136 goals. He scored the winning goal at the 2014 MLS All-Star Game on August 6, 2014, kicking the ball past Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer in the 70th minute and gave the captain's armband to Canadian international Will Johnson. Donovan revealed on August 7, 2014 that he would be retiring at the conclusion of the 2014 Major League Soccer season; the season came to an end with LA Galaxy winning their fourth MLS Cup of the Donovan era, which was announced on December 7, 2014.

Donovan spent time in Bayern Munich in November 2008 before joining the German club on loan until the 2009 MLS season began in mid-March. Donovan appeared in five friendly matches, in which he scored four goals, six league matches, and one DFB-Pokal match during his time with Bayern. Bayern decided not to extend his loan after the loan term was complete.

Donovan joined Everton on loan in January 2010, but there were strong hints that he might join his American colleagues at Fulham after the 2009 MLS season ended. He appeared in 13 games in all competitions, scored two goals, and was named Player of the Month for January. Everton was keen on extending his loan contract, but the LA Galaxy refused, and Donovan returned to the United States in time for the 2010 MLS season.

In December 2011, Donovan and Everton agreed to a two-month stay at Everton, beginning in January 2012. He made his return to action against Bolton Wanderers on January 4, 2012, a 2–1 loss. In his third game on loan, he assisted Everton's only goal in a 1–1 draw against Aston Villa on January 14. In a 2–1 victory over Fulham in the FA Cup fourth round proper on January 27, he played in both goals. Darron Gibson scored in Darron Gibson's triumph over Manchester City on January 31, assisting him. Donovan tallied seven assists when he helped Denis Stracqualursi's victory over Chelsea in a 2–0 victory over February 11.

Donovan announced his return from retirement and signed with LA Galaxy for the remainder of the 2016 season (six regular season games and any consecutive play-off matches).

Donovan said that the club's late season injuries prompted his decision to return:

Donovan came to the game against Orlando City as a replacement in the 83rd minute on September 11, 2016. Donovan wore number 26, which he wore at Bayer Leverkusen when he began his career in 1999, when his traditional number 10 was worn by Giovani dos Santos.

Donovan scored a goal in his second match after returning to LA Galaxy. He appeared in the 74th minute in a match against Sporting Kansas City on September 18, 2016, and tied the game 2–2.

Donovan appeared in all six remaining matches of the 2016 season as well as in all three play-off matches. He started in five of them and scored one goal. Donovan resigned for the second time after the play-off run.

Donovan signed with Liga MX team León on January 12, 2018, after recovering from retirement for the second time. In the 83rd minute of León's 2–1 victory over Club Puebla, he made his Liga MX debut on February 10, 2018, arriving as a replacement. He scored his first goal for the club in a friendly against his former team, the San Jose Earthquakes, on June 17, 2018. Club León announced that Donovan's deal would be terminated early in the season.

Donovan signed with the San Diego Sockers in the Major Arena Soccer League on January 24, 2019. During his MASL debut in Pechanga Arena San Diego on February 15, he was assisting in a 6–4 victory over the Tacoma Stars. In the next game against Turlock Express, he scored his first two goals for the Sockers, scoring after just 12 seconds. Donovan was named to MASL's Week 14 Team of the Week and later named him as a 2018–2019 All-MASL Top Newcomer.

International career

Donovan was a member of the inaugural class of the United States Soccer's full-time residency program for the under-17 national team at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. He scored 35 goals in 41 games and captured the Golden Ball at the 1999 FIFA World Championship as the tournament's best player in his two years as the tournament's best player. At the 1999 Pan American Games, he also represented the United States. In 2000, he rose to both the United States national soccer team and the senior team. Despite this, he competed for the U-20 national soccer team in 2001. During the 2001 CONCACAF U-20 Tournament in Trinidad, Ian Lee, the captain of Trinidad and Tobago, was involved in a collision on March 20, 2001. Lee collided head to side with Donovan, resulting in Lee being paralysed after suffering neck and spine injuries, while Donovan had fractured ribs. Lee died in 2003 due to injuries exacerbated by his illness, and the stadium now bears his name.

Donovan's World Cup finals debut in the 2002 World Cup started in the wake of Portugal's shock loss of pre-tournament favorites, Portugal, where the Americans defeated the Americans 3–2. In the 29th minute, Donovan's cross was deflected in off Jorge Costa, giving the United States a 2–0 lead. In the 83rd minute of a 3–1 loss to Poland in the third match of the group stage, Donovan would score his first World Cup finals goal. He then scored his second goal of the tournament, on a header that culminated in a 2–0 victory over arch-rival Mexico. Despite the fact that the United States will lose 1–0 to Germany in the quarter-finals, Donovan will later be named Best Young Player of the tournament.

Donovan was a member of the United States squad of the 2006 World Cup, where the Americans were eliminated in the group competition. He was not criticized by American viewers for his efforts, but he failed to score or assist during the three matches. He led the United States to the 2007 Gold Cup Championships with four goals, including a crucial penalty in the 2–1 victory over Mexico in the final. Donovan scored his 35th international goal, a penalty against Sweden, on January 19, 2008, and beat Eric Wynalda as the United States' all-time top goal scorer. Donovan achieved 100 caps in a friendly against Argentina that resulted in a 0–0 draw, becoming the fourth-youngest person to do so. In the group stage of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, Donovan captained the United States due to Carlos Bocanegra's injury absence. Donovan scored on a penalty kick against Italy, just after his team had been reduced to ten men, and the United States scored in a 3–2 loss to Brazil in the final. Donovan scored on a free-kick in San Pedro Sula on October 10, 2009, giving the United States a 3–2 victory over Honduras, who clinched World Cup qualification.

Donovan attended every minute of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He scored against Slovenia in a 2–2 draw and the only goal in the United States' comeback from a 1–0 victory over Algeria, which brought the nation's first place in their World Cup group since 1930. Donovan scored a penalty against Ghana in the round of 16 against Ghana as the United States lost 2–1 after extra time and was barred from the competition. Donovan was the highest scoring American male in World Cup history, but he was the third American man to score in more than a single World Cup after Brian McBride and Clint Dempsey. His five World Cup goals are the most for any man representing a team from CONCACAF.

Despite returning to full time in March, Donovan was left out of the team for the first two World Cup qualifiers of 2013, due to his extended off-season break. However, Donovan had been called to the national team for the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup, which would be played in July. Since a brace against Guatemala in a warmup friendly before the Gold Cup, he became the first United States player to reach the 50 international goal mark and the fourth man in CONCACAF to score 50 international goals. Donovan was the first person to score 50 goals and 50 assists for the United States in their 2013 Gold Cup opener against Belize, in which he had one goal and two assists. Donovan was named the tournament's Best Player award after the United States secured the Gold Cup title with a 1–0 win over Panama, and the tournament was rewarded with five goals. Every match of the tournament for the United States was broadcast by he. For the first time in over a year, Donovan was called up to the full national squad for the U.S.'s September World Cup qualifying matches against Costa Rica and Mexico. In both games, Donovan got off and played 90 minutes. Donovan's corner kick helped with Eddie Johnson's go-ahead goal in the 57th minute, with the United States needing a victory over Mexico to clinch qualification. Donovan scored a low cross from Mix Diskerud in the 78th minute to win the game and a World Cup berth, effectively ending the game and guaranteeing the win and a World Cup berth.

Donovan was named in the preliminary squad for the 2014 World Cup in May 2014 and joined the team in training camp. However, he was controversially dropped from the final US squad by manager Jürgen Klinsmann on May 22, 2014. Donovan's absence from the team also became a comedic subject in a PlayStation Commercial, where Donovan denies that he had to work at a Sony Commercial. Klinsmann later described his decision as "one of the hardest decisions in [his] coaching career," but "I just think the other guys right now are a little bit ahead of him." Klinsmann's decision, which was described by media workers as's abruptly prompted's previous decision, when Klinsmann's son Jonathan published and later deleted a tweet mocking Donovan after the announcement.

Donovan played his 157th and last game for the United States against Ecuador in East Hartford, Connecticut, on October 10, 2014. Despite the differences between Donovan and Klinsmann, United States Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati arranged the game to give Donovan a proper farewell. He was named as the best player of the United States by The Guardian following his retirement.

Donovan was named to the United States national arena soccer team by the end of the 2018-19 season after playing in the Major Arena Soccer League for the first time in the 2018-19 season.

Coaching career

Donovan had been named head coach for a team of young MLS players for the 2015 MLS Homegrown Game, which was announced in July 2015. On July 28, 2015, Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado, hosted the game. According to a 1–1 rule tie and a 4–5 shootout loss, Donovan led a group of MLS academy graduates assembled just one day before the match, which was followed by a 4–5 loss. Donovan was selected and coached by the team for the second time in the 2016 version of the tournament.

Landon Donovan was appointed the inaugural manager of the San Diego Loyal team, a team he helped found and was the vice president of soccer operations. Donovan surrounded himself with an experienced backroom staff, despite the fact that his recruitment was a risk for the team because he had never been trained before. Shannon MacMillan, a former coach in the United States women's national soccer team, and former coach Paul Buckle were among his staff's senior advisors. In addition, Carrie Taylor, Nate Miller, and Matt Hall were all brought in experienced coaches. Donovan said he needed a staff with experience coaches because they might have been able to support him with the day-to-day tasks of a coaching role that he was unfamiliar with.

Donovan led San Diego to a 6-5 record in his first season as coach. When Donovan and the Loyal forfeited their last two games of the season after receiving alleged instances of racial and homophobic abuse directed at their players by the Los Angeles Galaxy II and Phoenix Rising respectively, they went unpunished. Donovan said in the second instance, where Phoenix Rising player Junior Flemmings allegedly ordered a homophobic slur against openly gay San Diego player Collin Martin that became the beginning of a difficult match for ourselves, our families, the club, and the USL that we would not stand for bigotry, homophobic slurs, and other stuff that doesn't belong to our sport. Our players in the moment of being in the center and passion of the game, but we would have to communicate and act if we wanted to be true to who we are as a club. We all agreed that if the player who used the homophobic slur was not suspended from the game – either by the authorities or by his coach – we did not participate. We can't be able to act if they aren't ready to act, we'll have to act."

Off the field career

Donovan joined the ESPN broadcast team for the World Cup as a studio analyst after being left off the 2014 World Cup roster for the United States. Donovan became a color commentator for FOX Sports, covering the Copa América Centenary's coverage in the United States-Ecuador quarterfinals.

Donovan and Warren Smith, a co-founder of Sacramento Republic FC, formed a USL Championship expansion team in June 2019. In 2020, the team debuted in the USL Championship for the first time. Warren Smith will be the president, while Donovan will be the executive vice president of soccer operations and head coach of the new club. The team's name and crest, which were provisionally named USL San Diego, will be forged through fan involvement and represent the city's interests. The team revealed their branding and branding on November 2, 2019 and announced the team's name, San Diego Loyal SC.

Donovan will join Lincoln City as a Strategic Advisor, as well as Chief Executive Liam Scully and Director of Football Jez George, enhancing the club's network and contacts, particularly within North America, on June 17th.

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