When he took up his post last year, USA coach Bob Bradley hadconcerns about who would lead the side after the retirement ofinfluential captain Claudio Reyna, Brian McBride and EddiePope.
"Just playing for the national team should not beenough," Bradley told FIFA.com in his first interview as USA coach,singling out the brilliant but inconsistent Landon Donovan."The top players need to see things differently and understandjust what it means to represent their country."
Scoring from the spot in Saturday's 2-0 friendly win overSweden, Donovan, who was rangy and involved throughout the game,became the top scorer in the US national team's history andlooked up to the job of wearing the captain's armband. His 35thgoal came early in the second half after teenage sensation andsubstitute Jozy Altidore, earning only his second cap, was takendown in the area.
The landmark tally broke the previous record of 34 held byfellow Californian Eric Wynalda, now a respected televisioncommentator.
For Los Angeles Galaxy man Donovan, whose commitment andambition have been called into question since his failure toachieve in two ill-fated stints with Bayer Leverkusen, the recordmeans considerably less than does his new role as on-field leader.
"I don't think the record is very important initself, "said the 25-year-old after reaching the milestone injust 97 caps. "I am just proud to have just played so manygames for the national team."
USA lined up with an almost entirely domestic-based line-up whenthey faced UEFA EURO 2008 qualifiers Sweden at Donovan's homeground in Carson, California. Without the likes of Michael Bradley,Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard, expectations were limited.Fortunately for the hosts, the Swedes also took the pitch afair-bit off their full-strength with regulars like ZlatanIbrahimovic and Olof Mellberg on club duty on the other side of theAtlantic.
Led by Donovan's wily orchestration of play from midfield,rather than in his usual advanced position, the young US Sideshowed a great deal of intricacy and understanding with theirpassing and possession play. Although they had to rely ongoalkeeper Brad Guzan for a few important saves near the end of thefirst period, the Americans picked up right where they left offafter wins over South Africa and Switzerland at the tail end of2007.
Youngsters like Ricardo Clark and Drew Moor looked like oldveterans as they get set to contribute in USA's campaign toqualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, which will beginwith a two-legged tie against either Dominican Republic or Barbadosin June.
Debutant centre-back Eddie Robinson of Major USA Bocanegra Home White Centennial Soccer Jersey 2013/2014 League Soccerchampions Houston Dynamo (one of three lads earning their first capagainst the Swedes) opened the scoring with a deft finish on thequarter-hour mark, when Pat Noonan slammed off the post from aDonovan corner.
The game was effectively ended as a contest when Donovanstepped up to slot home his penalty and make history early in thesecond half. After his usual pre-spot USA Beasley Home White Centennial Soccer Jersey 2013/2014 kick ritual, he stroked homecoolly, then grabbed the ball and brought it over to the sidelinein order to mark the moment for posterity.
Growing influence
The strike may have had only marginal meaning for Donovan,the second highest-paid player in the MLS behind LA Galaxyteam-mate David Beckham, but his boss and US fans alike will bethrilled with the player's newfound comfort in the role of teamleader. "I think before this year I felt like I needed to bemore of leader, but there were still a lot of players with moreexperience around," the thrice CONCACAF Gold Cup champion toldFIFA.com.
"Now I am older than most of the guys, so it'smandatory. Last year, the more I looked inside, the more I realisedthat being captain wasn't something I was earning. Just becauseI've been here a long time and have a lot of caps, thatdoesn't make me a captain. I wanted to make sure this week thatI showed I can be a captain," Donovan added.
Still considered by critics as a player who wilts in the face ofreal meaningful challenges, Donovan's captain's instinctswill be put to a far sterner test in USA's next game: a grudgematch with old rivals Mexico on 6 February in Houston.
Of his 35 goals in a US jersey, the new skipper holds the secondin a 2-0 usa 2014 jersey reverse of Mexico in the Round of 16 at Korea/Japan 2002as his favourite, and will be keen to repeat the dose in a heatedfriendly in Texas and again when South Africa 2010 qualifyingbegins.
With a raft of young players coming through from ThomasRongen's outstanding production line at U-20 level - and awilling leader in top man Landon - Bob Bradley may have struck thebalance he was hoping for.
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