Getty Images After 45 minutes, Michael Bradley looked set for man of the match. His 11th minute goal was not only the difference in the match (at halftime), it was one of the better strikes in recent men’s national team history. Add in his contributions on Landon Donovan’s opener (jumping into the play after Jose Torres and Terrance Boyd created an early turnover) and his efforts pressing through the midfield, and Saturday’s friendly against Scotland was shaping up as a statement match for Bradley. That statement: Bradley could play an even bigger part in the Klinsmann era than he did under his father.
But come full time, another statement had drowned out Michael’s, a statement we should have known was coming. After a week of pondering whether his time in the spotlight was waning, Landon Donovan rushed back center stage in a big way. With three goals and an assist, Donovan posted the third national team hat trick of his career.
His first goal may have been his toughest. At least, it required the most tenacity. On a ball in from the left, Donovan (back to goal) played a nice touch into the space right of goal, turning toward the sideline with his defender on his back. His right-footed blast from 12 yards out was blocked after Allen McGregor came aggressively off his line, but when the rebound offered Donovan a second chance, the national team’s all-time leading scorer proved unforgiving. Roofing his shot just inside the right post, Donovan put the U.S. up 1-0 in the third minute.
Two near identical second half finishes pushed Donovan’s career USMNT goal total to 49. In the 59th minute, Jermaine Jones got behind Soctland’s left back, cut a ball back toward the middle of the box for Donovan, whose right-footer found the side netting inside the far post. Five minutes later, it was more of the same, with Donovan first-timing a ball from Bradley to just inside the far post, an unstoppable finish.
And five minutes later (69′), Donovan was in on another goal, with Jones heading a cross from Donovan home for the U.S’s final goal.
Three goals and an assist should be enough to quell all speculation about Donovan’s future in Jurgen Klinsmann’s set up. While nobody saw Donovan fading from the scene any time soon, questions were being asked. Where does Landon fit, given his lack of time with the national team under Klinsmann? What does the emergence of Clint Dempsey mean for Donovan’s place in the pecking order?
Donovan’s performance undermined the idea of pecking orders. As did Michael Bradley’s and Jose Torres’s. Pecking orders are for teams that can’t accomodate more than one star. As the U.S. showed on Saturday, there’s room for more than one player to dominate. Against Scotland, Donovan just happened to be the most dominant.
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- iplaybad - May 26, 2012 at 11:21 PM
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Let’s not get too amped up over a big W against Scotland. If the USMNT can show up from the outset against quality opponents whose teams read like international all star teams, then we can start heaping the praise more intensely. Otherwise, this game is another win against a team the USMNT should’ve beaten anyway.
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- greej1938l - May 27, 2012 at 12:08 AM
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That’s crap man it’s impressive no matter how you look at it. Whenever you can post 5 goals against a quality European opponent that’s awesome!
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- iainrwb - May 27, 2012 at 2:32 AM
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Beating Scotland in a friendly at any time is meaningless; doing it two weeks after the season ends particularly so.
Scotland’s history is that we pretty much never play well in friendlies. For most of the team this trip represented a Florida vacation with a kickabout as part of the itinerary.
It would be foolish for the USMNT to read too much into the game.
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- greej1938l - May 27, 2012 at 10:54 AM
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Meaningless…okay…okay a win is a win…particularly for our USMens team after our boys didnt even qualify for the olympics
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- footballer4ever - May 27, 2012 at 2:34 PM
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“For most of the team this trip represented a Florida vacation with a kickabout as part of the itinerary.”
If that was the case, what a lack of professionalism. It’s not like if their players are not able to take vacation on their own and what a lack of respect for their fans, coaches and country if vacation is all they had in their minds.
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- mikeevergreen - May 27, 2012 at 4:38 PM
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I think part of this was Sco’land (yes, the T is silent) bought into the “I don’t have the desire” spiel from Lando.
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- soccerknowitall - May 28, 2012 at 12:59 AM
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what are we witnessing as us soccer fans?
Jurgen klinsmann modeled his 06 german team from that of the top flight teams in the epl. he asked his germans to play ungerman, uptempo possession style the likes of man u, arsenal,or chelsea.
he has now modeled another team to play not like a national team style(american) if you will, but an epl team similar to chelsea or man u. i always felt that building a team using this model would be preferrable as these teams play year round and are superior to national teams in style of play, cohesion, and effectiveness.
gl JK with the progress to 2014 WC
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- iainrwb - May 28, 2012 at 3:06 PM
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@f4e Unprofessional, yes, I agree, but understandable. A long hard season just ended here, it’s tough to get motivated for a friendly game.
I wish they did have that professionalism to be at their best regardless, but it’s never happened yet.
