No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeBrazil 2014US soccer legend Landon Donovan left off World Cup roster

US soccer legend Landon Donovan left off World Cup roster

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.

 

Trending Now

Retired Nicaraguan Army Captain Sentenced to 50 Years for Treason

A retired military officer was sentenced to 50 years in prison in Nicaragua for the crime of "treason against the homeland," his family denounced...

Life After MS-13 in El Salvador as Residents Seek a Fragile Peace

Esperanza Martinez lost three relatives who were murdered and saw numerous bodies left in the streets of her neighborhood, a former stronghold of the...

A Costa Rica Love Story: From Rustic Cabina to Separate Dreams

My Tica wife and I have been together for over a quarter century. When we met, I was living a simple life here. Three...

Former Costa Rican Minister Arrested for Drug Trafficking, Faces U.S. Extradition

Costa Rica’s judicial police arrested Celso Gamboa, a former security minister and Supreme Court judge, on Monday, following a U.S. request for his extradition...

Costa Rica’s Top Court Bans President Chaves from 2026 Election Campaign

Costa Rica’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal on Thursday barred President Rodrigo Chaves from participating in the 2026 election campaign, ruling that he "illegitimately used" his...

Why Costa Rica Feels Like a Safe Haven for This Longtime Expat

If someone asked me to sum up why I live in Costa Rica in 5 words or less, my answer could well be: “It...
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica