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| Landon a few days after scoring the game-winning goal in MLS Cup 2011 |
Wow. It doesn't matter that on paper, this player was 1.2 points better than Landon Donovan on whatever stat you are using. Wow. You're talking about USA's all-time leading scorer and while it may debatable if he would be in the Starting XI, a mind exercise if he should be on the lineup's 18, he deserved to be
as one of the 23. Of course, there will probably be some unfortunately injury, and Donovan will be added back on, and, yes, this has been great PR in the media as sports radio is all a-buzz about this (especially on the great Colin Cowherd's show), but it's still a slap in the face to probably one of the few, if not only person most non-soccer fans will recognize on the roster. It's 23 players. If you want to give some younglings who won't play a World Cup experience, bring them to Brazil, buy them a front row seat behind your bench, and let them grow from there. It's not like the NBA, where you have dozens of great players and great personalities vying for 12 or so spots. You've got like three (Donovan, Dempsey, Howard). Take them and add the other 20. This is not a rebuilding year or a "we'll make a star out of someone" campaign.
I'm conveniently ignoring the fact that Donovan took a well-needed sabbatical during a key qualifying period and that he has yet to score the one goal this season to become MLS's leading scorer, but hey, he's a nice guy and takes a great photo.
Oh, yeah, I hope to get the World Cup Pool site up by June 1st but if you want to fill out your bracket now, you can
download the form and rules here!
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