[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by demonrail666

It's not cut and dried. I can understand the reasons for it and defences of it. I just think a World Cup is the wrong time for a manager to try and make a point. Donovan was key to your qualification and should at least be a squad option, not for sentimental reasons but because even at 80% he's still one of the best players you have. To roughly quote that article, if the USMT squad is uniformly better than Donovan, the US are serious contenders for the cup. Which obviously isn't the case. If Klinsmann wanted to axe Donovan he shouldn't waited till after the WC.

problem is he's gone downhill since qualification. he's supposedly battling injury and i understand he hasn't scored with LA galaxy all season (i don't really follow but that's what i read). bruce arena came out in support of him ("if there are 23 players better…") because he's his coach. i know it's not cut and dried and i can see both sides of it, but that's exactly my point, there are 2 sides, which is why i made sure to bring up this side to the discussion, rather than "oh klinsmann how could you."

i also think it's rather tragic that donovan is seen as the greatest american football hero. i mean, he's nobody outside of the MLS. meanwhile, tim howard is everton's GK. hello.