When Landon Donovan was cut by US national team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann ahead of the World Cup in Brazil, many wondered how the star, long the face of the USMNT, would deal with the news.
Although the LA Galaxy star was outspoken in his disappointment at the news, he also continued to publicly support the US team.
But after coming in for some criticism in the wake of an interview Donovan with Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times on Saturday, the US and MLS all-time leading scorer felt the need to clear the air again.
"It’s disappointing when quotes are taken out of context and, as a result, misleading headlines are given unnecessary attention," Donovan
wrote on his Facebook page on Monday
.
In the article, Plaschke characterized Donovan's initial feelings towards the US as "he briefly rooted against them" in a World Cup tune-up game.
"I'll be completely honest, watching them play Azerbaijan, inside, part of me was thinking, I hope the game doesn't go very well today," the article quoted Donovan as saying. "In my heart of hearts, I thought, if we get a 1-0 win and the team doesn't perform well, that would feel good."
"Then the next day I woke up and said to myself, that's a really crappy way to feel," he continued. "That's a bad way to live your life, it doesn't help me, it doesn't help the team, it doesn't help the energy that the team needs."
Donovan's Facebook post continued to express his support of the team and his friends in Brazil.
"I love this country and the US National Team and always will," he wrote. "Let's all focus on what’s important - supporting the team and getting a win tomorrow against Belgium!"
The US will play Belgium in the Round of 16 on Tuesday (
4 pm ET, ESPN/Univision in US, CBC in Canada
).
