Just over two weeks ago, United States national soccer team coach Jurgen Kinsmann stunned team U.S.A. fans by announcing that midfielder/forward Landon Donovan would not be joining the team in Brazil for the 2014 World Cup. Klinsmann's critics immediately suspected that the coach merely had it in for Donovan, a stalwart in the U.S.'s three previous World Cup appearances and a large reason for team U.S.A.'s success for over a decade.
Klinsmann's critics gained ammunition for their suspicions when, immediately following the coach's announcement regarding Donovan, Klinsmann's son sent out a tweet mocking Donovan and rejoicing over the decision. The impression was that Klinsmann's son had at least been privy to words of exasperation spoken by his father about Donovan's role on the U.S. national team.
Klinsmann did himself no favors by likening Donovan's situation to that of "so many U.S. athletes past their prime." Klinsmann suggested that granting Donovan a position on the team, in spite of his mileage and less than full fitness, was akin to the L.A. Lakers giving Kobe Bryant a massive contract in the twilight of his career. The coach lamented the purported epidemic of U.S. sports franchises rewarding athletes for what they have done, rather than for what they are doing and are likely to do going forward.
In addition to supporting his detractor's impression that he simply has a personality conflict with Donovan, Klinsmann's analogy is fatally flawed for, among other reasons, failing to account for the fact that Donovan's presence on this year's World Cup team would not be a reward for what he has done in the past but would, in fact, recognize what Donovan still brings to the team and what that means for the team going forward.
There is little question that Donovan is not a starting forward for team U.S.A. in 2014. Of course, that never really was Donovan's role with the national team. That he was regarded as a forward this year is simply a product of Klinsmann's decision to so label him. For if Donovan truly was fit enough to be considered a forward in any World Cup team's final roster, he certainly was more aptly considered a midfielder on a U.S. team that essentially plays with five midfielders. How Donovan is not among the best five midfielders on the U.S. roster is confounding. How he is not among at least the reserve midfielders is confounding and befuddling, and, probably, telling as to Klinsmann's dislike for Donovan, for whatever reason.
There is still a possibility that Donovan replaces one of the current members of this year's squad and there are certainly people whose place Donovan could take without depriving the team of a meaningful option. One of the most obvious options is to permit Donovan to slide into Julian Green's spot. Green is far from polished at the international level and is likely to see the pitch in Brazil only if Klinsmann simply cannot resist some nationalist urging.
By eschewing Donovan, Klinsmann is missing on a golden opportunity to shore up his team in an area in which he has had nothing but problems since joining the U.S. side, the defensive back. Despite lesser speed than he once displayed, Donovan still has good touch on the ball, sees the field well, and has good instinct. Those are all attributes that make for a solid middle defender. Smart play at the back is what the U.S. is missing right now and it is precisely what Donovan would give the team. The question is whether Klinsmann is smart enough to recognize that transitioning Donovan to the back line would be good for the U.S. not only this year, but for at least one more, if not two more World Cup cycles.
Up Next: How Team U.S.A. Advances to the Semi-Final Round.
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