Gonzalez’s Donovan debt

Landon Donovan looked unsure of where to go when he emerged from the tunnel for his 157th and finalUSA cap. He applauded the crowd, hopping in a circle, and trotted meekly to the corner flag, where he passed the ball back and forth lazily with club team-mate Omar Gonzalez. 

“He’s a great friend and a great team-mate,” 26-year-old central defender Gonzalez told FIFA.com, a reverence and respect riding the waves of his soft voice. “We’ve shared a lot of memories,” added the MLS Best XI selection, a team-mate of Donovan’s for six years with LA Galaxy.  

The atmosphere in Hartford on that night in October was awkward. Donovan announced his retirement from football suddenly. US Soccer's decision-makers arranged a hasty send-off. The squad was full of fresh faces, even a handful of debutants. Established stars like Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey weren’t even called in.

A pre-arranged substitution was made near the end of the first half and Donovan received a standing ovation as he left the pitch. But there was tension between the No10 and Jurgen Klinsmann, the coach who sensationally left Donovan - a veteran of three FIFA World Cups™ and the country’s top-scorer - off the squad for this year's showpiece in Brazil. There was a forced embrace. Crooked smiles were exchanged.

Donovan shook every hand put in front of him and plopped himself down on the bench, beside Gonzalez, his proud, smiling team-mate for club and country. “I was adamant about wanting to be there for that game,” Gonzalez insisted, despite the fact that the Galaxy had a trio of important games coming up.

Seven years younger than Donovan, Gonzalez is a member of a generation that came of age in the legend’s shadow. “His has been a storied career,” said the 6'5 centre-back, who has won two MLS titles since joining the Galaxy. “He’s done so much for his teams, but also just for soccer in America. He’s a positive force and a mentor.”

Donovan could often seem aloof, even arrogant. His candour sometimes sounded abrasive. Accusations of not challenging himself, of not living up to his soaring potential, dogged him for a decade. But when you listen to Gonzalez, there is a genuine affection and real gratitude.

“Never did I think I’d play with Landon Donovan,” said Gonzalez, the son of Mexican immigrants, his father a truck driver. “I grew up watching him and it was like a fantasy to even consider playing with him.”

Fast education
In 2009 that fantasy became reality. And Gonzalez, then a first-year rookie, might have regretted his high ambitions. “Donovan was so sharp in training in those early seasons,” the defender recalled with a wry grin, running over old memories in his mind. “He’s so fast and so good technically; he can kill you with a single pass,” added Gonzalez, who finished his debut season in LA as the league’s best new player.

“In those early days, I’ll admit it, he was all over me,” Gonzalez added with a chuckle, happily self-effacing. It was a fast education under one of America’s all-time greats. It helped him become defender of the year in 2011, when the Galaxy conceded just 28 goals in 34 games. Donovan’s influence also helped Gonzalez board the plane for his first World Cup this summer. He calls it “a dream come true” and Donovan, gutted over being cut, still took the time to give his young team-mate a few tips before take-off.

“I was lucky to be around Donovan; he’s a player I knew I could learn from,” added Gonzalez, one of the Galaxy’s top stars in their charge to this weekend’s title decider, MLS Cup. “I knew he could make me better. He makes everyone around him better. I wouldn’t be the player I am now without him.”

On Sunday, at home in sunny LA, Donovan will play his last game of professional football, with a sixth MLS title on the line. Gonzalez is desperate to see his friend go out on top. That’s not happy news for Charlie Davies, Jermaine Jones and the rest of the free-scoring New England Revolution.

Gonzalez spoke slowly as the interview wound down, picking his words carefully. “I want to get better every day,” he said, inadvertently echoing the lessons he learned from Donovan. “Maybe I can help some of the younger guys become better players too,” he said, almost as a question. “Maybe I can be a better leader.”