This Is American Soccer, US Soccer, MNT, WNT, and MLS - Tackling the subject of Soccer in the US, and worldwide.

For better or worse, one’s life is often defined by the choices they make. You come to the intersection, as the poorly crafted cliche goes, and you choose a direction and deal with or celebrate the consequences. At 18, Landon Donovan became the youngest U.S. soccer player to sign a guaranteed professional contract in a major European league. Don’t blame him, that’s a highway in every soccer player’s dream. Then in 2002, after playing sporadically and then being named a starter in Europe, he chose to return home to the States and MLS. Now, I guess we can argue whether or not that was a good decision for Landon and his game, but there is no doubt that was a great decision for MLS, and especially the Galaxy, who Landon is presently leading through the playoffs in an eerily similar reconstruction of two years ago when L.A. took a two goal lead into San Jose’s Spartan Stadium. The only major difference this year: Landon now plays for the Galaxy and is looking to maintain the lead instead of overcome it. That also is looking like a smooth road. And putting up two of the three goals to get that lead, well, that’s like a one man steamroller.

At 23 and 5′9″, Landon is anything but an imposing figure and not exactly the stereotype of the American sports star, but then again, soccer isn’t exactly a stereotypical American sport. In a country known for “bigger is better,” Landon and soccer are the antagonists. Which seems to fit him just fine.

15 in 8

So I’m walking home from another gig when my people call and tell me Landon’s people have penciled me in for about fifteen minutes. An interview with Landon. Hell yeah, when? 8 minutes. 8 minutes? Ok, I’ll be home in 6. It’s a break away, me and an empty goal; no time to think, instinct will put the ball in the back of the net.

Our conversation begins as almost all of my recent soccer discussions begin - with that calling-card question that makes up my URL and defines my quest. What is American soccer? It’s my torch shining a light into the darkness. And who better to ask it of than the one guy who, more than anyone else, is introduced or at least spoken of as American Soccer? “It’s new for all of us,” Landon begins in that laidback, endearment of a voice that might set him apart as much as his celebrity. “We have a chance to help mold it and shape it into what its gonna be hopefully for the rest… the rest of history, I guess.” He chuckles at this idea of history and I would guess his involvement in it as if it’s unbelievable. “It’s still youthful, creative, exciting and fun,” he continues. “Soccer is not a huge business yet in this country, so there is not an added aspect of work to it. We all enjoy what we do. We’re not yet in it - all of us aren’t yet in it - for the money. It’s just because we love….”

And that’s when Landon’s phone explodes. AAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIYYYYYYYYYZZZ-ZZZZZZZZZSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. Either his phone decided it’s a turbo-charged fax machine or I’m having flashbacks to a root canal I never had. Landon? You there? I start laughing, not at my involvement in making history, but at the fact that I’ve now got to hang up on Landon Donovan. A million to one you hang up on Landon Donovan at least once in your life. Now that’s a bet I would have taken the under on and lost.

No problem, though, I redial, he answers, apologizes for the problem and we’re back to soccer. “It’s a collaboration of what the country is, what the ethnicities are,” Landon states about the game he loves in the country he loves. “We’re basically a mix of people from all over the world and our soccer is similar.” It’s hard to define the American game, but Landon tries to rope it in. “It’s an American spirit, the American team unity. We have many players from the creative Latin American mold. We have typical middle America, hardworking, blue collar type of soccer players. We have passionate European influences, and basically, it is just a mix of backgrounds and ethnicities and what they bring. That’s our game.”

And how is our game doing? In many minds, our game rests on the shoulders of the US MNT, who just solidified first place in CONCACAF qualifying. Not bad, but how hard is it to earn that? Some people would argue we had a pretty easy time of it, but Landon isn’t one of those. “[Qualifying] really dragged out,” he laments. “I’ve only been part of a few games in the last one and being a part of this you realize how long of a haul it is. I think people under-appreciate what it takes to go through that process. I mean, as a coach you deal with players coming in and out of form, guys who have done it for you in the past, and you kind of have to bring them in and give them the benefit of the doubt even if they aren’t playing well. There’s suspensions, injuries, conflicts with their games in Europe and the MLS. To have been as consistent as we were and consistently get results is really impressive, and I know people say we have more resources and more players here, but to get through and to get through the final round in a relatively easy fashion is quite an accomplishment.”

Accomplishment is one thing Landon knows something about. In his young career he already has two MLS Cups and one playoff MVP. He broke out with a stellar National Team showcase against Mexico in 2002 and has since graduated to captaining the Olympic and Men’s National Teams. All of these things, more than anything, equal experience. A veteran at 23. A captain among men, some ten years older than him. These are uncharted waters for most, but not Landon. This speedboat is pointed forward with his eyes on the future.

But will MLS forever be in that future? He probably won’t write that check anytime soon, but he conveyed a determination to build the legacy of the league along with his own. “When I came into the league,” Landon remembers. “I guess five years ago, there was a sense throughout American soccer and American soccer players and Europe that this could still be a temporary thing, and that this league might not survive. But over the past couple of years, I think it has become very clear to everybody that it is not a question of whether we’re gonna be around or not, but how we make this league better, and how we start building on what we have. And that is comforting, I think for everyone involved.”

The infancy is over, but that doesn’t mean the growing pains are done. Not to Landon at least. “We’ve gotten over that hurdle,” he says, his voice growing deeper with a newfound seriousness in his tone. “We are on our way to creating a more exciting product, so we can help build our fan base.”

Landon doing his part no doubt came with his return to the domestic league. But he sees it just the opposite. For him, it wasn’t as much him helping out, but people helping him. As he tells it, “people might think that not a whole lot of thought went into it, but clearly, really, I was granted what I wanted to do. And there is very few times I think in your life where you not only get that opportunity, but make it happen. I was fortunate enough to have people make that happen for me. On the flip side, because people did that for me, I owe it to them; I owe it to myself; I owe it to everybody; I have no excuses I have no reason not to be everything people expect of me and more, and that’s what I hold myself to.”

Here’s obviously a guy who knows his place even if he laughs it off at times. Like any great athlete standing in the spotlight, the news is never always going to be good. You could pack the Home Depot Center with drooling 14-year-old girls with their I-heart-Landon signs and their screaming high pitched salutations, and some reporter is going to find a way to skew it negatively (though he will probably be from Mexico). The synonym for negativity in sports is often pressure, and again, Landon handles it like a champion. “I don’t mind it,” he says with his volume increasing. “If I have a bad game and people start getting on me, it motivates me. It bothers me at times when people say things about me, but at the same time, I’m glad they do because it pushes me. I have to continue to find motivation and that is one way I get motivated.”

The point is Landon has a good head on his shoulders. Bruce Arena wouldn’t make a 23-year-old captain if that wasn’t true.

A Table for Two

Under the drape of American Soccer and through the sea filled with millions of youth, high school and college players, two entities rise to the top. US MNT and MLS: two acronyms having an affair. It had been going on for years, but in 2002, a quarterfinal appearance took the relationship public.

“It’s (the MLS) clearly been a huge boost for the National Team and a huge plus for Bruce,” Donovan quips as if it is so obvious he shouldn’t have to say it. “With all due respect to the players in Europe, I can’t imagine us having been able to field a team that was that competitive in 2002 without Major League Soccer. There’s absolutely no way.”

While he thinks people can appreciate that the league is better than it gets credit for, Landon concedes there is still a long way to go, and he has a few ideas. Don Garber are you out there? “I’m not part of a competition committee,” Landon begins. “And I don’t know how this works. I don’t know the first thing about the nuances and intricacies of things like this, but I think we need to find a way to make every game more meaningful. Whether that’s a different format, a different playoff format, getting rid of the playoffs, more bonus money for people–there are a lot of creative ways to do it–but I think most people would agree we need to get the level of competition higher for every game, and that’s the one spot I think we’re still lacking.”

Motown Philly Back Again

I opened the US Soccer homepage to find Landon’s profile before we spoke and found out that US Soccer just announced a friendly on November 12th in Glasgow, Scotland. Great I’ll ask Landon if he plans to attend, I thought. What I forgot to do was check the MLS playoff schedule.

“We’ll see,” Landon says as if looking into a crystal ball that isn’t working. “The MLS Cup final would be the day after that. So, I would assume anyone in the final wouldn’t be there, but anyone who is out before the final would probably go. It will be interesting. Obviously, I want to be in Dallas as opposed to Glasgow on November 12th, but if for whatever reason we get knocked out, I would like to go to Scotland. I kind of miss the National Team. I missed a couple of games and I miss being there.”

I peruse my notes, looking to see if I’ve missed something. I feel like Bobby Fischer looking at check-mate with one minute on the timer. I think I got to everything important. Not everything I wanted–I could spend a week with Landon and not be finished picking his brain–but everything necessary.

So, I squeeze a few random questions that inquiring readers asked me weeks ago, thinking Landon and I were boys and obviously that I have more power and Landon has more time than either of us do. So hopefully this quenches some of those curiosities. Turns out he is a man of simple (and gaming) pleasures. The only thing he is sure to travel with on the road: “A sweatshirt my sister gave me. Just a plain-ass grey sweatshirt.” The California-born Raiders fan proves you don’t have to shun other sports to love soccer and keeps the competitive fires burning on off days with Madden on his Xbox. Don’t worry, he loves FIFA too, but that not-really-a-chill in the southern California air means it’s time for some NFL. He hits the golf course when he can, with a handicap that is “too much.” And while his Ipod is full of music like Five For Fighting, Landon has only been to one concert in his entire life. Boys II Men. Being so close in age to him, and being the huge soul music fan that I am, I think he could have done a lot worse for himself.

And just like that, Landon is gone. Good luck on Saturday, I say (the MLS playoffs pick back up with his Galaxy at San Jose this Saturday). “Thanks a lot dude. I’ll talk to you later.” Later. He said later. That means again. I’m not painting a soliloquy on poster-board anytime soon, but for a second, the 14-year-old girl, that I dare says lives inside every sports fan and wants only to hold the players up as heroes, had a big smile on her face.