Landon Donovan is a soccer icon in the United States, so much so that Major League Soccer named their MVP Award after him. (Seriously, it’s called “The Landon Donovan MVP Award.”) Over the course of his 15-year career, Donovan played around the world – MLS, Premier League, Bundesliga, Olympics, you name it – and retired as America’s all-time leader in goals and assists in international play.
Despite all the accolades, the end of Donovan’s career didn’t come without controversy. After being a member of the U.S. National Team for years, he was cut from the roster leading up to the 2014 World Cup to the amazement of just about everyone. That includes himself.
And apparently, he’s still upset about it.
After the U.S. Women’s National Team advanced to the World Cup final with a 2-0 victory against Germany on Tuesday night, Donovan took to Twitter to comment on how important leadership is from someone like Abby Wambach (a fellow, aging star who has seen her role diminish on the team) during a high-stakes tournament. It’s a nice compliment from a living legend, sure, but it doubled as a sassy subtweet directed entirely at Jurgen Klinsmann, the man who snubbed him last year.
Love the enthusiasm and veteran presence of @AbbyWambach despite not playing much. That kind of leadership is priceless during a WC
— Landon Donovan (@landondonovan) July 1, 2015
Alexi Lalas, former member of the national team turned FOX Sports analyst, put the icing on the cake by giving Donovan a taste of his own medicine.
Agreed. @J_Klinsmann should have taken @AbbyWambach. https://t.co/YSB2atDagU
— Alexi Lalas (@AlexiLalas) July 1, 2015
Hey, Landon, shit happens. Maybe it’s time to bury the hatchet – after all, you’ve got a trophy named after you. Then again, maybe not. Earlier today, seemingly dumbfounded by all the attention his tweet has received, Donovan responded, claiming he’s all about “positivity.”
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