2014 World Cup: ESPN hires Landon Donovan, who rips Jurgen Klinsmann in ...
Jurgen Klinsmann's trash is ESPN's treasure, as 'the worldwide leader in sports' has brought on Team USA castoff Landon Donovan to cover the 2014 World Cup.
Donovan, who was surprisingly left off the plane to Brazil by Klinsmann last month, will work the tournament from the network's Los Angeles studios and focus primarily on the United States' three group stage matches against Ghana, Portugal and Germany.
'Landon is ... one of this country's biggest sports stars and we believe that he will help attract even more fans to our month-long coverage,' ESPN said in a statement announcing the hiring.
A three-time World Cup veteran, Donovan is also the United States' all-time leader in goals (57) and assists (58) and an immovable part of Team USA's starting XI over the better part of a decade.
That began to change with Klinsmann's arrival as coach in 2011, and Donovan's decision to take a three-month sabbatical at the start of World Cup qualifying last year made things worse for him.
Donovan played his way back into the team with a strong performance at the 2013 Gold Cup, seemingly guaranteeing his presence in Brazil this summer. Klinsmann had other plans, however, and left him off the team's 23-man final roster.
The decision shocked fans as well as Donovan, who said he 'absolutely deserved' a spot on the squad and was even hoping to be a starter.
He'll instead have to settle for providing 'unique insights for our amazing US Soccer fans' - a job he's perfectly suited for, according to teammate Jozy Altidore.
'Landon's a smart guy, he knows the game well. It was always going to happen, Landon being a commentator ,' Altidore said from the United States' training facility in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
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