Donovan Landon - best forward MLS

Donovan Landon Timothy is a former American footballer, best known for his appearances as a member of the Los Angeles Galaxy and the US national team.

Dossier

Landon Donovan was born on March 4, 1982 in the city of Ontario (California, USA). Citizen of the USA. Years of appearances in big football - 1999-2014. Playing position - midfielder / forward. Height 174 cm, weight 68 kg. He is married. The spouse's name is Henna Bartell. During the speeches differed not only straightforwardness, but also decent speed, good technique, constant charging for power struggle.

Statistics of speeches

Landon Donovan is a unique player. He competed in the championships of three countries (USA, Germany and England) for 5 different clubs. At the club level, he played 478 fights, in which he scored 190 goals. But international prominence Landon did not get thanks to performances in the leading European teams, but only because of the excellent game in the MLS championship for the Los Angeles Galaxy club, as well as the US team. Club career of the player was held in the teams:

• 1999/05 - Bayer (Germany);
• 2001/04 - San Jose Erways (USA);
• 2005/14 - Los Angeles Galaxy (USA);
• 2009 - "Bavaria" (Germany);
• 2010, 2012 - Everton (England).

In the US youth team, Landon Donovan began to be involved since 1998. In the period from 1998 to 2000 he played for U-17 and U-21 (56 matches, 44 goals). In 2000, he played four meetings for the US Olympic team (1 goal). From 2000 to 2014, Donovan played 157 fights for the home team of his country, which scored 57 goals.

Stages of football path

Unlike most local boys, raving hockey and American football, little Donovan fell in love with soccer from a young age. Already at the age of six he became a pupil of the IMG football academy, a school where young players were trained as part of the program for the development and training of junior, youth and Olympic teams in the United States. From 1988 to 1999, he improved his skills in the youth teams "Cal Hit" and "IMG Academy."

Strangely enough, but the first professional club with which Donovan concluded the agreement was the representative of the German Bundesliga Leverkusen "Bayer". With this team, Landon signed a contract for a period of six years. The young player tried very hard to prove himself from the very best side to become a full-fledged football player of the main line-up of Bayer. However, having played 8 games for Bayer-2, he was given as a leased player to the San Jose Erways team. Donovan had the opportunity to prove his professionalism in his homeland at the MLS Championship, in which the best clubs of the USA and Canada take part.

And Landon proved. For four years of appearances in the American team, he became one of the best football players in the United States, and later the No. 1 scorer of the national team of the country. For the "Artway" played 101 bout, scored 42 goals, three times in a row recognized as the best player of the year in the US.

In 2005, as a football star of the MLS championship, he again tries to test himself in the German championship. The second call was more successful, but not enough to satisfy the player's ambitions. After seven games for Bayer, Landon returns to the United States again. This time (by agreement with the leadership of the Leverkusen club), he chooses the team for himself.

The choice fell on the Los Angeles Galaxy. In this club, Donovan spoke for ten years. From 2005 to 2014, he played 270 matches, scored 121 goals. At one time, he spoke side by side with David Beckham himself, giving him in honor of the captain's armband. But after the transfer of the English player to Milan, Landon again became the captain of the team on an ongoing basis. In September 2010, Donovan becomes the best goladora "Galaxy" in the history of the club.

It so happened that in the offseason of the MLS, the best players of the American League conclude short-term contracts with the European teams of Italy, England, Germany. We succumbed to this temptation and our hero. From November 2008 to March 2009, he again (for the third and last time) tries his hand at the Bundesliga. But this time he does not return to Bayer. Landon concludes a short-term lease agreement with a grandiose of German football Munich Bayern.

Unfortunately, Donovan did not develop here either (Donovan Landon - "Bavaria" did not take part). Number, as the fakirs say, failed. Having played five friendly matches and five official matches for the Munich club, the football player once again flies through the expanses of the Atlantic home.

The next attempt to declare himself in the "old light", he undertakes at the end of the MLS 2009 championship season, signing a lease agreement with the English "Everton". And she was a success. For the London club, Landon played 13 fights (2 goals), was voted the player of the month in the championship of England, his team was interested in his services. But the player was prevented from renewing the contract by the leadership of Galaxy, and Donovan returned home. Once again, he visited Everton in 2012, but it would be better if he did not do it. Having played 7 fights, the football player ordered a ticket for the flight "London -" New York ". So why could not a full-time football player named Donovan Landon play in Europe?

"Bayern" did not want to renew the agreement because of the presence of such attackers, who at that time could not warm the bench (Luka Toni, Miroslav Klose). "Everton" could not (for the first time) settle the financial terms of the contract with "Galaxy", and then he himself was in a financial hole. "Bayer" also just bet on other players who had at least a smaller talent, but a more accommodating nature.

Domestic fan Donovan Landon remembered at the world championships in 2002 and 2010 in the US team. At the World Championships in Japan and Korea, he scored goals against the teams of Poland and Mexico. Here, his team overcame the stage of the group stage and fought in the quarterfinals against the team of Germany. Although the "staff" lost to the "Bundesmachine" (0: 1), Donovan himself was recognized as the best young player of the tournament. The 2006 World Cup proved to be less successful for the US team (the team dropped out after the group stage). Landon also took part in the 2010 World Cup, where his ball, scored in the 91st minute of the fight against Algeria, was recognized not only as one of the most beautiful in the tournament, but also helped the Americans to leave the group. And although the US team lost in the 1/8 finals to the Ghana team, Donovan again earned his game respect and recognition. He could take part in the 2014 World Cup, but at the last moment head coach Jurgen Klinsmann refused the services of an age-old and absurd player.

In general, the international football career of the football player was not limited only to playing in the world championships. He took part in the draws of the Confederations Cup, the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the Pan American Games.

Trophies and achievements

Team trophies and personal awards at Landon are so many that we list only the most important and worthy references. As part of the US team, he became a four-time winner of the CONCACAF Gold Cup (2002, 2005, 2007, 20013), the silver medalist of the Confederations Cup (2009). As a Galaxy player, Donovan Landon was a two-time winner of the US championship, a four-time owner of the MLS Cup.

Personal awards and achievements: The Golden Ball of the best player of the World Cup 1999 (U-17), the prize of the best scorer of the MLS championship of 2008 (20 goals). Donovan Landon is a member of the symbolic MLS team of all times, the seven-time best football player of the US team, the top scorer (144 goals) and the best rallying player (136) in MLS history, the top scorer of the US national team (57 goals).