"I have no doubt Arena will make some drastic changes, but another 48 hours are probably needed for those to become clear. One serious problem for the coach to sort out is struggling DaMarcus Beasley. Should Arena play him or sit him? Landon Donovan, meanwhile, cannot be left out of the starting lineup. But in Monday's match he wasn't there, for all intents and purposes. Which brings me to a story that somewhat illustrates a serious overall problem with a lot of potential American soccer pros and eventual national team stars.About five years ago, an unhappy and clearly homesick Donovan was toiling in Germany, having signed a lucrative and much-ballyhooed contract with German powerhouse Bayer Leverkusen when he was just 17. A German coach friend of mine commented that for him, Landon had "all the tools to be as good as or better than this other kid, Rosicky," a reference to then-20-year-old Tomas Rosicky. At the time, Rosicky was a young Czech star just signed by Borussia Dortmund. Like Donovan, Rosicky had the skill, the pace and the shooting ability. You can look at the physical similarities, the whole package.
In the five years since Donovan came home to California and Major League Soccer, he has been a star in MLS. Moreover, he came home to a relaxed lifestyle, Southern California beaches and the run of the show.
Rosicky, meanwhile, stuck it out in grim, industrial, cold Dortmund. Stuck to the business at hand, knowing the alternative was a lifelong trip back to Prague, as opposed to the one he will take shortly after the World Cup to join powerhouse Arsenal of London. The world will be at his feet.
Rosicky, you might remember, destroyed Donovan's U.S. team on Monday with two superb goals."
Read the full report from Marcos at the Tampa Tribune >>
