Donovan retires as a champion
The career of Landon Donovan, the greatest US soccer player of all-time, has come to an end.
With a total of 217 appearances for the US men’s national team from the under-17 squad all the way to the senior squad, Donovan is a national record holder with 101 goals for the country.
Donovan started his career with the German club Bayer Leverkusen. He started on the junior squad gaining 28 appearances for the junior squad and scoring nine goals. Eventually he made it onto the senior squad, scoring no goals in seven games and was loaned out to MLS club the San Jose Earthquakes.
During his time at San Jose, Donovan scored 32 goals in 87 games winning two MLS cups. After the 2004 season Donovan was transferred from San Jose to the LA Galaxy. This is where Donovan spent the bulk of his career, winning three MLS cups while scoring 112 goals in 247 appearances for the Galaxy playing alongside English soccer legend David Beckham and Irishman Robbie Keane.
During his tenure at LA he was loaned out three times, twice to Everton and once to German super club Bayern Munich. While out on loan he scored two goals in 23 appearances. Needless to say Landon Donovan is the best US soccer player of all time and will have a chance to go out on top.
This past Sunday , the LA Galaxy won the MLS cup 2-1 and Donovan retired a champion. Donovan didn’t score any goals in the game but assisted the game winner to MLS MVP Robbie Keane.
LA scored first in the 51st minute with a sensational strike from Gyasi Zardes slipping the ball just inside the post. New England’s keeper had no chance. After the game Zardes said “My philosophy is that if you are going to miss, have the right power and height just miss the post and miss wide.”
Later in the game Chris Tierney scored off a chip past the keeper and he leveled the score at 1-1. Lee Nguyen an MLS MVP finalist was subbed off in the 86th minute and it looked like New England lost their touch. In the 111th minute in extra time Robbie Keane scored on a powerful strike into the back of the net. It gave the Galaxy a 2-1 lead and Landon Donovan will retire a champion.
BD grad honored this week
Ben Davis’ own Lauren (Cheaney) Holiday was honored with the prestigious award of the top US female soccer player of the 2013/2014 season after scoring 21 goals in 40 appearances for the club FC Kansas City and scoring five goals for the National team. Holiday graduated from Ben Davis in 2006 and has won two Olympic Gold medals.
