Landon Donovan is the face of U.S. Soccer: talented but underachieving, too good for MLS but not good enough to the top European leagues. David Beckham is the face of what US Soccer would like to become. The two have always been at odds in that sense, but never more overtly or more publicly than now.
Donovan rips his L.A. Galaxy teammate in a new book, calling him lazy, selfish and disloyal. And oh, by the way, that book is scheduled to come out two days before Beckham’s long-awaited return to MLS in front of a passionate and knowledgeable New York crowd. You wanted a spectacle, MLS? You got one.
Beckham’s career in Los Angeles has been limited to 30 appearances due to injury and a controversial loan to A.C. Milan. Galaxy attendance is down 7,000 from last season, and Donovan, who gave up a chance to play in Europe early in his career to stay in the States, took offense. I’m quoting the excerpt in its entirety, because it just keeps getting better and better.
‘When David first came, I believed he was committed to what he was doing. But somewhere along the way he just flipped a switch and said “Uh-uh, I’m not doing it any more”. My sense is that David thinks it’s a joke.
‘All that we care about at a minimum is that he committed himself to us. If someone’s paying you more than anybody in the league, more than double anybody in the league, the least we expect is that you show up to every game, whether you’re suspended or not.
‘Show up and train hard. Show up and play hard. Maybe he’s not a leader, maybe he’s not a captain. Fair enough. But at a minimum you should bust your ass every day.
‘That hasn’t happened. And I don’t think that’s too much for us to expect. Especially when he’s brought all this on us.
‘I can’t even say he’s a good team-mate any more. He’s not shown that. I can’t think of another guy where I’d say he wasn’t a good team-mate, he didn’t give everything through all this, he didn’t still care.
‘If that’s the way he’s going to be, fine, then hold him accountable. Bench him. Just say, “We’re not going to play you, we don’t think you’re committed”.’
And Beckham has an opt-out clause that could end his brief MLS stay after this season. So get your booing in while you can.
2:08 pm on July 2nd, 2009
Beck’s definitely not Pele..
2:18 pm on July 2nd, 2009
About time someone said something, but I guess it’s the old “if a tree falls in the woods and no one’s around, does it make a sound?”
2:41 pm on July 2nd, 2009
Beckham had to be one of LA sports biggest over hyped waste of time embarrassments in its history of sports…..oh wait Manny coming back next week O.K the second most over hyped waste of time sports stories in L.A sports history.
The Beckhams tried to be L.A socialites…that failed
They tried to make him a sex symbol in L.A by posting billboards of him in underwear all over L.A….women were turned off by his tiny voice and crooked teeth…that failed
Bringing the whitest soccer player ever to a mostly mexican city of L.A didnt keep the fans attention….Fail
Now Landon donavon is taking cracks at him.
is it me or does Landon Donavon look like the guy Roger Guenveur Smith from do the right thing….mmmmmm malcom!
4:05 pm on July 2nd, 2009
Landon passed up an opportunity to play in Europe? No, more likely, passed up an opportunity to ride the bench.
I guess he can talk a little smack now after the USA’s unexpected showing in the ConCup. I’ll give him credit for that.
8:40 pm on July 2nd, 2009
Beckham came over here and showed U.S. soccer fans nothing. It would be one thing if he tore up the MLS with his talent, then decided to leave for Europe. But he didn’t do anything, he didn’t even show some character. Enjoy Italy. Don’t come back, you overrated wanker!
9:40 pm on July 2nd, 2009
Becks is everything Landon wants to be but cant. If Paolo Maldini was saying this, Becks might feel like crap, but its little Landon. Maybe coming to the USA was not the best idea, but you cant do it by yourself. Even Pele needed George Best and Giorgio Chinaglia and the league still folded because they couldnt pay everyone because fan interest waned. Until the MLS can afford to pay the big bucks to more then one guy because the fans are packing all the stadiums, the off the field smack talk is meaningless. Landon is purely minor leagues and Becks swats him like a fly with his resume.
8:32 am on July 6th, 2009
Landon isn’t releasing anything. He didn’t write this book. Grant Wahl, an SI sportswriter did. Obviously, he interviewed Landon and others during the course of his research for it. Great fact checking SbB!
5:44 pm on October 19th, 2009
Well MLS Fucking Suck Anyway