AJC Soccer Insider: Landon Donovan’s true legacy

In a head-scratcher, Landon Donovan announced on Wednesday that he will retire at season’s end.

Just 32 years old, Donovan appeared to still have something left to give to Los Angeles and MLS, but he said his gut was telling him it’s time to leave the game.

He will retire as the all-time leading goal scorer in the history of the U.S. men’s national team (57 in 156 appearances), as well as in MLS (138 with games to go).

Some, notably league commissioner Don Garber, will say he is the greatest U.S. player in history.

“There is no doubt that Major League Soccer would not be what it is today without Landon Donovan,” Garber said in a statement distributed to the media. “His decision to join MLS in 2001 was a statement to the entire soccer community, at the most crucial time in our history, that MLS could be a league of choice for the best American players. Landon is to MLS, what Michael Jordan was to the NBA, Wayne Gretzky was to the NHL and Tiger Woods was to the PGA Tour; a player who’s sporting accomplishments and popularity transformed their respective leagues and set a new standard for how the game would be played.

“While Landon is arguably the greatest player our country has ever produced, it is his character and his commitment to growing the game in the United States that truly makes him so special. We plan to celebrate his career during the second half of the MLS season, and we look forward to working alongside Landon as he continues to work in the sport he loves.”

To quibble with commissioner, the comparison to Jordan, Gretzky and Woods is a little much. Jordan transformed the NBA and basketball globally, which is the same as Woods with golf. Gretzky opened up hockey to the entire United States and led to franchises in places that only see ice in their refrigerators (except for a few notable weeks in Atlanta).

They are considered three of the best not only in their sport’s history, but in sports history.

That’s why Donovan has always been so confounding.

Is he one of the best in his sport’s history?

Globally, no. To be the best, you have to consistently compete against the best that the world has to offer, like Jordan, Gretzky and Woods have done.

Donovan made a few attempts, but could never stick in Europe where the world’s best compete. His inability to break into various clubs in Germany, or decide to stay with Everton in England, is a fairly large blemish on his resume and why, I think, “arguably” was included in Garber’s statement.

But there is one thing that Donovan may do that the “Big Three” did: inspire others to try to be the best.

From Jordan came Kobe Bryant and Lebron James. From Woods came a slew of golfers ready to try to become the best.

Will Donovan inspire others in our country to try to become one of the world’s best players? Will that be reflected in the U.S. one day playing in a World Cup final?

If that happens that — not the the title of the best ever from the U.S. —will be his true legacy.

Atlanta ticket sales: Atlanta's MLS team has almost reached its cap of 5,000 members in its Founder's Club, and those members have pledged to purchase almost 13,000 season tickets.

Falcons vice president Jim Smith, who is overseeing the team until a president is hired, said the team is pleased with the growth and pledges, saying it reflects the area and country’s growing interest in soccer.

The search for a president is taking longer than the original timetable of August because so many high-quality candidates have inquired about the position.

All-Star game: The MLS All-Star game delivered plenty of excitement on Wednesday.

First, the MLS All-Stars defeated German giants Bayern Munich 2-1 on goals by Bradley Wright-Phillips and Donovan, who was also named the MVP. Not bad for 23 minutes of work by Donovan and a goal in which he looked like he may have been used his arm to control the ball.

It was a tiny bit of redemption for Donovan to score against the team that in 2009 gave him an extended tryout and decided that he was surplus to their needs. The manager of Munich then? Jurgen Klinsmann.

What to make of the win?

Not much, really.

Some of Bayern’s players literally flew in for the game that day, so the team didn’t field a majority of its usual starters. MLS changed 10 of its 11 starters at the half. The only exception was the outstanding Thierry Henry, whom manager Caleb Porter allowed to stay in so that he could receive the spotlight when subbed off. It was a nice gesture by Porter, one that his managerial counterpart could learn from.

The end of the game was marred when Bayern manager Pep Guardiola, unhappy with two tackles made MLS players during the “friendly,” refused to shake Porter’s hand. Guardiola and the rest of his assistants actually waved Porter off as he walked in for the post-game tradition.

Guardiola told the media afterward that he didn’t see Porter.

Seems odd. He knows what he looks like. Guardiola knows where Porter was standing because he turned to admonish him after both tackles, one of which was poor and the other was accidental.

After the game – playing the tough guy – Guardiola said he’d love for his team to be invited back next year and that they would be better prepared.

"I'm going to prepare a little bit better," several media outlets reported him saying. "Now we will be sure what is going on. We will prepare much better. That will do, I hope, our invitation."

It seems like he wants a chance to try to embarrass the MLS team.

After Wednesday, he only embarrassed himself.

MLS schedule change: FIFA chief Sepp Blatter, who seems always know how to say the wrong thing at the wrong time, recently said the MLS is going to shift to a European-based schedule.

That would mean seasons starting in August and ending in May.

That’s a dumb idea because it would force MLS to compete against every other pro sports league. Right now, it’s basically just soccer vs. MLB and soccer is making strides at the turnstile compared to its laconic opponent.

Former Atlanta resident and extremely helpful guy Dan Courtemanche, in charge of marketing for MLS, quickly went to twitter to say the league isn’t changing its schedule.

He was too gentlemanly to point out directly that Blatter was once again wrong.

Concussions: There was justifiable outrage during the World Cup when several players appeared to suffer some sort of head injury – as evidenced by them staying down on the ground after colliding heads with another player – only to see them inserted back into games a few minutes later.

Concussions have been a much-discussed and analyzed topic in the wake of lawsuits against the NFL and the NCAA, along with that organization's recent announcement to establish a concussion center to study the effects of hits to the head and how those affect the brain.

At least one soccer league – and an important one at that — is taking steps to try to protect players.

England’s Premier League this year will not allow a player who loses consciousness to return to a game until they have been cleared by a team doctor. Players who appear to suffer trauma to the head, but don’t lose consciousness, will have to pass tests before they can rejoin the game.

MLS and Atlanta

How MLS players with ties to the metro Atlanta area did this week:

Joe Bendik, Toronto, GK, Kennesaw

Played 90 minutes in team’s 3-2 win over Columbus on Saturday.

Next game: At Sporting KC on Saturday.

Mark Bloom, Toronto, D, Marietta

Didn’t make the 18 for team’s 3-2 win over Columbus on Saturday.

Next game: At Sporting KC on Saturday.

Alex Caskey, D.C. United, M, Dunwoody

Made the 18 but dind’t play in team’s 3-0 loss at Real Salt Lake on Saturday.

Next game: Will host Colorado on Sunday.

Ricardo Clark, Houston, M, Jonesboro

Played 78 minutes in team’s 2-0 loss to Seattle on Sunday.

Next game: Will host Philadelphia on Friday.

Warren Creavalle, Toronto, D, Acworth

Played 90 minutes in team’s 3-2 win over Columbus on Saturday.

Next game: At Sporting KC on Saturday.

Sean Johnson, Chicago, GK, Snellville

Played 90 minutes and made four saves in team’s 1-0 win over New York on Sunday.

Next game: At Seattle on Wednesday and at Montreal on Saturday.

Alec Kann, Chicago, GK, Decatur