Farewell Landycake...we never really got to know your potential.

Later today will be the finals of the MLS cup between the LA Galaxy and the New England Revolution. For once, I will actually...well maybe...watch an entire MLS game from start to finish. I will admit I have tried to watch Revolution playoff games, but I still cannot seem to bring myself to watching the entire product from start to finish. Call me a football snob, I can take it. But this game will be interesting for more than simply because my soon to be home town team is in the game (the Revolution are rumored to be moving to a soccer only stadium in Boston...currently they play closer to Rhode Island) but because this will be Landy Cakes last professional footy game.

There is much, well as much as there can be for MLS, ballyhoo about the possibility that the US star wins his 6th MLS title. That will elevate him to the stature of this former teammate David Beckham who has also won 6 domestic titles...oh wait those are EPL titles, never mind. But at least that would be more than Ronaldo's domestic haul of 4...what's that? Those 4 are - 3 EPL and and 1 La Liga title...never mind. Well it puts him ahead of Pat Vieira's measly 3 EPL titles....okay okay I realize I am being cheeky in my comparisons. But there is an underlying frustration in these comparisons. Donovan for all the hype he covered himself in over in the United States, never lived up to his supposed potential.

His stints over in Europe are well documented, starting with Bayern Leverkusen where he came back because he complained of the cold and his inability to get in surfing done. Really? He also had a loan stint at Bayern Munich, where a more mature Donovan could have carved out a resurgence in his European career. But once again he failed...and sowed the seeds for his downfall with now US National team coach - Klinsmann. He finally Wondolowski missed a sitter in injury time that would have seen the US through to the next round. You mean to tell me that Landycakes could not have at least put that shot on frame??? But Klinsmann had made it clear, he wanted players that were hungry and to the German I am sure that not wanting to push yourself and try to make it in Europe was a massive strike against Landycakes.

I got this cool kit and a 3 week vacation!

demonstrated some success in back to back loan spells with Everton in the EPL. Yet Donovan never looked to make those loan moves permanent. Fail. Everton seemed to be a good fit for Landycakes. A solid English club, but not a Manchester United or Liverpool where the history would clearly crush the mentally fragile Landycakes. In addition, Everton's best player was their American keeper - Tim Howard. Yet once again Landon Donovan opted to come back the MLS, play in front of 10,000 fans and be relegated to the back pages of the back pages in the newspapers. A major consequence of his decision became clear this past summer, when he watched rather than played in the World Cup. I am sure that he, like many of the US fans, were pulling their hair out when

In a recent article about Donovan they mention some of his issues with being more mentally tough - click here. After reading the piece I have some empathy for Donovan. I think there is nothing simple about dealing with the psychology of daily life let alone being a professional athlete. But I also wonder how can an athlete get to where Landycakes did, compete on the biggest stage in sports - the World Cup - and not be somewhat more mentally tough than he seems to indicate he isn't.

I hear an interview between him and former MLS and US National team player, Taylor Twellman the other day, and what struck me was how Donovan was talking about the MLS cup finals. As if he was speaking of playing for his 6th Champions League title. And it struck me then, many Landycakes is smarter than all of us. Maybe he knew his limitations. Maybe he knew that for games against Algeria or Costa Rica or Mexico he could compete and he could be the "greatest American soccer player." While it was at a World Cup, he wasn't staring for Italy or Brazil where all the pressure was on. He knew he could do well for a short period of time at Everton, but if he had to battle with the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool etc etc on a weekly basis that he would be exposed. Much safer to give all for a handful of games and then go back to the safety of playing Real Salt Lake and Sporting KC - certainly wouldn't want to face the true Real Madrid or even Sporting Lisbon in a European fixture.

So Donovan will put on his boots for a last time in anger today. The end of a career that promised so much more at the beginning. What I find a delicious paradox is another US soccer star that I was looking up this week - Freddy Adu. A player that was suppose to not only surpass Donovan in terms of US star but pass the likes of Pele and Messi as global stars has fallen flat on his face. Yet, Adu is still in Europe, working his craft. Chasing a dream that has taken a massive hit - does anyone think he will ever showcase for the US national team again? But kudos to him, unlike Landycakes, he is taking the challenges and failures of European football...anyone want to guess where he is playing??

So adieu Landycakes. I, as I have tended to do, will be rooting against you this game. For once I will be rooting for the team you are playing not against the hype that you represented.

Oh the game. I think that New England will find a way to win a tough match. Jones and Nguyen will have a huge part to play controlling that midfield and choking out any service to Keane and Donovan. NE 2 - LA 1

And who does Adu play for? Answer - FK Jagodina