Misplaced Pages

Landon Donovan

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
#509490

141-465: Landon Timothy Donovan (born March 4, 1982) is an American former professional soccer player and coach who was most recently the interim head coach of San Diego Wave FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Widely regarded as one of the greatest U.S. players of all time, Donovan holds the world record for the man with the most international assists (58), and is tied with Clint Dempsey for

282-423: A ball around a rectangular field called a pitch . The objective of the game is to score more goals than the opposing team by moving the ball beyond the goal line into a rectangular-framed goal defended by the opposing team. Traditionally, the game has been played over two 45-minute halves, for a total match time of 90 minutes. With an estimated 250 million players active in over 200 countries and territories, it

423-601: A stele of c.  375–400 BCE in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens appears on the UEFA European Championship trophy. Athenaeus , writing in 228 CE, mentions the Roman ball game harpastum . Phaininda, episkyros and harpastum were played involving hands and violence. They all appear to have resembled rugby football , wrestling , and volleyball more than what

564-510: A 2–1 win over Fulham in the FA Cup fourth round proper. On January 31, he assisted in Darron Gibson 's winning goal over Manchester City . Donovan took his tally of assists to seven when he assisted Denis Stracqualursi 's goal in a 2–0 victory over Chelsea on February 11. On September 8, 2016, Donovan announced his return from retirement and officially signed with LA Galaxy for the remainder of

705-542: A 61st-minute substitute. However, upon his return, it was announced he would be forced to relinquish the captaincy to Robbie Keane for the 2013 season. He scored two goals against Chivas USA , tying him with Jeff Cunningham together as the top MLS goalscorer with 134 goals. On May 25, 2014, Donovan scored twice against the Philadelphia Union to break Cunningham's record of 134, making Donovan MLS's All-Time leading goalscorer with 136 goals. On August 6, 2014, he scored

846-624: A 6–4 win over the Tacoma Stars during his MASL debut on February 15 in front of a record crowd in Pechanga Arena San Diego . He scored his first two goals for the Sockers in the next game for a 13–2 win over Turlock Express , opening the scoring after just 12 seconds. Donovan was named to MASL's Week 14 Team of the Week and also named him as a 2018–19 All-MASL Top Newcomer. Donovan was a member of

987-488: A French XI team in 1920, and also made up most of the England team against a Scottish Ladies XI in the same year, winning 22–0. Despite being more popular than some men's football events, with one match seeing a 53,000 strong crowd in 1920, women's football in England suffered a blow in 1921 when The Football Association outlawed the playing of the game on association members' pitches, stating that "the game of football

1128-546: A brace against Guatemala in a warmup friendly before the Gold Cup. Four days later, Donovan became the first player to reach 50 goals and 50 assists for the United States during a 6–1 group stage victory in their 2013 Gold Cup opener against Belize in which he had one goal and two assists. After the U.S. won the Gold Cup title with a 1–0 victory over Panama , Donovan was awarded the tournament's Best Player trophy after tying for

1269-560: A break from his professional soccer career, citing physical and mental exhaustion as the main reasons. In LA Galaxy's next match, the 2012 MLS Cup, a rematch with Houston, Donovan converted a penalty kick in the 65th minute of play to give LA a 2–1 lead. The goal was Donovan's fifth in MLS Cup Finals. LA Galaxy went on to win their second straight MLS Cup, 3–1. Donovan returned to training with LA Galaxy on March 25, 2013, and made his season debut five days later against Toronto , coming on as

1410-442: A caution ( yellow card ) or dismissal ( red card ). A second yellow card in the same game leads to a red card, which results in a dismissal. A player given a yellow card is said to have been "booked", the referee writing the player's name in their official notebook. If a player has been dismissed, no substitute can be brought on in their place and the player may not participate in further play. Misconduct may occur at any time, and while

1551-564: A competitive game, and involved the kicking of a mari , a ball made of animal skin. In North America, pasuckuakohowog was a ball game played by the Algonquians ; it was described as "almost identical to the kind of folk football being played in Europe at the same time, in which the ball was kicked through goals". Phaininda and episkyros were Greek ball games. An image of an episkyros player depicted in low relief on

SECTION 10

#1732848530510

1692-497: A deadlock; some competitions may invoke replays . A game tied at the end of regulation time may go into extra time, which consists of two further 15-minute periods. If the score is still tied after extra time, some competitions allow the use of penalty shoot-outs (known officially in the Laws of the Game as "kicks from the penalty mark") to determine which team will progress to the next stage of

1833-542: A fan favorite, Donovan declared himself an "Evertonian for life". He was featured on the American cover of FIFA Football 2003 , the North American covers of FIFA 07 , FIFA 11 and FIFA 12 video games. Association football Association football , more commonly known as football or soccer , is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players each, who almost exclusively use their feet to propel

1974-400: A goal has been scored or not; this was brought in to prevent controversy. Video assistant referees (VAR) have also been increasingly introduced in high-level matches to assist officials through video replays to correct clear and obvious mistakes. There are four types of calls that can be reviewed: mistaken identity in awarding a red or yellow card, goals and whether there was a violation during

2115-513: A late offer from English Premier League club Portsmouth , Donovan expressed a desire to return to the United States. Upon his re-entry to MLS, San Jose was denied the chance to re-sign Donovan because Earthquakes general manager Alexi Lalas had traded away his rights. LA Galaxy , his hometown team, were able to trade leading scorer Carlos Ruiz to FC Dallas to get on top of the MLS allocation order as Donovan prepared to leave Germany. Donovan signed

2256-628: A latex bladder for pressurisation, but modern balls at all levels of the game are now synthetic. As the Laws were formulated in England, and were initially administered solely by the four British football associations within IFAB , the standard dimensions of a football pitch were originally expressed in imperial units . The Laws now express dimensions with approximate metric equivalents (followed by traditional units in brackets), though use of imperial units remains popular in English-speaking countries with

2397-622: A loan with Bayern Munich , and twice went on short loans to English Premier League club Everton in 2010 and 2012. He retired as a player in 2014, but made a brief comeback with LA Galaxy late in the 2016 season and then in 2018 to play for León . He further played one season with the San Diego Sockers of the Major Arena Soccer League . Overall Donovan won a record six MLS Cups and is the league's all-time assists leader with 136. The Major League Soccer MVP Award has been renamed

2538-474: A meaningful soccer game in almost two years and I certainly couldn't fill the holes left by those players. Over the ensuing days, I began to think about their inquiries and it struck me that perhaps this is something I should consider. I care so deeply about the Galaxy organization, and I believe I could help in a small way to aid the team in its quest for a sixth MLS championship. On September 11, 2016, Donovan entered

2679-519: A meeting attended by representatives from Eton , Harrow , Rugby , Winchester and Shrewsbury schools. They were not universally adopted. During the 1850s, many clubs unconnected to schools or universities were formed throughout the English-speaking world to play various forms of football. Some came up with their own distinct codes of rules, most notably the Sheffield Football Club , formed by former public school pupils in 1857, which led to

2820-584: A multi-year contract with LA Galaxy, making him the highest-paid American player in the league. In his first season at the club, Donovan scored 12 league goals with 10 assists and added four goals and an assist in the playoffs as LA Galaxy won the MLS Cup (his third MLS championship to date). He was named to the MLS All-Time Best XI after the season. In his second season with LA Galaxy, Donovan scored 12 league goals and eight assists. He also scored three goals in

2961-409: A penalty against Sweden , and passed Eric Wynalda as the United States' all-time leading goal scorer. Donovan reached 100 caps at age 26 on June 8, 2008, in a friendly against Argentina that ended in a 0–0 draw, becoming the fourth-youngest person to do so. Donovan captained the U.S. in the group stage of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup due to Carlos Bocanegra 's injury absence. Donovan scored on

SECTION 20

#1732848530510

3102-551: A penalty kick against Italy , shortly after his team had been reduced to ten men, and scored for the U.S. in a 3–2 defeat to Brazil in the final . On October 10, 2009, Donovan scored on a free-kick, giving the U.S. a 3–2 victory over Honduras in San Pedro Sula that clinched World Cup qualification. Donovan played every minute of the U.S. campaign at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa . He scored against Slovenia with

3243-426: A penalty kick. Other markings define the position of the ball or players at kick-offs , goal kicks, penalty kicks and corner kicks. A standard adult football match consists of two halves of 45 minutes each. Each half runs continuously, meaning that the clock is not stopped when the ball is out of play. There is usually a 15-minute half-time break between halves. The end of the match is known as full-time. The referee

3384-410: A poor captain and teammate. He later apologized to Beckham for discussing his concerns to a reporter rather than to him directly. The two reconciled upon Beckham's mid-season return to Los Angeles and Donovan enjoyed an outstanding 2009 campaign, winning the league's Most Valuable Player and MLS Goal of The Year 2009 award and leading LA Galaxy to MLS Cup 2009 , which they lost on penalties. Following

3525-404: A powerful close-range finish to begin a U.S. comeback for a 2–2 draw, and the only goal in the dying seconds of a 1–0 defeat of Algeria with a finish off a rebounded Clint Dempsey attempt, leading the U.S. to first place in their World Cup group for the first time since 1930. Donovan scored a penalty in the round of 16 against Ghana as the U.S. lost 2–1 after extra time and were eliminated from

3666-623: A proper farewell, despite the disagreement between Donovan and Klinsmann. Following his retirement, he was named by The Guardian as the U.S. team's greatest ever player. After playing in the Major Arena Soccer League during the 2018–19 season , Donovan was named to the United States national arena soccer team ahead of a friendly against Mexico. Donovan was a versatile attacker known for his pace and stamina as well as intelligence and technical skill, allowing him to play at various forward and midfield positions at different points of his career. His longtime international and club manager Bruce Arena

3807-416: A relatively recent history of metrication (or only partial metrication), such as Britain. The length of the pitch, or field, for international adult matches is in the range of 100–110 m (110–120 yd) and the width is in the range of 64–75 m (70–80 yd). Fields for non-international matches may be 90–120 m (100–130 yd) in length and 45–90 m (50–100 yd) in width, provided

3948-567: A similar ancient game ( cuju , or tsu chu ) was played by women during the Han dynasty (25–220 CE), as female figures are depicted in frescoes of the period playing tsu chu . There are also reports of annual football matches played by women in Midlothian , Scotland, during the 1790s. Association football, the modern game, has documented early involvement of women. In 1863, football governing bodies introduced standardised rules to prohibit violence on

4089-472: A staff with experienced coaches because they could aid him with the day-to-day responsibilities with a coaching role that he was unfamiliar with. During his first season in charge, Donovan lead San Diego to 6-5-5 record. Donovan and the Loyal garnered international headlines when they forfeited the last two matches of the season after having alleged instances of racial and homophobic abuse directed at their players by

4230-527: A strong offensive partnership with David Beckham and Edson Buddle . After his former national team manager Bruce Arena was named LA Galaxy head coach and Beckham joined Milan on loan in early 2009, Donovan once again was given the club captaincy on a permanent basis. In July 2009, Donovan received praise and criticism for his critical comments about Beckham in Sports Illustrated journalist Grant Wahl 's book The Beckham Experiment , calling Beckham

4371-488: A substitute in the 83rd minute of León's 2–1 victory over Club Puebla . He scored his first goal for the club on March 24, 2018, in a friendly against his former team, the San Jose Earthquakes On June 17, 2018, Club León announced they had decided to terminate Donovan's contract early. On January 24, 2019, Donovan signed with the San Diego Sockers in the Major Arena Soccer League . He provided an assist in

Landon Donovan - Misplaced Pages Continue

4512-483: A team of MLS academy graduates, assembled just one day prior, to a 1–1 regulation tie, followed by a 4–5 shootout loss, as reported online. Donovan selected and coached the team a second time in the 2016 edition of the event. On November 14, 2019, Landon Donovan was named the inaugural manager of the San Diego Loyal , a team that he helped co-found and was the vice president of soccer operations. Noting that his hiring

4653-568: A team-high 16 assists. In the playoffs , LA Galaxy would ultimately succumb to Dallas in the semi-finals. In 2011, LA Galaxy again won the MLS Supporter's Shield. In the 2011 MLS Cup , Donovan scored the title-clinching goal in the 72nd minute over the Houston Dynamo , securing his fourth MLS Cup title. Donovan was named the MLS Cup MVP. In October 2012, Donovan expressed his desire to take

4794-554: A truce to the nation's civil war in 2006 and it helped further reduce tensions between government and rebel forces in 2007 by playing a match in the rebel capital of Bouaké , an occasion that brought both armies together peacefully for the first time. By contrast, football is widely considered to have been the final proximate cause for the Football War in June 1969 between El Salvador and Honduras . The sport also exacerbated tensions at

4935-432: A variety of positions in which the outfield (non-goalkeeper) players are strategically placed by a coach, these positions are not defined or required by the Laws. The basic equipment or kit players are required to wear includes a shirt, shorts, socks, footwear and adequate shin guards . An athletic supporter and protective cup is highly recommended for male players by medical experts and professionals. Headgear

5076-479: A youth tournament in Europe. Despite becoming a regular starter for the club's reserve team upon arrival, Donovan had trouble adapting to life overseas and was allowed extended training periods with United States youth national teams. He played in a German Cup match for the reserve team. Unhappy with his situation with Leverkusen, Donovan was loaned to the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer (MLS) for

5217-463: Is governed by FIFA . Under FIFA, there are six continental confederations: AFC , CAF , CONCACAF , CONMEBOL , OFC , and UEFA . Of these confederations, CONMEBOL is the oldest one, being founded in 1916. National associations (e.g. The FA in England) are responsible for managing the game in their own countries both professionally and at an amateur level, and coordinating competitions in accordance with

5358-410: Is marked by the goal line, two lines starting on the goal line 16.5 m (18 yd) from the goalposts and extending 16.5 m (18 yd) into the pitch perpendicular to the goal line, and a line joining them. This area has a number of functions, the most prominent being to mark where the goalkeeper may handle the ball and where a penalty foul by a member of the defending team becomes punishable by

5499-438: Is not a required piece of basic equipment, but players today may choose to wear it to protect themselves from head injury. Players are forbidden to wear or use anything that is dangerous to themselves or another player, such as jewellery or watches. The goalkeeper must wear clothing that is easily distinguishable from that worn by the other players and the match officials. A number of players may be replaced by substitutes during

5640-405: Is positioned on each goal line, midway between the two touchlines. The inner edges of the vertical goal posts must be 7.32 m (24 ft) apart, and the lower edge of the horizontal crossbar supported by the goal posts must be 2.44 m (8 ft) above the ground. Nets are usually placed behind the goal, but are not required by the Laws. In front of the goal is the penalty area. This area

5781-800: Is quite unsuitable for females and should not be encouraged." Players and football writers have argued that this ban was, in fact, due to envy of the large crowds that women's matches attracted, and because the FA had no control over the money made from the women's game. The FA ban led to the formation of the short-lived English Ladies Football Association and play moved to rugby grounds. Women's football also faced bans in several other countries , notably in Brazil from 1941 to 1979, in France from 1941 to 1970, and in Germany from 1955 to 1970. Restrictions began to be reduced in

Landon Donovan - Misplaced Pages Continue

5922-506: Is recognisable as modern football. As with pre-codified mob football , the antecedent of all modern football codes , these three games involved more handling the ball than kicking it. Association football in itself does not have a classical history. Notwithstanding any similarities to other ball games played around the world, FIFA has described that no historical connection exists with any game played in antiquity outside Europe. The history of football in England dates back to at least

6063-625: Is the dominant region in women's football, with the United States winning the most FIFA Women's World Cups and Olympic tournaments. Europe and Asia come second and third in terms of international success, and the women's game has been improving in South America. Association football is played in accordance with a set of rules known as the Laws of the Game . The game is played using a spherical ball of 68–70 cm (27–28 in) circumference, known as

6204-451: Is the official timekeeper for the match, and may make an allowance for time lost through substitutions, injured players requiring attention, or other stoppages. This added time is called "additional time" in FIFA documents, but is most commonly referred to as stoppage time or injury time , while lost time can also be used as a synonym. The duration of stoppage time is at the sole discretion of

6345-401: Is the world's most popular sport. The game of association football is played in accordance with the Laws of the Game , a set of rules that has been in effect since 1863 and maintained by the IFAB since 1886. The game is played with a football that is 68–70 cm (27–28 in) in circumference . The two teams compete to score goals by getting the ball into the other team's goal (between

6486-435: Is thought to have been borrowed from the slang of Rugby School . Initially spelt assoccer (a shortening of "association"), it was later reduced to the modern spelling. This form of slang also gave rise to rugger for rugby football, fiver and tenner for five pound and ten pound notes , and the now-archaic footer that was also a name for association football. The word soccer arrived at its current form in 1895 and

6627-404: Is to score goals; defenders , who specialise in preventing their opponents from scoring; and midfielders , who dispossess the opposition and keep possession of the ball to pass it to the forwards on their team. Players in these positions are referred to as outfield players, to distinguish them from the goalkeeper. These positions are further subdivided according to the area of the field in which

6768-421: The football (or soccer ball ). Two teams of eleven players each compete to get the ball into the other team's goal (between the posts and under the bar), thereby scoring a goal. The team that has scored more goals at the end of the game is the winner; if both teams have scored an equal number of goals then the game is a draw. Each team is led by a captain who has only one official responsibility as mandated by

6909-457: The 2022 World Cup and Euro 2024 . Donovan, along with Warren Smith, a co-founder of Sacramento Republic , founded a USL Championship expansion team in June 2019. The team debuted in the USL Championship in 2020. Warren Smith will be the president, while Donovan will be the executive vice president of soccer operations and head coach of the new club. Provisionally named USL San Diego ,

7050-515: The Caribbean and Oceania regions (except Australia ) have yet to make a mark in international football. When it comes to men's national teams, Europeans and South Americans continue to dominate the FIFA World Cup, as no team from any other region has managed to even reach the final. These regional trends do not hold true for the women's game, as the United States women's national team has won

7191-466: The Landon Donovan MVP Award in his honor. Donovan made his senior debut for the United States men's national team in 2000. He is the all-time leader in assists , tied with Clint Dempsey as the all-time leader in scoring, and is the second-most- capped player of his country. Donovan is the only American player to reach the 50 goals/50 assists mark. He is tied with Christian Pulisic for

SECTION 50

#1732848530510

7332-709: The Los Angeles Galaxy II and Phoenix Rising respectively went unpunished. After the second instance, where Phoenix Rising player Junior Flemmings allegedly directed a homophobic slur against openly gay San Diego player Collin Martin , Donovan stated: "We went through a really hard incident in the LA match and we made a vow to ourselves, our community, our players, the club and the USL that we would not stand for bigotry, homophobic slurs and things that don't belong in our game. Our players in

7473-555: The Open Cup . Despite this, Donovan and LA Galaxy failed to make the playoffs and lost in the Open Cup to Chicago Fire. Donovan's playoff goals make him MLS' second all-time leading scorer in the playoffs with 14, behind Carlos Ruiz's 15. Donovan had a mixed year with LA Galaxy in 2007. Upon the signing and arrival of David Beckham , Donovan relinquished his captaincy to the English superstar. In

7614-769: The United States U-23 men's national soccer team as well as the senior team. Despite this he played for the United States U-20 men's national soccer team in 2001. On March 20, 2001, he was involved in a collision with Marvin Lee, the captain of Trinidad and Tobago U-20 team during the 2001 CONCACAF U-20 Tournament in Trinidad. Lee collided head to side with Donovan which resulted in Lee being paralyzed after sustaining neck and spine injuries, while Donovan had fractured ribs. Lee died in 2003 from complications caused by his condition,

7755-620: The 1960s and 1970s. The Italian women's football league was established in 1968. In December 1969, the Women's Football Association was formed in England, with the sport eventually becoming the most prominent team sport for women in the United Kingdom. Two unofficial women's World Cups were organised by the FIEFF in 1970 and in 1971 . Also in 1971, UEFA members voted to officially recognise women's football, while The Football Association rescinded

7896-498: The 2001 season. In MLS, Donovan had immediate success, leading the Earthquakes to MLS Cup championships in 2001 and 2003 and becoming one of the only recognizable faces of soccer in the United States. In four years in the league, he scored 32 goals and 29 assists in league play, and ten goals and six assists in the playoffs. Two of those goals were in the 2003 MLS Cup, a 4–2 Earthquakes triumph over Chicago Fire SC . Donovan earned Man of

8037-453: The 2007 SuperLiga tournament, Donovan was the top scorer. He scored a goal in every match except for the final. He scored six goals in five matches. At this point in his career, Donovan had 84 all-time regular season goals putting him in seventh place on the league's all-time scoring list . Although the 2008 season was a disappointment for LA Galaxy, it was a banner year for Donovan as he scored 20 goals and nine assists in 25 matches, forming

8178-528: The 2009 MLS season had finished, Donovan joined English Premier League side Everton on loan in January 2010, though there was strong suggestions he could join his American teammates at Fulham . During this period, he played in 13 matches in all competitions, scored two goals and was named the club's Player of the Month for January. Everton were keen on extending his loan deal, but LA Galaxy refused, and Donovan returned to

8319-757: The 2014 World Cup roster for the United States, Donovan joined the ESPN / ABC broadcast team for the World Cup as a studio analyst. After his retirement, Donovan became a color commentator for FOX Sports , participating in the network's coverage of the United States–Ecuador quarter-final of the Copa América Centenario . He also called the USMNT games on Fox with John Strong and Stuart Holden and then teamed up with ESPN/ABC's lead play-by-play announcer Ian Darke for

8460-457: The 2016 season (six regular season games and any consecutive play-off matches). Donovan explained that the injuries sustained by the club late in the season led to his decision to return: Two weeks ago, I was working as an analyst on the LA Galaxy vs. Vancouver Whitecaps match and during that game, LA Galaxy suffered injuries to three players: Jelle Van Damme, Steven Gerrard and Gyasi Zardes. Over

8601-427: The 57th minute. Then, in the 78th minute, Donovan scored off a low cross from Mix Diskerud to make the score 2–0, and effectively seal the win, and the World Cup berth. In May 2014, Donovan was named in the preliminary squad for the 2014 World Cup and joined the team in training camp. However, on May 22, 2014, he was controversially omitted from the final U.S. squad by manager Jürgen Klinsmann. Donovan's absence from

SECTION 60

#1732848530510

8742-457: The Americans were eliminated in the group stage. Failing to provide any goals or assists throughout the three matches, he was widely criticized by American viewers for his performance. The following year, he led the U.S. to the 2007 Gold Cup title with four goals, including a crucial penalty in the 2–1 victory over Mexico in the final. On January 19, 2008, Donovan scored his 35th international goal,

8883-516: The Donovan era on December 7, 2014. In November 2008, Donovan trained with Bayern Munich, before joining the German club on loan until the start of the 2009 MLS season in mid-March. During his stay with Bayern, Donovan had appearances in five friendly matches , in which he scored four goals, six league matches and one DFB-Pokal match. At the end of the loan period, Bayern declined to extend his loan. After

9024-570: The FIFA Women's World Cup four times, more than any other women's team. Football is played at a professional level all over the world. Millions of people regularly go to football stadiums to follow their favourite teams, while billions more watch the game on television or on the internet. A very large number of people also play football at an amateur level. According to a survey conducted by FIFA published in 2001, over 240 million people from more than 200 countries regularly play football. Football has

9165-861: The Football Association, the Scottish Football Association , the Football Association of Wales , and the Irish Football Association . FIFA , the international football body, was formed in Paris in 1904 and declared that they would adhere to the Laws of the Game of the Football Association. The growing popularity of the international game led to the admittance of FIFA representatives to the IFAB in 1913. The board consists of four representatives from FIFA and one representative from each of

9306-464: The Game while the ball is in play. The offences that constitute a foul are listed in Law 12. Handling the ball deliberately, tripping an opponent, or pushing an opponent, are examples of "penal fouls", punishable by a direct free kick or penalty kick depending on where the offence occurred. Other fouls are punishable by an indirect free kick . The referee may punish a player's or substitute's misconduct by

9447-470: The IFAB Laws. Each team consists of a maximum of eleven players (excluding substitutes ), one of whom must be the goalkeeper . Competition rules may state a minimum number of players required to constitute a team, which is usually seven. Goalkeepers are the only players allowed to play the ball with their hands or arms, provided they do so within the penalty area in front of their own goal. Though there are

9588-430: The Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which he has been appointed" (Law 5), and whose decisions are final. The referee is assisted by two assistant referees . In many high-level games there is also a fourth official who assists the referee and may replace another official should the need arise. Goal line technology is used to measure if the whole ball has crossed the goal-line thereby determining whether

9729-713: The Laws of the Game. The most prestigious senior international competitions are the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Women's World Cup . The men's World Cup is the most-viewed sporting event in the world, surpassing the Olympic Games . The two most prestigious competitions in club football are the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Women's Champions League , which attract an extensive television audience worldwide. The final of

9870-475: The Laws of the Game: to represent their team in the coin toss before kick-off or penalty kicks . The primary law is that players other than goalkeepers may not deliberately handle the ball with their hands or arms during play, though they must use both their hands during a throw-in restart. Although players usually use their feet to move the ball around, they may use any part of their body (notably, "heading" with

10011-559: The Match for his actions. He was named U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year in 2003. In 2004, Donovan became the first man to be named the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year three years in a row before returning to the Bayer Leverkusen first team in January 2005. After playing seven matches with Leverkusen in the 2004–05 season , only two of which were starts, Donovan requested to leave the club. Despite

10152-472: The U.S. in time for the start of the 2010 MLS season. An agreement was reached in December 2011 for Donovan to spend another two months at Everton beginning in January 2012. He made his returning debut on January 4, 2012, against Bolton Wanderers , a 2–1 defeat. In his third match on loan, he assisted Everton's only goal in a 1–1 draw against Aston Villa on January 14. On January 27, he assisted in both goals in

10293-474: The United States. A notable exception is New Zealand, where in the first two decades of the 21st century, under the influence of international television, "football" has been gaining prevalence, despite the dominance of other codes of football, namely rugby union and rugby league . The term soccer comes from Oxford "-er" slang, which was prevalent at the University of Oxford in England from about 1875, and

10434-456: The ban that prohibited women from playing on association members' pitches in England. Women's football still faces many struggles, but its worldwide growth has seen major competitions being launched at both the national and international levels, mirroring the men's competitions. The FIFA Women's World Cup was inaugurated in 1991: the first tournament was held in China, featuring 12 teams from

10575-410: The beginning of each playing period with a kick-off until the end of the playing period, the ball is in play at all times, except when either the ball leaves the field of play, or play is stopped by the referee. When the ball becomes out of play, play is restarted by one of eight restart methods depending on how it went out of play: A foul occurs when a player commits an offence listed in the Laws of

10716-525: The beginning of the Croatian War of Independence of the 1990s, when a match between Dinamo Zagreb and Red Star Belgrade degenerated into rioting in May 1990. Women's association football has historically seen opposition, with national associations severely curbing its development and several outlawing it completely. Women may have been playing football for as long as the game has existed. Evidence shows that

10857-404: The buildup, direct red card decisions, and penalty decisions. The ball is spherical with a circumference of between 68 and 70 cm (27 and 28 in), a weight in the range of 410 to 450 g (14 to 16 oz), and a pressure between 0.6 and 1.1 standard atmospheres (8.5 and 15.6 pounds per square inch ) at sea level. In the past the ball was made up of leather panels sewn together, with

10998-732: The champions of these two club competitions would contest the Intercontinental Cup to prove which team was the best in the world. In the 21st century, South America has continued to produce some of the best footballers in the world, but its clubs have fallen behind the still dominant European clubs, which often sign the best players from Latin America and elsewhere. Meanwhile, football has improved in Africa , Asia and North America , and nowadays, these regions are at least on equal grounds with South America in club football, although countries in

11139-535: The club's network and relationships, particularly within North America. Donovan married actress Bianca Kajlich on December 31, 2006; the couple separated in July 2009, and Donovan filed for divorce in December 2010. In May 2015, he married Hannah Bartell. They welcomed their first child, son Talon, in January 2016. Donovan has spoken publicly about dealing with depression throughout his life and career, and has criticized

11280-484: The competition. His goals in South Africa made Donovan the highest scoring American male in World Cup history, and just the third American man to score in more than one World Cup, after Brian McBride and Clint Dempsey. His total of five World Cup goals is the most for any man representing a team from CONCACAF . After missing the first two World Cup qualifiers of 2013 due to his extended off-season sabbatical , Donovan

11421-425: The course of the game. The maximum number of substitutions permitted in most competitive international and domestic league games is five in 90 minutes, with each team being allowed one more if the game should go into extra-time; the permitted number may vary in other competitions or in friendly matches . Common reasons for a substitution include injury, tiredness, ineffectiveness, a tactical switch, or timewasting at

11562-453: The eighth century. The modern rules of association football are based on the mid-19th century efforts to standardise the widely varying forms of football played in the public schools of England. The Cambridge rules , first drawn up at the University of Cambridge in 1848, were particularly influential in the development of subsequent codes, including association football. The Cambridge rules were written at Trinity College, Cambridge , at

11703-420: The end of a finely poised game. In standard adult matches, a player who has been substituted may not take further part in a match. IFAB recommends "that a match should not continue if there are fewer than seven players in either team". Any decision regarding points awarded for abandoned games is left to the individual football associations. A game is officiated by a referee , who has "full authority to enforce

11844-405: The end of the game is the winner. There are situations where a goal can be disallowed, such as an offside call or a foul in the build-up to the goal. Depending on the format of the competition, an equal number of goals scored may result in a draw being declared with 1 point awarded to each team, or the game goes into extra time or a penalty shoot-out . Internationally, association football

11985-420: The forehead) other than their hands or arms. Within normal play, all players are free to play the ball in any direction and move throughout the pitch, though players may not pass to teammates who are in an offside position. During gameplay, players attempt to create goal-scoring opportunities through individual control of the ball, such as by dribbling , passing the ball to a teammate, and by taking shots at

12126-514: The formation of a Sheffield FA in 1867. In 1862, John Charles Thring of Uppingham School also devised an influential set of rules. These ongoing efforts contributed to the formation of The Football Association (The FA) in 1863, which first met on the morning of 26 October 1863 at the Freemasons' Tavern in Great Queen Street , London. The only school to be represented on this occasion

12267-517: The four British associations. For most of the 20th century, Europe and South America were the dominant regions in association football. The FIFA World Cup , inaugurated in 1930 , became the main stage for players of both continents to show their worth and the strength of their national teams. In the second half of the century, the European Cup and the Copa Libertadores were created, and

12408-436: The game 2–2. Altogether, Donovan played in all six remaining matches of the 2016 regular season, as well as in all three play-off matches. He started in five of them and scored one goal. At the end of the play-off run, Donovan retired for the second time. On January 12, 2018, Donovan signed with Liga MX team León , having returned from retirement for a second time. He made his Liga MX debut on February 10, 2018, coming on as

12549-695: The game in a specific position, there are few restrictions on player movement, and players can switch positions at any time. The layout of a team's players is known as a formation . Defining the team's formation and tactics is usually the prerogative of the team's manager . There are 17 laws in the official Laws of the Game, each containing a collection of stipulations and guidelines. The same laws are designed to apply to all levels of football for both sexes, although certain modifications for groups such as juniors, seniors and people with physical disabilities are permitted. The laws are often framed in broad terms, which allow flexibility in their application depending on

12690-425: The goal, which is guarded by the opposing goalkeeper. Opposing players may try to regain control of the ball by intercepting a pass or through tackling the opponent in possession of the ball; however, physical contact between opponents is restricted. Football is generally a free-flowing game, with play stopping only when the ball has left the field of play or when play is stopped by the referee for an infringement of

12831-511: The heart and passion of the moment still wanted to play, but if we wanted to be true to who we are as a club, we have to speak and we have to act. After half-time we all decided if the player who used the homophobic slur was not removed from the game – either by the officials or by his coach – we would not play. If they are not willing to act, we have to act." On December 2, 2022, Donovan was elevated to full-time Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations for Loyal. Associate head coach Nate Miller

12972-404: The highest global television audience in sport. In many parts of the world, football evokes great passions and plays an important role in the life of individual fans , local communities, and even nations. Ryszard Kapuściński says that Europeans who are polite, modest, or humble fall easily into rage when playing or watching football games. The Ivory Coast national football team helped secure

13113-626: The inaugural class at U.S. Soccer 's full-time residency program for the under-17 national team at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida . In his two years playing for the U-17 team, he scored 35 goals in 41 games and won the Golden Ball at the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship as the tournament's best player. He also represented the United States at the 1999 Pan American Games . In 2000, he moved up to both

13254-654: The instigation of Alcock. England is also home to the world's first football league , which was founded in Birmingham in 1888 by Aston Villa director William McGregor . The original format contained 12 clubs from the Midlands and Northern England . Laws of the Game are determined by the International Football Association Board (IFAB). The board was formed in 1886 after a meeting in Manchester of

13395-697: The lack of a crossbar, rules which made it remarkably similar to Victorian rules football being developed at that time in Australia. The Sheffield FA played by its own rules until the 1870s, with the FA absorbing some of its rules until there was little difference between the games. The world's oldest football competition is the FA Cup , which was founded by the footballer and cricketer Charles W. Alcock , and has been contested by English teams since 1872. The first official international football match also took place in 1872, between Scotland and England in Glasgow , again at

13536-446: The match against Orlando City as a substitute on the 83rd minute. As his traditional number 10 was worn by Giovani dos Santos , Donovan selected number 26, which he wore at Bayer Leverkusen when he began his career in 1999. Donovan scored a goal in his second match after returning to LA Galaxy. On September 18, 2016, he came on as a substitute in the 74th minute in a match against Sporting Kansas City and scored two minutes later to tie

13677-607: The men's tournament is the most-watched annual sporting event in the world. Association football is one of a family of football codes that emerged from various ball games played worldwide since antiquity. Within the English-speaking world, the sport is now usually called "football" in Great Britain and most of Ulster in the north of Ireland, whereas people usually call it "soccer" in regions and countries where other codes of football are prevalent, such as Australia, Canada, South Africa, most of Ireland (excluding Ulster), and

13818-465: The most international goals scored by a male U.S. player ( 57 ). An early soccer product of IMG Academy , Donovan signed for Bayer Leverkusen in 1999. In 2005, after six years with Leverkusen, the majority of which were spent on loan with the San Jose Earthquakes of MLS, Donovan moved back to the United States permanently to sign with the Los Angeles Galaxy . He later returned to Germany for

13959-525: The nature of the game. The Laws of the Game are published by FIFA, but are maintained by the IFAB. In addition to the seventeen laws, numerous IFAB decisions and other directives contribute to the regulation of association football. Within the United States, Major League Soccer used a distinct ruleset during the 1990s and the National Federation of State High School Associations and NCAA still use rulesets that are comparable to, but different from,

14100-448: The next few days, Nigel De Jong was transferred to Galatasaray and news broke that Gyasi would be out for the rest of the season. Since my retirement, I have remained in close contact with many of the staff and players on LA Galaxy. I spoke with some of them that week and they jokingly asked if I was ready to make a return to the field to help fill some of the void left by the injuries and departures. I reminded them that I haven't played

14241-539: The next stoppage of play. The referee's decision in all on-pitch matters is considered final. The score of a match cannot be altered after the game, even if later evidence shows that decisions (including awards/non-awards of goals) were incorrect. United States men%27s national under-17 soccer team The United States U-17 men's national soccer team is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation . The highest level of competition in which

14382-426: The offences that constitute misconduct are listed, the definitions are broad. In particular, the offence of "unsporting behaviour" may be used to deal with most events that violate the spirit of the game, even if they are not listed as specific offences. A referee can show a yellow or red card to a player, substitute, substituted player, and to non-players such as managers and support staff. Rather than stopping play,

14523-461: The original thirteen laws of the game. The sticking point was hacking, which a twelfth club at the meeting, Blackheath FC , had wanted to keep, resulting in them withdrawing from the FA. Other English rugby clubs followed this lead and did not join the FA, and instead in 1871, along with Blackheath, formed the Rugby Football Union . The FA rules included handling of the ball by "marks" and

14664-432: The pitch does not become square. In 2008, the IFAB initially approved a fixed size of 105 m (115 yd) long and 68 m (74 yd) wide as a standard pitch dimension for international matches; however, this decision was later put on hold and was never actually implemented. The longer boundary lines are touchlines , while the shorter boundaries (on which the goals are placed) are goal lines . A rectangular goal

14805-437: The pitch, making it more socially acceptable for women to play. The first match recorded by the Scottish Football Association took place in 1892 in Glasgow . In England, the first recorded game of football between women took place in 1895. Women's football has traditionally been associated with charity games and physical exercise, particularly in the United Kingdom. Association football continued to be played by women since

14946-437: The player spends the most time. For example, there are central defenders and left and right midfielders. The ten outfield players may be arranged in any combination. The number of players in each position determines the style of the team's play; more forwards and fewer defenders creates a more aggressive and offensive-minded game, while the reverse creates a slower, more defensive style of play. While players typically spend most of

15087-400: The players and spectators by holding up a board showing this number. The signalled stoppage time may be further extended by the referee. Added time was introduced because of an incident which happened in 1891 during a match between Stoke and Aston Villa . Trailing 1–0 with two minutes remaining, Stoke were awarded a penalty kick. Villa's goalkeeper deliberately kicked the ball out of play; by

15228-407: The posts, under the bar, and fully across the goal line). When the ball is in play, the players mainly use their feet, but may also use any other part of their body, such as their head, chest and thighs, except for their hands or arms, to control, strike, or pass the ball. Only the goalkeepers may use their hands and arms, and that only within the penalty area . The team that has scored more goals at

15369-635: The professional sports world for its approach to mental health issues. Since joining the Galaxy, Donovan has resided in Manhattan Beach, California . He speaks fluent Spanish, which he learned both in school and through playing in Hispanic clubs and leagues while growing up in California. He also speaks German as a result of his time spent in Germany. After his two brief stints playing for Everton in which he became

15510-574: The record of four U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year awards (the first man to win in consecutive years), as well as the only seven-time winner of the Player of the Year award. Donovan starred in the U.S. team that reached the quarter-finals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup where he received the Best Young Player Award . His three goals in the 2010 World Cup made Donovan the highest-scoring male American player in World Cup history. Landon Timothy Donovan

15651-416: The referee may allow play to continue if doing so will benefit the team against which an offence has been committed. This is known as "playing an advantage". The referee may "call back" play and penalise the original offence if the anticipated advantage does not ensue within "a few seconds". Even if an offence is not penalised due to advantage being played, the offender may still be sanctioned for misconduct at

15792-419: The referee. Stoppage time does not fully compensate for the time in which the ball is out of play , and a 90-minute game typically involves about an hour of "effective playing time". The referee alone signals the end of the match. In matches where a fourth official is appointed, towards the end of the half, the referee signals how many minutes of stoppage time they intend to add. The fourth official then informs

15933-440: The respective six confederations. The World Cup has been held every four years since; by 2019 , it had expanded to 24 national teams, and 1.12 billion viewers watched the competition. Four years later , FIFA targeted the 32-team 2023 Women's World Cup at an audience of 2 billion, while about 1.4 million tickets were sold, setting a Women's World Cup record. Women's football has been an Olympic event since 1996 . North America

16074-534: The rules. After a stoppage, play recommences with a specified restart. At a professional level, most matches produce only a few goals. For example, the 2022–23 season of the English Premier League produced an average of 2.85 goals per match. The Laws of the Game do not specify any player positions other than goalkeeper, but a number of specialised roles have evolved. Broadly, these include three main categories: strikers , or forwards, whose main task

16215-558: The season, Donovan agreed to a four-year extension to his contract with LA Galaxy, with clauses that allow him to seek loans during the MLS offseason. On August 1, 2010, Donovan scored the 100th goal of his MLS career. On September 18, 2010, he became the all-time leading scorer for LA Galaxy. LA Galaxy had another successful campaign in 2010 winning the Supporters' Shield for the first time since 2003. In that campaign, Donovan scored seven goals and

16356-543: The sexes are so widely divided are all on the side of emancipation , and I look forward to the time when ladies may sit in Parliament and have a voice in the direction of affairs, especially those which concern them most." Honeyball and those like her paved the way for women's football. However, the women's game was frowned upon by the British football associations and continued without their support. It has been suggested that this

16497-402: The stadium now carries his name . Donovan made his World Cup finals debut in the 2002 World Cup starting in the shock upset of pre-tournament favorites Portugal , a match the Americans won 3–2. Donovan's cross in the 29th minute deflected in off Jorge Costa , giving the U.S. a 2–0 lead. Later, Donovan would tally his first World Cup finals goal in the 83rd minute of a 3–1 loss to Poland in

16638-434: The team even became the comedic subject of a PlayStation Commercial where Donovan makes light of his newly found free time. Klinsmann later called his decision "one of the toughest decisions in [his] coaching career", but said, "I just think the other guys right now are a little bit ahead of him." Klinsmann's decision, which was described by media staff as abruptly timed after Klinsmann had previously promised to wait until after

16779-532: The team may compete is in the FIFA U-17 World Cup , which is held every two years.   Champions     Runners-up     Third place     Fourth place   The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled. Legend    Win    Draw    Lose    Fixture 24 players were called up for

16920-594: The team with his playmaking abilities, passing vision, and defensive work rate. Donovan also provided capable delivery on set pieces (as well as occasionally scoring from direct kicks ) and served as first-choice penalty taker for club and country for much of his career. In July 2015, it was announced Donovan had been appointed as head coach for a team consisting of young MLS players for the 2015 MLS Homegrown Game . The game took place on July 28, 2015, at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado . Donovan led

17061-519: The team's friendly matches to announce cuts, saw additional controversy when Klinsmann's son Jonathan published and later deleted a post on Twitter that appeared to ridicule Donovan following the announcement. On October 10, 2014, Donovan played his 157th and final match for the United States in a friendly against Ecuador in East Hartford, Connecticut . The match was arranged by United States Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati to give Donovan

17202-456: The team's name and crest would be developed through fan engagement and reflect the interests of the city. On November 2, 2019, the team announced their branding and naming themselves San Diego Loyal . On 17 June 2021, it was announced that Donovan would be joining Lincoln City as a Strategic Advisor, working with the Board, Chief Executive Liam Scully and Director of Football Jez George to enhance

17343-400: The third match of the group stage. He then scored his second goal of the tournament on a header which clinched a 2–0 round of 16 victory for the Americans over arch-rival Mexico . Though the U.S. would go on to lose 1–0 to Germany in the quarter-finals, Donovan would later be named Best Young Player of the tournament. Donovan was a member of the U.S. squad at the 2006 World Cup , in which

17484-447: The time it was recovered, the clock had run out and the game was over, leaving Stoke unable to attempt the penalty. The same law also states that the duration of either half is extended until a penalty kick to be taken or retaken is completed; thus, no game can end with an uncompleted penalty. In league competitions, games may end in a draw. In knockout competitions where a winner is required, various methods may be employed to break such

17625-531: The time of the first recorded women's games in the late 19th century. The best-documented early European team was founded by activist Nettie Honeyball in England in 1894. It was named the British Ladies' Football Club . Honeyball is quoted as, "I founded the association late last year [1894], with the fixed resolve of proving to the world that women are not the 'ornamental and useless' creatures men have pictured. I must confess, my convictions on all matters where

17766-460: The tournament lead with five goals scored. He started every match of the tournament for the United States. Donovan was recalled to the full national squad for the first time in over a year for the U.S.'s September World Cup qualifying matches against Costa Rica and Mexico. Donovan started and played 90 minutes in both games. With the U.S. needing a win over Mexico to clinch qualification, Donovan's corner kick assisted Eddie Johnson 's go-ahead goal in

17907-422: The tournament or be the champion. Goals scored during extra time periods count towards the final score of the game, but kicks from the penalty mark are only used to decide the team that progresses to the next part of the tournament, with goals scored in a penalty shoot-out not making up part of the final score. In competitions using two-legged matches , each team competes at home once, with an aggregate score from

18048-597: The transmission of cuju outside of China, especially the form of the game popular in the Tang dynasty , the period when the inflatable ball was invented and replaced the stuffed ball. Other East Asian games include kemari in Japan and chuk-guk in Korea, both influenced by cuju . Kemari originated after the year 600 during the Asuka period . It was a ceremonial rather than

18189-439: The two matches deciding which team progresses. Where aggregates are equal, the away goals rule may be used to determine the winners, in which case the winner is the team that scored the most goals in the leg they played away from home. If the result is still equal, extra time and potentially a penalty shoot-out are required. Under the Laws, the two basic states of play during a game are ball in play and ball out of play . From

18330-458: The winning goal at the 2014 MLS All-Star Game , putting the ball past Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer at the 70th minute, he was subsequently substituted for Sporting Kansas City striker Dom Dwyer and gave the captain's armband to Canadian international Will Johnson . On August 7, 2014, Donovan announced he would be retiring at the end of the 2014 Major League Soccer season; the season ended with LA Galaxy winning their fourth MLS Cup of

18471-510: Was Charterhouse . The Freemasons' Tavern was the setting for five more meetings of The FA between October and December 1863; the English FA eventually issued the first comprehensive set of rules named Laws of the Game , forming modern football. The laws included bans on running with the ball in hand and hacking (kicking an opponent in the shins), tripping and holding. Eleven clubs, under the charge of FA secretary Ebenezer Cobb Morley , ratified

18612-535: Was a member of the inaugural class of the U.S. Soccer youth residency program in Bradenton, Florida . He was named Player of the Tournament for his role in the United States under-17 squad that finished fourth in the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship before signing with German club Bayer Leverkusen later that year. Later in 1999, Donovan signed a six-year contract for German Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen , whose sporting director Michael Reschke spotted him at

18753-468: Was a risk for the club because he had never coached before, Donovan surrounded himself with an experienced backroom staff. He brought on former coach Paul Buckle and former United States women's national soccer team player Shannon MacMillan as senior advisors to his staff. While also bringing in experienced coaches in Carrie Taylor, Nate Miller and Matt Hall to his staff. Donovan noted that he wanted

18894-668: Was born (along with twin sister Tristan) on March 4, 1982, in Ontario, California , to Donna Kenney-Cash, an American special education teacher, and Tim Donovan, a semi-professional ice hockey player originally from Canada. Donovan's parents are both of Irish descent, and he holds Canadian citizenship by way of his father. His mother raised Landon and his siblings in Redlands, California , and he attended Redlands East Valley High School when not engaged in soccer activities elsewhere. Donovan first played soccer with his older brother and when Donovan

19035-527: Was first recorded as in exercise in the Zhan Guo Ce , a military history from the Han dynasty . Cuju players would pass the ball around, having to avoid it touching the ground at any point. It was then passed to a designated player, who attempted to kick it through the fengliu yan , a circular goal atop 10–11 meter poles. During the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE), cuju games were standardised and rules were established. The Silk Road facilitated

19176-419: Was first recorded in 1889 in the earlier form of socca . Kicking ball games arose independently multiple times across multiple cultures. The Chinese competitive game cuju ( 蹴鞠 , literally "kickball"; also known as tsu chu ) resembles modern association football as well as a mix of basketball, and volleyball. This is the earliest form of a kicking game for which there is historical evidence. The game

19317-499: Was left off of the squad by Jürgen Klinsmann for the June qualifying matches, despite having returned to playing full-time in March. However, Donovan was re-called to the national team for the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup to be played in July. On July 5, 2013, he became the first U.S. player to reach the 50 international goal mark and the fourth man in CONCACAF to score 50 international goals after

19458-497: Was motivated by a perceived threat to the "masculinity" of the game. Women's football became popular on a large scale at the time of the First World War , when female employment in heavy industry spurred the growth of the game, much as it had done for men 50 years earlier. The most successful team of the era was Dick, Kerr Ladies F.C. of Preston, England . The team played in one of the first women's international matches against

19599-447: Was once quoted as saying, "the problem with Landon is that he's your best player at so many positions that you never know where to put him." Particularly in the early parts of his career, Donovan played as a withdrawn striker and was most noted for his quickness and goalscoring ability. As his professional career progressed, Donovan was increasingly utilized by managers as a wide attacking midfielder , where he could additionally benefit

19740-431: Was promoted to head coach. On October 23, 2023, The San Diego Loyal dissolved as a result of the inability to find a stadium and the MLS expanding to San Diego. On August 16, 2024, Donovan was announced as the interim head coach of National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) club San Diego Wave FC , replacing interim coach Paul Buckle . Donovan's tenure as interim head coach ended on November 18, 2024. After being left off

19881-457: Was six, his mother allowed him to join an organized league, where he scored seven goals in his first match. Donovan was a member of Cal Heat – a club based in nearby Rancho Cucamonga, California . In 1997, he was accepted into U.S. Youth Soccer's Olympic Development Program. In 1999 Donovan attended the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida , with other members of the U-17 national team as part of U.S. Soccer 's youth development program. Donovan

#509490