Landon Donovan biography: United States Footballer

Landon Donovan biography

United States football player

Place of birth: Ontario, California, USA

Date of birth: March 4, 1982
Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Playing position: Midfielder / Forward

Career

Youth clubs
Bayer Leverkusen
Senior clubs
Club App (Gls)
San Jose Earthquakes (loan) 87 (32)
Bayer Leverkusen 7 (0)
Los Angeles Galaxy 48 (24)
National team
United States 88 (30)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 13 April 2007.
National team caps and goals correct as of 25 March 2007.

Landon is the son of Tim Donovan, a former hockey player from British Columbia, and Donna Kenney Cash. Donovan grew up in Redlands, California, and attended Redlands East Valley. Landon signed a pro contract with Bayer Leverkusen in February 1999 at 17, before playing in the U-17 World Championship, where he won a Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.

Landon could not break into the first team with Leverkusen due to age restrictions and, unhappy with his situation in Germany, was loaned to the San Jose Earthquakes, playing in Major League Soccer, for the 2001 season. In MLS, Donovan had success, leading the Earthquakes to MLS Cup championships in 2001 and 2003 and became one of the most recognizable faces of soccer in America. In four years in the league, he scored 32 goals and 29 assists in league play, and 10 goals and six assists in the playoffs. Donovan was named US Soccer Athlete of the Year in 2003.

After starring in the 2000 Summer Olympics, he earned a first cap for the US National Team on October 25, 2000 against Mexico, scoring on his debut. He was integral to the US run to the quarter finals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea / Japan, scoring two goals. Through the 2006 FIFA World Cup, he amassed 88 caps for the US, scoring 30 goals, including a rare four goal game against Cuba in 2003. On April 11, 2006, Landon became the US' all time assist leader with 23 when he set up Ben Olsen. The previous all time assist leader was Cobi Jones.

Landon wore both numbers 21 and 10 on the national team, the latter when Claudio Reyna was unavailable. Since Reyna's retirement from the national team, Donovan now wears the number 10 full time.

On June 3, 2004, Bayer Leverkusen announced Donovan would return to the club in 2005, and Landon followed suit, announcing his return to Germany on November 23, 2004. He became the first man to be named US Soccer Athlete of the Year two years in a row, taking the award for that year.

In early 2005, Donovan put in decent performances, but ultimately failed to impress. Most notable was a performance in the away fixture of UEFA Champions League against eventual champion Liverpool FC, where a Landon Donovan turnover allowed a Liverpool forward to score one of three in a 3 - 1 loss. Confirming statements of his critics who from the beginning said he didn't have the necessary commitment, Landon stated his intentions to come back to MLS, and club officials respected his wishes. San Jose traded away part of Landon' allocation, a return to San Jose was not possible. One week before the start of the season, Los Angeles traded leading scorer Carlos Ruiz, a striker, to FC Dallas to get on top of the allocation pecking order and signed Landon, a midfielder, on March 31, 2005.

In his first season with the Galaxy, Donovan scored 12 league goals and 10 assists and added four goals and an assist in the playoffs as the Galaxy won the MLS Cup (his third MLS championship to date). He was named to the MLS All-Time Best XI after the season. In a second season with the Galaxy, Donovan scored 12 league goals and 8 assists. Donovan also scored 3 goals in the Open Cup. Despite this, Landon and Galaxy failed to make the play - offs and lost in the Open Cup to Chicago Fire. Donovan's playoff goals make him MLS' 2nd all time leading scorer in the play - offs with 14, behind Carlos Ruiz with 15.

Many soccer critics have criticized Donovan for returning to MLS, as he is perceived to be not up to the rigours of European soccer, although he expressed interest in playing in England. Many also criticized Landon for his poor performance on the USA national team at the 2006 World Cup Finals in Germany. With the completion of the 2006 World Cup Finals, Donovan had not scored for the national team in 17 matches.

When Donovan returned to the Galaxy after the 2006 World Cup, new head coach Frank Yallop awarded him A Los Angeles captaincy, taking over from Peter Vagenas, still active with the Galaxy. Landon resides in Manhattan Beach, California with his wife, actress Bianca Kajlich. They married on December 31, 2006.

On February 7, 2007, Donovan scored the US' second goal in their 2 - 0 victory over Mexico in a international friendly in Glendale, Arizona, after assisting on their first goal by Jimmy Conrad. Landons goal was only his second in eighteen months

Misspell

Londan Donnovan Lanndon Donovann Landone Doneovan

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