US soccer legend Landon Donovan left off World Cup roster
The #USMNT 2014 FIFA World Cup Roster: @j_klinsmann Names His 23. #OneNationOneTeam pic.twitter.com/UFM7YCa4Tx
— U.S. Soccer (@ussoccer) May 22, 2014
Landon Donovan will not be going to his fourth World Cup. The United States’ all-time leading scorer didn’t make the final cut for the 23-man roster named by coach Jurgen Klinsmann on Thursday.
Donovan had struggled in recent matches, but he still was the team’s most surprising cut. The 32-year-old star was selected to the U.S.’s 30-man preliminary roster earlier in the month. Klinsmann called leaving Donovan off his final roster the toughest decision of his coaching career.
One of Donovan’s final performances came against Costa Rica when The Ticos defeated the United States, 3-1, in San José last October. The Costa Rica match was Donovan’s first with the United States since June 2012, an absence of 10 games. He had earned his way back on the team after taking a four-month sabbatical from the sport. But ultimately, he couldn’t do enough to stick around on a roster highlighted by its youth.
Donovan will be remembered best for scoring one of the most dramatic goals in team history during the 2010 World Cup. In the waning minutes against Algeria, Donovan knocked in a frantic goal that saved the United States from elimination.
You may be interested

How 6 Exotic Animals in Costa Rica Got Their Names
The Tico Times - March 7, 2021When it comes to pointing out animals, some people in Costa Rican can be extremely unspecific. Sometimes it seems that…

Slothy Sunday: Restrictions are lifted, now what? See sloths, what else!
Mariana Diaz / Toucan Rescue Ranch - March 7, 2021This is officially the first week we are all allowed to drive again on both days of the weekend, how…

Sloths in Costa Rica: 11 Little Known Facts
The Tico Times - March 7, 2021Since they were first described by naturalists in the 1700s, sloths have been misunderstood. Early scientists described the slow-moving beasts…