U.S. Soccer Must Cut Ties with Landon Donovan

It's time for Jurgen Klinsmann to cut ties with Landon Donovan (Credits: Getty Images)

A little less than a week ago, United States head coach Jurgen Klinsmann came out and made a relatively short, but considerable announcement. Landon Donovan was told he had to earn his national team spot back something the United States star hasn't been told since the day he exploded onto the scene in 2002. Klinsmann means business.

And although I agree with Klinsmann's move, I believe going a step further is a necessary decision. Tell Donovan thank you for your services, but your era is over. It'll hurt. It'll sting LD's glowing confidence, but the damage he could cause Klinsmann's budding bunch could be even greater.

Donovan has been playing hide and seek with the USMNT since the squad bowed out in the World Cup three years ago. He's seemingly going back and forth on his word of whether or not he wants to make a final cup run. He's not played in any of the three World Cup qualifiers the U.S. has taken part in so far and it doesn't seem that he's to be part of any of Klinsmann's plans going forward. There is simply no need to hold onto the glory years we've received from Donovan in the past decade; he's 31 and he's at the tail end of his career. Can he help the national team? Sure he can, he's shown that he can muster up a few extra magic moments over the past few years. But he can also hurt this young, growing team by busting through the doors and making a scene like we've seen him do before. His confidence is both a blessing and a problem, but his what-if potential is not worth the headaches he may cause.

Over the past few years, the aging star hasn't given anyone a clear indication of where his head's at. One moment he's over in Europe, playing a main cog in the Everton offense, the next he's turning down an Everton extension because he thinks playing in the MLS is his duty. Playing in the mediocre MLS is far from what Donovan needed to do to boost soccer interest in the United States. With a last push in him he needed to continue his great run of form against superior competition in order to help the USMNT. Even his quality play in the second Everton stint wasn't enough for him to decline a return to L.A. The man seems to be dazed and confused.

Let him run circles around his own tail. Let him ride his own emotional rollercoaster. There is no need for Landon Donovan. This is Clint Dempsey's team; this is Michael Bradley's team; this is a new era in American soccer and we can't let the past growth muddle what could be a bright future.   Yes, he did provide us some sensational moments over the years and was the real catalyst behind the rise of U.S. Soccer, but by no means is he Derek Jeter, Michael Jordan or Wayne Gretzky. We don't need to wait on his every move. Klinsmann has been hard on some of Bob Bradley's protege like Bradley's son and Jozy Altidore, so I hope he can be even more stern with the befuddled Donovan.

We need to just go, go, go and leave the past in the rearview mirror. Thanks for the memories, Landon.