Landon Donovan International Farewell

            Over the last 14 years there have been many put on the US Mens National Team jersey and play for their country, but one stands out as the most influential. Landon Donovan has had 57 goals and 58 assists for the national team during his run, and many would say that he has shaped American soccer forever. Between his MLS and international careers, Donovan has been fairly successful on American soil to say the least. Announcing his retirement from professional soccer this summer after being left off the World Cup roster, Donovan had one last international debut this Friday.

            In this farewell game against Ecuador, Donovan was given the captain’s band and a starting position. Within the first five minutes, Donovan’s cross into the box eventually led to goal by Diskerud, and the game looked likely to become a happy ending for his international career. With a few missed chances later in the half, Donovan left the field for the last time with a few minutes left in the half, receiving hugs and applause from the fans and teammates. What happened after his exit marks the state that US soccer is left in after his retirement. When Landon left the field, the best his team could do at that point was to settle for a 1-1 draw. The team was left in a sort of awkwardness, riding along the emotion that the farewell brought, but failing to hold on to a win. Like how American soccer feels as a whole, it has to be decided what direction the sport wants to be taken now that Donovan is out.

            Landon Donovan has been the face of American soccer and MLS over the past years, and the growth that he brought to the sport is tremendous. By not taking his talent to European leagues and staying in America, Donovan was able to bring a competition to the league that it desperately needed, and still needs. For a long time, the MLS has been seen as an easy league, where top players go when they are over the hill but still want to play. With Donovan and players like him, MLS has grown in to a competitive league that grows players that are not only skilled, but when put together create a formidable opponent to some of the greatest countries of soccer. The progress that the league has made during Donovan’s years is astounding, and the young players of this last World Cup give promise for more. If players like DeAndre Yedlin can step up like Landon did and stick with the MLS, the continued growth that it could see is beyond needed, and these players could be a part of the growth of the sport of soccer in the US.

Suarez and El Clasico

                For every Barcelona or Real Madrid fan, there is one fixture that trumps all others and is the most popular between these two teams; El Clasico. The rivalry between the two sides is great, and when they meet in the season, the game becomes one of, if not, the most important games in the season for the teams. The fans of the two Spanish giants thrive off of the opposition between the sides, and losing to the other team would be an utter disgrace to either team. Just one piece of the puzzle has been missing from Barcelona this season, and that is Luis Suarez, out on a four month ban from the World Cup this summer. The timing of when that ban runs out could not be more perfect, or wrong, depending on which side you support. The first game that Suarez will be eligible for with Barcelona is for that perfect game, against Real Madrid.

            The main question that most people have about the game is what role Suarez will play, if he even takes the field at all. The concern of whether he should play or not begins with the fact that he hasn’t played any real competitive games since June. While Suarez has played with the Barcelona B team this season and will have played two friendlies with Uruguay by the Clasico, many fear that he may have lost his edge, or at least forgotten it for the time being, and will need to get back into things. I feel that, since he has remained in training and has played some minor matches, Suarez should be in good condition for the Real Madrid matchup. Unlike an injured player, Suarez has been able to work with the ball and his teammates and should be physically and mostly mentally ready. Also, after four months on the sideline, Suarez should have plenty of motivation built up.

            Many also question whether or not he should start or be subbed in later in the game, or if he should be eased into things throughout later games. With his performance at Liverpool last season, Suarez should be able to be an impact player, and should tremendously add to the Barcelona score sheet. Players like Pedro have filled in his gap so far this season, and have done enough, but have not made much of an impact. However, they do have the experience of the season to date, and I believe that Suarez will not start the game, but will rather come in later to cause trouble for Real Madrid in their defense. While Suarez should definitely be ready to play in the game, I feel that he should be used, in this case, as a player to be subbed in partway through the game to create more opportunities going forward.

United Back on the Rise?

           With their captain out for a red card from a previous game and painful start to the season to say the least, Manchester United needed some of their new players to prove their value against Everton, and that is exactly what they did. When Angel Di Maria moved from Real Madrid to United this summer, he became the most expensive player in English football history, and he is proving that further each game he plays. With a second-string player in at right back for the Everton side, it took no time for Di Maria to expose the left side of the field in their attack. After the opening goal in this game against Everton, Di Maria has had 3 goals in 4 games with United and plenty of assists and other opportunities to go along. The pricey but productivity has showed his worth for the team, and he is looking the best out of all of United’s new signings for the season.

            On the other side of the scoring done by United this season, there is Radamel Falcao. Unlike the productive start of Di Maria, Falcao can seemingly not get started at United, and by the fourth game had still yet to score. Attempt after attempt, Falcao remained goalless and has been looking less and less valuable to the team. Not only in goals has Falcao been unproductive, but he has lacked attack and skill throughout the field during his time at United so far. Then, after a shot gone wide by Di Maria, Falcao was able to reach the ball and put it into the back of the Everton net, opening what is hoped to be a high-scoring season for him this year. With relief, Falcao was not only able to score the goal that would lead Manchester United to a victory over Everton but was also able to save another from going into his own goal, making for a fairly productive game for a striker. After the start to the season that United has had, a win like this is necessary to the confidence and success of the team. To have this win without their captain is even more of a victory, and it raises questions to the viability of Wayne Rooney as the captain of the Manchester United team, and it will be interesting to see how the team does in further games without their captain and how these results will impact his role when he returns.