Landon Donovan

Bayer Leverkusen and San Jose Earthquakes

Later in 1999, Donovan signed a six-year contract for German Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen, whose sporting director Michael Reschke spotted him at a youth tournament in Europe. Despite becoming a regular starter for the club's reserve team upon arrival, Donovan had trouble adapting to life overseas and was allowed extended training periods with United States youth national teams. He played in a German Cup match for the reserve team. Unhappy with his situation with Leverkusen, Donovan was loaned to the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer (MLS) for the 2001 season. In MLS, Donovan had immediate success, leading the Earthquakes to MLS Cup championships in 2001 and 2003 and becoming one of the only recognizable faces of soccer in the United States. In four years in the league, he scored 32 goals and 29 assists in league play, and ten goals and six assists in the playoffs. Two of those goals were in the 2003 MLS Cup, a 4–2 Earthquakes triumph over Chicago Fire SC. Donovan earned Man of the Match for his actions. He was named U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year in 2003. In 2004, Donovan became the first man to be named the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year three years in a row before returning to the Bayer Leverkusen first team in January 2005. After playing seven matches with Leverkusen in the 2004–05 season, only two of which were starts, Donovan requested to leave the club. Despite a late offer from English Premier League…

Donovan was a member of the inaugural class at U.S. Soccer's full-time residency program for the under-17 national team at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. In his two years playing for the U-17 team, he scored 35 goals in 41 games and won the Golden Ball at the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship as the tournament's best player. He also represented the United States at the 1999 Pan American Games. In 2000, he moved up to both the United States U-23 men's national soccer team as well as the senior team. Despite this he played for the United States U-20 men's national soccer team in 2001. On March 20, 2001, he was involved in a collision with Marvin Lee, the captain of Trinidad and Tobago U-20 team during the 2001 CONCACAF U-20 Tournament in Trinidad. Lee collided head to side with Donovan which resulted in Lee being paralyzed after sustaining neck and spine injuries, while Donovan had fractured ribs. Lee died in 2003 from complications caused by his condition, the stadium now carries his name. Donovan made his World Cup finals debut in the 2002 World Cup starting in the shock upset of pre-tournament favorites Portugal, a match the Americans won 3–2. Donovan's cross in the 29th minute deflected in off Jorge Costa, giving the U.S. a 2–0 lead. Later, Donovan would tally his first World Cup finals goal in the 83rd minute of a 3–1 loss to Poland in the third match of the group stage. He then scored his second goal of the tournament on a header which clinched a 2–0 round of 16…

Donovan was a versatile attacker known for his pace and stamina as well as intelligence and technical skill, allowing him to play at various forward and midfield positions at different points of his career. His longtime international and club manager Bruce Arena was once quoted as saying, "the problem with Landon is that he's your best player at so many positions that you never know where to put him." Particularly in the early parts of his career, Donovan played as a withdrawn striker and was most noted for his quickness and goalscoring ability. As his professional career progressed, Donovan was increasingly utilized by managers as a wide attacking midfielder, where he could additionally benefit the team with his playmaking abilities, passing vision, and defensive work rate. Donovan also provided capable delivery on set pieces (as well as occasionally scoring from direct kicks) and served as first-choice penalty taker for club and country for much of his career.

Landon Timothy Donovan was born (along with twin sister Tristan) on March 4, 1982, in Ontario, California, to Donna Kenney-Cash, an American special education teacher, and Tim Donovan, a semi-professional ice hockey player originally from Canada. Donovan's parents are both of Irish descent, and he holds Canadian citizenship by way of his father. His mother raised Landon and his siblings in Redlands, California, and he attended Redlands East Valley High School when not engaged in soccer activities elsewhere. Donovan first played soccer with his older brother and when Donovan was six, his mother allowed him to join an organized league, where he scored seven goals in his first match. Donovan was a member of Cal Heat – a club based in nearby Rancho Cucamonga, California. In 1997, he was accepted into U.S. Youth Soccer's Olympic Development Program. In 1999 Donovan attended the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, with other members of the U-17 national team as part of U.S. Soccer's youth development program. Donovan was a member of the inaugural class of the U.S. Soccer youth residency program in Bradenton, Florida. He was named Player of the Tournament for his role in the United States under-17 squad that finished fourth in the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship before signing with German club Bayer Leverkusen later that year.