What a summer this is turning into for once-and-again U.S national team golden boy game-changer Landon Donovan.
He’s scoring goals, arranging more of them for appreciative teammates, making general mayhem for Gold Cup opposition … and showing some personality along the way, too!
It’s not like Donovan has been some shrinking violet in terms of public persona; he’s been the absolute face of U.S. Soccer for more than a decade, generally willing to participate in media sessions, ad and marketing campaigns, public service announcements, etc.
But the Galaxy and national team all-time leading scorer generally handles his public business with a business-like delivery. He’s a serious sort, almost a bit brooding, even. That may sound a bit like a criticism, but it really isn’t. After all, the guy has always been squeaky clean, and isn’t that saying a lot in a time when guys named Armstrong, Braun, Rodriguez and Hernandez are doing everything they can prove what kind of detestable figures big-time athletes can be?
In other words, if Donovan leans a bit to the serious side, that doesn’t even rate as misdemeanor in the court of public opinion.
(MORE: Man of the Match vs. El Salvador, Landon Donovan)
So it’s nice to see Donovan folding a bit more “personality” into his personal mix, demonstrating a bit of a playful side. We haven’t seen much of that since the very young and blindingly blonde Donovan tore off his shirt to reveal a sports bra a dozen years ago in a famous MLS All-Star shenanigan.
Yes, he did that. There is photographic evidence and everything right here.
Sunday, I personally enjoyed the “Shawshank-Andy Dufresne” goal celebration. (If you don’t get the reference, ask any male over 30, who has seen that movie at least 15 times, I guarantee.)
LA Galaxy blogger Adam Serrano seemed to prefer Donovan’s playful sideline bit with the projectile sunglasses thrown toward him in Baltimore. The referee’s assistant, however, clearly did not find as much humor in the moment.
See it and read about it all here.
