Klinsmann makes tough, but right, call on Landon Donovan
Jurgen Klinsmann made the final cuts on Thursday to the U.S. Men’s National Team roster that he will take to Brazil this summer for the World Cup and, in a bit of a small surprise, Landon Donovan will not be making the trip.
“This is certainly one of the toughest decisions – the toughest decision in my coaching career – to tell a player like him with everything he’s done and what he represents, to tell him that you’re not part of those 23 right now,” Klinsmann said of the decision Thursday night. “I just see some other players slightly ahead of him.
“The last 10 days he did everything right. He was always positive, he took it the best way possible. So his disappointment is huge. I totally understand that. He took it very professional, because he’s an outstanding professional player and he knows that I have the highest respect for him.
“But I have to make the decisions as of today. I have to make the decisions what is good today for this group going into Brazil and I just think that the other guys right now are a little bit ahead of him and I told him that. And he understands it, but obviously he’s very disappointed.”
While the decision is a bit controversial, Klinsmann made the right call.
Red Right 88 