Klinsmann bashes Donovan and Kobe Bryant!!

He's got a point

He's 100 percent right on both accounts.

Here's where I've landed on Donovan. I think he's easily, easily one of our best 23 players. Klinsmann knows that. But he's stubborn enough to refuse to reward Donovan for his unwillingness to push himself over the last four years.

You know, I'm just now watching the latest ESPN Inside US Soccer March to Brazil, and Kyle Beckerman recounts his time against Panama, where his opponent asked him to take it easy. His response: "We're going to Brazil, but there's no guarantee I'm going to Brazil."

I think JK eats that shite up, and it drives him batshit crazy that Landon assumed he would be there.

So, I've kind of flipped my view. I DO think it's personal. I don't think that's necessarily wrong. That's Klinsman's call and I support (and disagree with) it.

He just better be right.

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"He came back, and he was playing in MLS, and people say, 'Oh, he's playing well,' but what does that really mean?" Klinsmann said. "This is where MLS hurts him. He was playing at 70 percent, 80 percent, and he was still dominant. That doesn't help anyone.

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So, let me get this straight:

He dominates the league that:

Nick Rimando
Matt Besler
Omar Gonzalez
DeAndre Yedlin
Kyle Beckerman
Michael Bradley
Brad Davis
Graham Zusi
Clint Dempsey
Chris Wondolowski

- currently play in and:

Brad Guzan
Tim Howard
DaMarcus Beasley
Geoff Cameron
Jozy Altidore

- have played in in the past.

And you left him at home. He contributes as much, as the author, me or any of the rest of us slap dicks.

You'll show us, Jurgen, won't you?

Julian Green playing pretty well in the regionalliga is much more impressive, IMO

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"We cannot win this World Cup, because we are not at that level yet," Klinsmann told the magazine in December. "For us, we have to play the game of our lives seven times to win the tournament.

"Realistically, it is not possible."

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Words that should never come out of the mouth of a coach. I have never met a high caliber athlete that did not think they could win. You don't take that away from them.

Saw this earlier. He makes a good point.

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He just better be right.

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That's the kicker for me. He can't ever be right, unless he gets us at least as far as we did in the last cycle. If he doesn't he SHOULD get the Rob Chudzinski treatment (fired at the airport.) And he's already conceding defeat and punting on the World Cup this year.

Let's assume Zusi and Bedoya are the slotted to start. That's fine. They get gassed - it's their third game after all.

It's 0-0 in the last group game with 15 minutes left, and we need a win to advance. You look down the bench - you need someone to unlock this game. Your choices are:

- a slow, one footed set piece specialist
- a kid who stars in his gym class, or wherever the hell it is that Julian Green plays
- an inexperienced outside back that you tried to play at midfield once
- a rapidly aging, one footed player that has been playing defender for club and country for two years

Or you can take the guy who leads your country in goals and assists, and is still playing at a good level, even if no longer at his peak.

If you asked 500 coaches who they would take, one wouldn't take the last guy - and we've got him.

You're God-damned right he better be right.

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He wasn't good this season until he was left off the USMNT.

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Through SEVEN games. SEVEN frickING GAMES.

This isn't Edson Buddle for Christ's sake. Donovan has a 14 year track record of being able to deliver.

And sorry - the "poor form" argument doesn't hold water. Clint Dempsey was named captain during the worst playing stretch of his career, and Jozy scored two goals in 40 appearances last year.

Here is the LINK to Bruce Arena quote.

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Arena was upfront about his team’s chances:

We’re not going to win [the World Cup] because we’re not a good enough team. I don’t think anyone is going to be damaged by us saying that. I mean, how many countries have won it? If we can get a point in the first game, it will put the whole group in chaos.

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Sheep, what does Jurgen have to do to right this wrong? Landon isn't going. Whether he deserved a spot over others is debatable, but regardless, it's his decision. I don't understand why people think coaches make decisions to lose? I see it all of the time in football. Comments like "well if we played the backup QB we'd win". Oh really? The coach that watches them practice decides to start a guy because he's worse than the backup? Get real. You aren't there, you don't see them train, you have no idea what he wants to do tactically. You just get on here and whine. Do you do things at your profession in order to be worse? Why would he?

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Sheep, what does Jurgen have to do to right this wrong?

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Do better than we did the last time. That's all.