BRISTOL, Conn. – Landon Donovan took the high road, even if it was clear there was much left unsaid.
Donovan still believes he should have been in Brazil with the United States national team instead of commenting on the action back home. He still feels both he and his family were deprived of a once-in-a-lifetime moment by the roster snub that effectively ended his international career in May.
And the coach responsible for those decisions, USMNT boss Jurgen Klinsmann, spoke his mind once again on Thursday, reiterating his feeling that the 32-year-old Donovan could have done even more during his career. Although Donovan says he hadn't seen Klinsmann's comments, he still responded in kind.
“I think it’s easy for people to judge others in their career choices, in their life choices,” Donovan said Friday during a press conference on the campus of ESPN. “I’ve tried to choose not to do that because I don’t live anyone else’s life, and likewise nobody lives my life. I’ve always tried to make decisions that were best for me and best for my family and best for my happiness. I realize that’s not always popular with people.”
Donovan will play his final game for the United States on Friday in nearby East Hartford (7 pm ET, ESPN and UniMas), the first time he and Klinsmann will share the spotlight since Donovan was controversially cut from the US World Cup team.
Klinsmann, for his part, explained that he was disappointed Donovan did not test himself in Europe for a prolonged period, instead of a handful of short-term spells: two ill-fated stints as a young man at Bayer Leverkusen, two brief but successful loans with Everton and a much-maligned stint under Klinsmann at Bayern Munich.
Instead, Donovan preferred to do it his way, whether that meant staying close to home in Major League Soccer with the LA Galaxy or leaving the game briefly in early 2013 to address physical and mental fatigue, even if the sabbatical may have cost him a spot on Klinsmann’s national team.
Donovan admitted on Friday that the period of personal introspection and professional respite was brought on partly by bouts with depression, showing a surprising honesty that has become commonplace for a player who’s consistently spoken his mind about any and all issues on and off the field.
It’s a trait US Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati, who considers Donovan a friend, singled out in his remarks on Friday. Although Gulati declined to comment about the World Cup roster snub specifically, he praised the career choices that made Donovan a success.
“In the end, he’s chosen a way that he’s been comfortable with, that’s been painful at times and joyous on many occasions,” Gulati said, turning to address Donovan on the dais. “He’s lived his life in the way he wanted to. All of us that have watched it, a long time or more recently, have gotten great pleasure out of what you’ve done on the field. At a personal level, I’m extraordinarily happy that you’ve done it the way you’ve wanted to do it.”
Ultimately, the state of the game in the United States is better for it as well.
Donovan may have shunned opportunities abroad, but he became the unquestioned public face of a league and federation in need of someone to both carry the soccer banner and then back it up on the field when the pressure to perform was at its nadir.
“I’m sure a lot of people wish my career had gone a different way, but it’s funny how things work out,” Donovan said with Gulati beside him and MLS Commissioner Don Garber looking on. “When we look at the state of Major League Soccer now and where it’s come from, I’m really proud to have been a part of that growth. When you look at the national team and where it is now, I’m really happy to have been a part of that growth.”
And even if Donovan's not entirely satisfied with the way things ended with the US team – though he admitted Friday night’s farewell match would be a special moment to share with the 20 family members in attendance – there's no signs of regret from the USA's all-time leading scorer.
“I’ve always made decisions that were best for me, and I know that’s not always wildly popular,” Donovan said. “I think that’s an important thing to do in life. If I lived my life based on what others wanted, I’d probably have a pretty miserable life. I’m happy with the decisions I’ve made.”
