Sports stats



MLS LA Galaxy

Landon Donovan in High Spirits During U.S. National Team Camp

May 20, 2014 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
LA Galaxy News Release


In each of the four World Cup cycles that Landon Donovan has been a part of, he's faced very different expectations.

Whether it was in 2002, where he was a young upstart in a team of veterans, in 2006 and 2010, where he had solidified his role as the team's star and primary attacker, or the present day and his much discussed position within Jurgen Klinsmann's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Donovan has constantly been able to adapt to the changing positions.

Just prior to departing for the U.S. camp, the LA Galaxy forward stated that he was no longer "a lock" to represent the U.S. in Brazil, but as he continues his participation in the Americans' pre-World Cup camp on the campus of Stanford University, Donovan isn't about to give up his place on the squad.

"This is my last chance at this," said Donovan. "In that way, it's new and exciting. It's always fun to see younger faces and I've had a benefit of being next to a guy here in LA who is super excited for this opportunity. I've been sharing this with him and it makes it more excited for me."

"Right now, we're all in a mode where we're competing and trying to make a team. It really consumes your energy at all times and making sure that you're doing all the right things to make the team," he added. "I'm very confident in my ability and I think that I deserve to be a part of the squad, but I have to prove that."

As he continues to earn a spot on the squad, Donovan has been pleased with his performance in the camp to date, acknowledging that he's been able to participate in training unencumbered by injury as he looks to get fit as possible by the time the USMNT's June 16 match with Ghana rolls around.

As he begins to hit his stride physically, Donovan hopes to use his experience to lift a U.S. team that will be different than the side that was an Asamoah Gyan extra time goal from reaching the quarterfinals during the 2010 tournament.

"The more types of round-robin tournaments the better because it's not like playing in your league," Donovan said. "[In these tournaments] maybe you get a tie when you should have won, but here every play matters and every goal matters. Everything that happens in these games is magnified.

"Having played in tournaments like the World Cup, the Confederations Cup and the Gold Cup is very valuable," said Donovan. "Fortunately, we have a lot of guys on the team who have that type of experience."

But amid the pressure of trying to reach a squad, the 32-year-old Donovan admits that he's enjoying each moment of what could be his last U.S. World Cup camp.

"It brings out the best in guys because every day, guys are fighting for a chance to be in the World Cup," said Donovan. "You never know when you get that chance again so it's made it very challenging, but I think it's a lot of fun."

Check out the LA Galaxy Statistics



Major League Soccer Stories from May 20, 2014


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central