It should come as little surprise to anyone that Landon Donovan has been the lone spark plug for the LA Galaxy thus far in their MLS campaign. Until about ten days ago, Donovan had scored or assisted every goal the Galacticos had put up all year.
As he practically sleep walks through another season in MLS, America's all-time leading marksman still seems to be begging for a bigger stage. He may soon, once again, get his wish.
This summer will be replete with chances for Donovan. A good performance against some of the world's best at the Confederations Cup in South Africa is likely to have suitors banging on the door again, and this may be his last chance to get this transfer deal right.
His MLS performances this year will have done little to placate a growing pool of doubters, so shortly after Donovan failed to stick in Germany for a third time. It seems like he has permanently lost credibility with many American fans, who always seem to have held him to a higher standard. More importantly, Donovan's stock has sunk with much of the European soccer establishment.
That's a shame, because it's somewhat unfair. But perhaps no more unfair than Donovan continues to be to himself, by getting into situations in Europe which give him a very low chance of success.
When suitors come calling this summer, Donovan would be best advised to learn a lesson from occasional teammate David Beckham. Donovan will forever be connected to the English midfielder on and off the field, and with good reason. The American says he has learned a lot from the current AC Milan star on the field, and now he needs to pay attention to the Englishman's moves off of it.
While Donovan was struggling in the cold of Munich, his English dandy companion was off to Milan, playing a handful of mediocre matches in which he was handed the starting job from the get-go, after which ensued what appeared to be an international bidding war for his services.
As Milan and MLS scrapped back and forth, the wily Beckham looked on and tried to make nice with everyone, while seemingly bidding his own price up behind the scenes. Beckham - or his advisers- had ingenuously created a win-win from the beginning, from the loan at Milan back to the MLS opt-out clause he negotiated years ago.
Donovan, on the other hand, tends to put himself in a lose-lose scenarios. He had to fight for a few minutes at Bayern, where he found himself once again in an untenable position abroad, allowing his success to be defined in terms of a permanent transfer.
While the American seems to have further improved his game in Germany, the public understanding of his time there, both in the media and in international soccer circles, was of yet another failure, because of the perception that a good performance would lead to that permanent move.
It had long since been clear that such an event was never going to happen.
Even had Donovan lit up the Bundesliga, MLS is unlikely to have accepted what would have almost certainly been a low-ball offer for the transfer of one of their top performers. If MLS consistently turns down millions for Kenny Cooper and Taylor Twellman, no way would they have accepted a few more for Donovan.
Few at Bayern really wanted him anyway. Coach Jurgen Klinsmann seems to have been the only who really cared if he played at Bayern or not, and the coach himself is now gone, following a slide early in the second half of the season.
The difference in quality between Donovan and Beckham at this point can be considered minimal at best. Donovan certainly has more upside, is younger, and is more flexible on the field. If I had to pick one player or the other to start a side right now, from a soccer standpoint, I would take Donovan.
But the difference in their off-field acumen is light years.
Because of all those on-field bonuses, the American who the Mexicans most fear will get another chance to make an impact on the European stage, but this go round he needs to take his chances as clinically as he normally does on the field. A situation with less pressure and immediacy would do him good.
Donovan needs a mid to upper table team, not one of the huge European clubs, in a league like Spain or Holland, where his game will be appreciated and a spot will be regularly his. He is no longer a young pup in soccer years, and the correct fit will be a team that is looking for a player to insert directly into the lineup to give their attack some bite. And he needs to go over the summer, to give himself a proper preseason window to fit in and earn the confidence of his teammates and coach.
One coach that already believes in the American all-time leading goal scorer is Klinsmann. Wherever the German lands, possibly in England, would be the ideal situation for Donovan, with a coach who believes in him, and a full season's chance to show his wares. The two, as they commiserate about the failings of Bayern's board, can inspire mutual confidence in one another.
Klinsmann is likely to provide Donovan's best shot at playing for a team willing to pony up what MLS will be asking for their top American star. If the right chance doesn't come up this summer, Donovan may be better off to wait until the summer of 2010.
Having already struck out on the European stage, the next approach will be a mulligan, with already lower expectations. Donovan seems to turn his failures into ambition, and if he hasn't moved yet, he will be motivated to take on the world in South Africa in 2010.
After that, hopefully, he will choose a situation that is right for him.
No matter his future, Donovan is by any measure a great American soccer player, arguably the best of all time. His career doesn't need a successful European adventure for validation, but some European goals would erase any asterisk that his doubters will otherwise forever put next to his name.
The opinions expressed are those of the author only. While others at Yanks Abroad may hold similar opinions, they do not represent the views of Yanks Abroad or any of our partners.
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