Two weeks ago, most American sports were bewildered when the U.S. Men's National Team for the 2014 World Cupwas announced and there was no Landon Donovan on the 23-man roster. At first, Jurgen Klinsmann kept it simple, responding to Donovan's absence on the team by saying, "I just see some other players slightly ahead of him." However, in a recent New York Times interview with Klinsmann, the piece explores what went into the USMNT manager's decision.
In Klinsmann’s mind — and job description — the long view is always in sight, even in the midst of World Cup myopia. That is one reason a player everyone has heard of, Landon Donovan, the national team’s all-time leader in goals and assists, was not picked to go to Brazil. That is one reason a player no one has heard of, Julian Green, was.
Obviously, the decision didn't sit well with American sports fans, who felt that Donovan deserved a spot given his success in previous international matches. But that mentality is where Klinsmann believes the problem lies.
To Klinsmann, the idea that Donovan deserved a place on the team represented much that is wrong with American sports. He has never understood the American coaching custom of deferring to a team’s stars.
Does Jurgen have a point? Gilbert Arenaswould definitely agree with that point-of-view. But what do you think? Sound off in the comments section.
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[via Dime]
