Landon Donovan

Landon Donovan (2010)

Landon Timothy Donovan ( born March 4, 1982 in Ontario, California) is an American football player with Canadian roots, since 2005 for the California club LA Galaxy in Major League Soccer ( MLS), the top division in the North American football, on plays the position of striker. He is top scorer of the U.S. senior team. He also denied by all CONCACAF Gold Cup players most games, scoring the most goals, denied by all U.S. players the most World Cup games and scored the most World Cup goals for the United States.

Career

Youth

Landon Donovan was born in Ontario, California. His parents were Donna Kenney -Cash, a special education teacher, and Tim Donovan, a semi - professional ice hockey player from Canada.

At the age of six years, Donovan began in an organized league with football games. He joined Cal Heat, a small club from Rancho Cucamonga, in this time, he also belonged to Cal South Olympic Development Program ( ODP ) of the U.S. Soccer Federation. In 1997 he moved to the U.S. Youth Soccer 's Olympic Development Program. Until 1999 he attended Redlands East Valley High School and then went to the IMG Soccer Academy to Bradenton, Florida. This facility is part of the U.S. Soccer Federation USSF to promote the development of young players.

Bayer Leverkusen / San Jose Earthquakes

In February 1999, Donovan signed a contract with the German first division club Bayer 04 Leverkusen and changed the end of 1999 in their youth team. In 2000 he was German A- junior champion with the team.

Since Donovan could not play in the starting eleven, the Leverkusen, he was dissatisfied and frustrated. He was loaned to the San Jose Earthquakes in March 2001. Quickly, he played himself in the team, California, became a regular player and twice won the MLS Cup with the team. He scored in his four years in the U.S. soccer total 42 goals and prepared 35 matches ago.

Los Angeles Galaxy

In January 2005, Donovan returned to Bayer Leverkusen, but a short time later he moved back to the U.S., where he initially settled in San Jose, but was taken by FC Dallas under contract. Through a lending transaction, Los Angeles Galaxy's striker Carlos Ruiz for Landon Donovan, this regained to California and since 31 March 2005 contract signing players of the club. With this he won the MLS Cup, the U.S. Championship on 13 November 2005.

FC Bayern Munich

As of November 2008, Donovan held due to the early retirement of his club in Major League Soccer with the German record champions FC Bayern München fit. He was committed from 1 January 2009 to 15 March on loan from Bayern. Donovan was a desire player Jürgen Klinsmann, but internally was highly controversial from the start. According to Uli Hoeness judged him Hermann Gerland even be unsuitable for the second team. His first try for the Munich he had on January 27 in the Cup knockout round against VfB Stuttgart. Three days later he made his Bundesliga debut in the 0-1 defeat in the away match against Hamburger SV, as he came on in the 77 minutes for Bastian Schweinsteiger. On the following five games he came through tool changes to a total of six short sessions. Donovan, who was on loan until March 15, 2009 by Los Angeles Galaxy, left the Bavarians already March 8.

Return to Galaxy and Everton

Mid-December 2009 agreed the striker with the Executive Board of the English first division club FC Everton on a temporary three months change from January 2010. Already two days earlier, on 16 December 2009, he had extended his contract with LA Galaxy for another four years. His debut in the Premier League he gave on January 9, 2010 (19 Matchday) in a 2-2 away draw at Arsenal. He scored his first goal ( Round 23 ) on 27 January with the 2-0 win at home to Sunderland.

For 2009, Donovan received the two highest awards in the U.S. soccer. He was described as " U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year "and" Honda Player of the Year "award.

During the break, and in Major League Soccer Donovan took the opportunity to stand out from 1 January 2012 again at Everton to keep fit. He signed a loan agreement limited to two months and returned in late February back to his original club.

National

Donovan took part in the 1999 U- 17 World Cup and was named " Best Player of the Tournament".

Donovan was in the squad of the Olympic national team of his country 's Olympic soccer tournament in Sydney in 2000 and came off the bench in four games each. In his first appearance on 19 September in Melbourne against the selection of Kuwait, he also scored his first goal with the deficit to 3-1 final score in the 88th minute. He reached with his team's 3rd place match, which they lost 0-2 against Chile. The fourth place is but the best placement of the U.S. men's team at the Olympic football tournament.

His first international title he won on February 2, 2002 with the U.S. national team, the final of the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2002, won 2-0 against the selection of Costa Rica in Pasadena. His only Turniertor he achieved on 19 January 2002 in the first group match, a 2-1 against the selection of South Korea with the results for the interim 1-0 in the 35th minute.

In the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea, he played also scored a total of two goals and reached with his team the quarter-finals, where the team lost to the selection of Germany 0-1.

At the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2005 Landon Donovan took part with the national team of the United States, which eventually won the tournament. Donovan had with its three gates, with whom he topped the scoring charts of the continental competition, a big part.

In the 2006 World Cup in Germany different Donovan, who yielded as well as his teammates poor performance, in the preliminary round of.

25 March 2007 Donovan scored the fastest goal in the history of the U.S. national team: In the friendly match against Ecuador he met after only 35 seconds. With two more goals in the 66th and 67th minute he scored in the 3-1 win his second hat-trick for the U.S. team. In 2003 he had met four times against Cuba.

At the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup Donovan contributed 4 goals in 5 games considerably to the successful title defense in the United States. In 2009, he took no part, as the team lost in the final with 0:5 against the selection of Mexico.

Donovan took the senior team also participated in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, was with her at all group winners thanks to its 1-0 victory gate in injury time in the match against the selection of Algeria. With his 44th international goal Donovan enabled the team to the knockout phase, which was lost despite a renewed goal from him, with 1:2 after extra time against the selection of Ghana. With the temporary equalizer from the penalty spot he scored his fifth World Cup goal in the 12th World Cup match, which he was able to combine both the most World Cup games as well as most World Cup goals for the United States itself.

When CONCACAF Gold Cup 2011 he was defeated with the national team in the finals again the selection of Mexico - this time with 2:4 goals.

After nearly 10 months international break he succeeded on July 5, 2013 in San Diego, in the test match against the selection of Guatemala, his 50th international goal, which he scored from the penalty spot and another added.

When CONCACAF Gold Cup 2013 he scored in the first five games with five goals and pulled now 18 goals with Samuel Eto'o equal, the Africa Championships at also able to achieve 18 goals. No player has scored more goals in a continental tournament.

Now with 57 international goals he is top scorer of the U.S. national and international matches with 155 of the most commonly used among the currently active internationals.

Achievements / Title

As a national player

CONCACAF Gold Cup winner: 2002, 2005, 2007, 2013
Quarter-finalist at the 2002 World Cup
Second in the Confederations Cup 2009
Top scorer and players at the CONCACAF Gold Cup with 34 games and 18 goals

With its clubs

German A- Junior Champion: 2000 with Bayer 04 Leverkusen
MLS Cup winner: 2001, 2003, 2005, 2011, 2012
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup winner: 2005

Personal Awards

Honda Player of the Year: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year: 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010

Golden Ball (best player of the U- 17 World Cup: 1999 )
MVP of the MLS All -Star Games 2001
MVP of the MLS Cup in 2003, 2011
Golden Shoe ( top scorer MLS)
Best Young Player of the World Cup 2002 (subsequent Internet vote by FIFA )
Election to the MLS All -Time All- Star Team
Election to the MLS All-Star Team: 2003, 2008, 2009, 2010
Choice in the CONCACAF Gold Cup All- Star Team: 2002, 2003, 2005
Scorer of the CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2003, 2005, 2013 with Chris Wondolowski and Gabriel Torres
Golden Ball (best player of the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2013)

Others

December 31, 2006 Donovan married the American actress Bianca Kajlich, by the middle of 2009, he parted.

Donovan currently resides in Manhattan Beach, California.

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