My wife recently bought the soundtrack to Glee which includes their choir version of Journey’s famous “Don’t Stop Believin’”. Lame right? Who listens to this garbage? Well, if you asked me at work or on the street I’d say “very lame” and “I never would” in response to those questions. Here in cyberworld, in order to illustrate my point, I’m going to answer “probably lame” and “I do”. Yes, the Glee soundtrack is my guilty pleasure.

Then there is Landon Donovan. Each season I mock him, cheer against him, use terms such as Landycakes, and even during USMNT matches most my comments are directed towards how he’ll only shine if we are playing the Netherlands – the soon to be defunct Netherlands Antilles that is. Lame right? Who likes this guy? Well cyberworld…I am a closet Landon Donovan fan.

Landon Donovan, a player that is easy to dislike due to his ability to be absolutely brilliant or completely mediocre on any given night.

My fascination began on June 5^th, 2005 in Salt Lake City. Prior to that day I watched him only with the appropriate disdain due to rivals. As a fan of the newly formed Real Salt Lake there hadn’t been much time to create malice for those around the league, but this is the dude that buried us in the first game that RSL scored a goal in franchise history.

A couple months later I was in SLC watching the United States take on Costa Rica in the WCQ…the first international match I would attend. It was very exciting – Rice-Eccles stadium was near capacity and I was there watching a game with Sam’s Army for the first time. I was also watching two of my soccer heroes don the red, white, and blue in Eddie Pope and Brain McBride. They both played well, the whole team played very well, but that was the day I really started to follow Landon Donovan. That was the day I lost my voice as I cheered for him as he notched two goals for the USMNT (and neither of them penalty kicks if you can believe that). Before that day Landon had already established himself as the talk of the USMNT and it was really only me that hadn’t been paying any attention to him. After that day I was on the bandwagon.

Over the next few years he would make me frustrated and make me happy; make me upset and cause jubilation. If he was doing well for the Galaxy it caused me to be upset and playing well for the USMNT would cause jubilation. Playing poorly for the Galaxy usually made me happy while a poor performance for our country brought out frustration. This guy can take a game and make it his own, but will also often live up to the criticisms of disappearing during important matches.

The most pleasure I’ve received from a down Landon Donovan was just recently in the MLS Cup. LD was the only player in penalty kicks not to put his shot of frame…it wasn’t even near frame as the ball went high enough that it may still be in orbit. I loved it and nearly hit my head I jumped so high, but truthfully most of the time I’m hoping for Landon Donovan to succeed…to earnestly become the face of US Soccer that people have long been searching.

When he was called to Germany again last year for a trial with Bayern Munich I was ecstatic. I really wanted to see him do well and by most accounts he did well, but it really wasn’t the right place or time. And now the two greatest tests of his career await. Next summer it will be his duty to lead the team in South Africa, but for now he needs to prove himself in England.

So here I am again, anxiously waiting to see what Landon can bring the the Premiership. The opportunity is ripe for the picking. A Donovan that proves he can play on any level would help Everton, a down team, immensely right now (Monday’s win was their first in EPL play since September). A poor loan experience would augment the voices of his critics while bringing any high hopes of a successful World Cup experience for starving US fans into question.

I say Don’t Stop Believin’…I really think he is going to do it this time.