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Canales Corner: Redemption Rematch For Donovan
The American owes himself and Liverpool one for a poor performance years ago.
Feb 5, 2010 3:56:00 AM
By Andrea Canales
As a good captain should, Everton's Phil Neville was trying to prepare the new players to the squad for the all-important derby contest versus Liverpool this Saturday.
One of the teammates Neville took the time to speak to was an American who is playing on loan with the club.
"The speed of the game will be quicker than they have ever played in, that is something I said to Landon Donovan this morning," Neville said on evertonTV. "I think he is aware of it, as it is a game he used to watch on television in America; so he knows the kind of passion that is involved in this game."
One might assume from Neville's statement that TV is the closest Donovan has come to the red side of the city, but that's not the case.
Donovan has stepped out on the playing field to face Liverpool before.
It's not surprising that fact might escape Neville's memory, as it happened a while back, in 2005. Neville was with Manchester United then, and Liverpool was on their way to claiming Champions League glory.
Along the way to the title, however, the Anfield outfit dismissed Germany's Bayer Leverkusen. Donovan was there, playing for the club that had first bought his contract when he was only sixteen. He had recently rejoined Leverkusen after finishing a long-term loan to Major League Soccer and the San Jose Earthquakes.
For Donovan, facing Liverpool was not an auspicious event. At least, not in the final and deciding leg of the two games the teams played. Donovan was an adequate substitute in the first match, then was granted the opportunity to start for Leverkusen in the final encounter.
"Poor Landon Donovan is putting in the most inept performance of any professional footballer I've ever seen," sportswriter Barry Glendenning opined in his written commentary on the game. "His confidence is so shot to pieces that every time the ball comes anywhere near him he looks scared."
Donovan actually had an early chance to make a huge impact versus Liverpool, when the game was still scoreless in the first half.
However, the player known for his precise finishing in MLS made a hash of the chance.
Glendenning's description: "A let-off for Liverpool when Landon Donovan gets teed up in the Liverpool box, only to take an unmerciful swipe at the ball and hit a comical fresh-air shot. A dire effort from the American, when he really should have rifled the ball home from a great position."
It's now been five years since the fateful match that in many ways drove Donovan back to the USA, where he signed a contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy. Despite his success in winning an MLS title and performing well internationally with the U.S. national team, that game versus Liverpool can still in some ways be seen as Donovan's personal Waterloo. It was Exhibit A for anyone who wanted to make the case that the American could never cut it at the top level of European soccer.
Chances for redemption don't come along on a regular basis, just like the opportunity to play in a historic derby contest like the Everton/Liverpool tilt doesn't arrive every day.
"It’s huge," Donovan acknowledged to the Liverpool Echo. "But at the same time, I’ve got to remind myself it’s another game in a season. The importance is to try to get a result, and we’re in a good way now and want to keep it going."
Though the Galaxy have a spirited local rivalry with Chivas USA, with the twist that both teams share the same stadium, the city of Los Angeles does not shut down to the extent Liverpool does for their big derby game.
The pressure will be immense, but Donovan isn't the callow, though talented, 22 year-old that had a spectacularly poor game on the big stage before.
In a sport like soccer, though, there isn't one defining moment like Casey at the bat. Donovan doesn't have to score a highlight goal to atone for his earlier performance at Anfield, and shouldn't feel the burden to play hero. He's better off as the good soldier he's proven to be thus far during his Everton loan.
It's a bit odd that Donovan has fit in better at a place where he is ostensibly just a short-term solution, than he did while at Leverkusen.
A closer look at the crucial factors, however, and it all adds up nicely. Not only is Donovan himself more experienced and professional, but Everton as a club are well-organized and adroitly managed by coach David Moyes. With fellow American Tim Howard on hand, Donovan also has built-in support on the squad. Even the Everton fans have embraced Donovan with enthusiam. It helps that the team has only lost a single match since he came on board at the start of this year.
Though it's on a different scale, Donovan has shown a tendency to come out ahead during intense rivalry matches. The Galaxy have a winning record versus Chivas USA with Donovan on the squad, as does the USA team versus archrival Mexico when Donovan plays.
Yet the intensity of Liverpool versus Everton will be an especially notable milestone.
"This is one of the biggest and most famous derbies in the world, so to have the chance to look back at the end of my career and say I played in it is really great," Donovan told the Echo.
To be able to say he won in the famous derby, however, would be best of all.
Andrea Canales is Chief Editor of Goal.com North America
One of the teammates Neville took the time to speak to was an American who is playing on loan with the club.
"The speed of the game will be quicker than they have ever played in, that is something I said to Landon Donovan this morning," Neville said on evertonTV. "I think he is aware of it, as it is a game he used to watch on television in America; so he knows the kind of passion that is involved in this game."
One might assume from Neville's statement that TV is the closest Donovan has come to the red side of the city, but that's not the case.
Donovan has stepped out on the playing field to face Liverpool before.
It's not surprising that fact might escape Neville's memory, as it happened a while back, in 2005. Neville was with Manchester United then, and Liverpool was on their way to claiming Champions League glory.
Along the way to the title, however, the Anfield outfit dismissed Germany's Bayer Leverkusen. Donovan was there, playing for the club that had first bought his contract when he was only sixteen. He had recently rejoined Leverkusen after finishing a long-term loan to Major League Soccer and the San Jose Earthquakes.
For Donovan, facing Liverpool was not an auspicious event. At least, not in the final and deciding leg of the two games the teams played. Donovan was an adequate substitute in the first match, then was granted the opportunity to start for Leverkusen in the final encounter.
"Poor Landon Donovan is putting in the most inept performance of any professional footballer I've ever seen," sportswriter Barry Glendenning opined in his written commentary on the game. "His confidence is so shot to pieces that every time the ball comes anywhere near him he looks scared."
Donovan actually had an early chance to make a huge impact versus Liverpool, when the game was still scoreless in the first half.
However, the player known for his precise finishing in MLS made a hash of the chance.
Glendenning's description: "A let-off for Liverpool when Landon Donovan gets teed up in the Liverpool box, only to take an unmerciful swipe at the ball and hit a comical fresh-air shot. A dire effort from the American, when he really should have rifled the ball home from a great position."
It's now been five years since the fateful match that in many ways drove Donovan back to the USA, where he signed a contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy. Despite his success in winning an MLS title and performing well internationally with the U.S. national team, that game versus Liverpool can still in some ways be seen as Donovan's personal Waterloo. It was Exhibit A for anyone who wanted to make the case that the American could never cut it at the top level of European soccer.
Chances for redemption don't come along on a regular basis, just like the opportunity to play in a historic derby contest like the Everton/Liverpool tilt doesn't arrive every day.
"It’s huge," Donovan acknowledged to the Liverpool Echo. "But at the same time, I’ve got to remind myself it’s another game in a season. The importance is to try to get a result, and we’re in a good way now and want to keep it going."
Though the Galaxy have a spirited local rivalry with Chivas USA, with the twist that both teams share the same stadium, the city of Los Angeles does not shut down to the extent Liverpool does for their big derby game.
The pressure will be immense, but Donovan isn't the callow, though talented, 22 year-old that had a spectacularly poor game on the big stage before.
In a sport like soccer, though, there isn't one defining moment like Casey at the bat. Donovan doesn't have to score a highlight goal to atone for his earlier performance at Anfield, and shouldn't feel the burden to play hero. He's better off as the good soldier he's proven to be thus far during his Everton loan.
It's a bit odd that Donovan has fit in better at a place where he is ostensibly just a short-term solution, than he did while at Leverkusen.
A closer look at the crucial factors, however, and it all adds up nicely. Not only is Donovan himself more experienced and professional, but Everton as a club are well-organized and adroitly managed by coach David Moyes. With fellow American Tim Howard on hand, Donovan also has built-in support on the squad. Even the Everton fans have embraced Donovan with enthusiam. It helps that the team has only lost a single match since he came on board at the start of this year.
Though it's on a different scale, Donovan has shown a tendency to come out ahead during intense rivalry matches. The Galaxy have a winning record versus Chivas USA with Donovan on the squad, as does the USA team versus archrival Mexico when Donovan plays.
Yet the intensity of Liverpool versus Everton will be an especially notable milestone.
"This is one of the biggest and most famous derbies in the world, so to have the chance to look back at the end of my career and say I played in it is really great," Donovan told the Echo.
To be able to say he won in the famous derby, however, would be best of all.
Andrea Canales is Chief Editor of Goal.com North America
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