Everton's Player Of The Month For January: Landon Donovan

Sadly, Landon Donovan's second loan at Everton will come to an end on Saturday as Everton faces Blackpool in a fifth-round FA Cup match.

Still, there has been much to celebrate after Donovan has delivered the goods once again for a solid club in the English Premier League. On Tuesday, he was rewarded with the Everton player of the month award for January.

It's the second time in three years that the Los Angeles Galaxy and U.S. midfielder won the Everton player of the month for January. Donovan assisted on five of Everton's eight goals in January and he added another one last weekend.

"It feels good," Donovan told Everton TV. "I think there was a point in January where no one was too happy with the way things were going, but the last few weeks have been a welcome change and a lot better, and it's been a lot more fun to be a part of, for sure."

Highlights included a 1-0 Premier League victory over first-place Manchester City.

"Any time you can beat the leaders it's a pretty special night," Donovan said, "and my dad was there that night, so it made it a little extra special for me."

Two years ago, Donovan scored two goals in 13 games during his first loan to Everton.

"It has a lot of similarities, the way it feels, to the first time," the 29-year-old told Everton TV. "I don't think anything will replicate that first trip here, but I've really enjoyed it. It's been a little easier in a way because I know the people, I know the roads, I know the area."

Thierry Henry couldn't go out on a high note today as Arsenal got whacked 4-0 by AC Milan in a Champions League round of 16 first leg. Let's hope that Donovan can have a little more memorable departure from England. He deserves it after his stellar play for the Toffees once again.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Landon Donovan Returns On Loan To Everton

Great news today for U.S. men's soccer team fans as it was announced that Landon Donovan will return to Everton in January for a two-month loan with the Toffees.

His Major League soccer team, the defending champion Los Angeles Galaxy, broke the news which will give Everton some attacking help as they try to improve on a particularly slow start in the English Premier League.

The Toffees are currently in 12th place (out of 20) in the EPL and if anything, they're lucky to be even that high since they've scored a measly 15 goals in 14 matches.

Donovan will be eligible to play starting January 4 as Everton hosts Bolton. He will be there for nine matches (8 EPL, 1 FA Cup), through a farewell game on February 25 at Liverpool.

Unfortunately, in that time frame Everton won't play Fulham and Donovan's U.S. teammate Clint Dempsey but they have notable matches Jan. 11 at Tottenham, Feb. 1 they host Manchester City and Feb. 11 they host Chelsea.

Tim Howard is still Everton's No. 1 goalkeeper so Donovan will be reunited with him. You probably remember that the first time around (January-March 2010) that Donovan scored two goals in 13 matches for the Toffees but most importantly, he won over the fickle English fans who understandably doubted his abilities.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Robbie Keane Goes To The Land Of Frauds

I am already on record as calling Robbie Keane "heavy-drinking, mercurial and possibly over-the-hill striker" so it's with a touch of doubt that I pass along the news that Keane has transferred from Tottenham to join the Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS).

With my thoughts on Keane and MLS (still unwatchable) well established, I don't have much to add to this latest development other than to say that it will help sell a few jerseys to the Irish in California and assorted pseudo-celebrities that go to there games (does that still happen?).

"I have already discussed football with (Galaxy coach) Bruce Arena, and I know exactly what he wants from me,'' Keane said. "I am fit, fresh and ready to go. I've come here to score goals and help this team achieve their goals. This is a massive opportunity for me in my career. I aim to grab it with both hands and hopefully help give the Galaxy fans what they want.''

Keane is moving from Tottenham Hotspur, where the 31-year-old striker has fallen behind Roman Pavlyuchenko and Jermain Defoe after scoring just one goal in 10 matches last season. Keane initially hoped to stay in the Premier League during its transfer window, but became interested in the Galaxy after training with Beckham at Tottenham earlier this year.

"I have always wanted to come and play in MLS, so it's the perfect combination for me and a dream come true,'' said Keane, the 10th-leading goal-scorer in Premier League history with 123 goals. "When David Beckham came and trained at Spurs recently, he couldn't speak highly enough about the Galaxy, their fans and the league in general, so I can't wait to get over and get started.''

Although Keane has struggled with Tottenham, he has been outstanding for the Irish national team, scoring a record 51 goals in his career -- including five goals in six recent matches during group qualifying play for Euro 2012. He played for Ireland against Croatia last Wednesday, and the Irish have key qualifying matches against Slovakia and Russia in the next few weeks.

The Galaxy lead the MLS standings with 48 points on the strength of 11 goals from Landon Donovan -- the league's second-leading goal-scorer behind Thierry Henry -- and a resurgent season from Beckham, who's second in the league with 10 assists in the final year of his MLS contract. Los Angeles' next MLS match is Saturday night against San Jose.

"Robbie Keane will be a great addition to our club,'' said Arena, also the Galaxy's general manager. "I have followed his career and have always respected his ability as a competitor and a goal-scorer. I believe that he brings qualities in and around the penalty area that we have been lacking. Hopefully he will be another piece of the puzzle in our quest for the Supporters' Shield and an MLS Cup championship, as well as to advance to the next round of the CONCACAF Champions League.''

The Galaxy must make a roster move when Keane receives his visa, since Los Angeles already has three "designated players'' who can be paid above the MLS salary cap: Beckham, Donovan and Colombian forward Juan Pablo Angel.

Beckham and Donovan are crucial to the Galaxy's success, which means Angel almost certainly will be moved when Keane gets his visa. Although Angel was the MLS' leading scorer over the previous four seasons, he has just three goals and one assist in 22 games for Los Angeles.

Angel is thought to be headed across the hallway at Home Depot Center to Chivas USA, which shares a stadium with the Galaxy in Carson, Calif., and is fighting to stay in the playoff race.

Starting his pro career at 17, Keane played for three English clubs and Inter Milan before joining Tottenham in August 2002. He moved to Liverpool in 2008, but returned to Tottenham in early 2009 before spending parts of the past two seasons on loan to Celtic of the Scottish Premier League and West Ham.

Stop me if you've heard this story before: former European star transfers from an EPL club to the Galaxy. There's an initial buzz but that quickly subsides as people actually start to view MLS games and realize that it's terribly boring. The main difference in this case is that Keane isn't married to a crazed former pop star as far as I know. You could also argue that he's got a little more left in the tank than Beckham but I guess we'll figure that out shortly. Let me know what you think because I surely won't be paying attention.

Follow @RichSlate


Tweet

The world's most famous soccer player to appear on Late Night's most average show

Another day and another appearance on television for David Beckham.

Where does he squeeze soccer practice and games into his non-stop media blitz? Haha, makes you wonder. Plus, his agent and PR people must be the most busy handlers in the industry.

Becks will be on Jimmy Kimmel Live tonight starting at 12:05 a.m. EST on ABC. Other guests include Wes Craven (director of Scream 4) and Sum 41.

So yeah, it's a show that would have been a lot better five years ago. I look forward to Beckham pretending he cares about MLS, the Los Angeles Galaxy or anything else in our country not involving his big money contracts.

No Donovan in Europe this season

Landon Donovan has to be the most exhausted player from the U.S. men's national team. It was a long grind of a year for Donovan: from a loan with Everton last winter, to the World Cup 2010 and back to his club team the LA Galaxy in the MLS.

He rightly deserves a break and it came today in the form of no loan to Europe this winter.

On the surface, it looks bad and we were the bloggers who demanded for Donovan to stay in Everton when he was playing the best soccer of his life. He did not but we can't argue with his personal results for the U.S. team in a successful run in South Africa. However, at this time it doesn't do his body any good to grind it down more.

Donovan scored two goals in 13 matches during a loan to Everton from last January to March, helping the Toffees beat Chelsea and Manchester United, and draw against Arsenal. Everton manager David Moyes appeared open to having the 28-year-old return.

"While I enjoyed my time at Everton last season and still appreciate all the support their fans have given me, I feel that it is important to continue to rest and recover this offseason as opposed to going on loan," Donovan said in a statement Tuesday. "I never considered being loaned to a club other than Everton, but I have been playing nearly nonstop for the past two years and I believe that this decision will allow me to perform at my best for the Galaxy and the national team throughout the upcoming year."

Donovan spent the early part of 2009 on loan to Bayern Munich, then rejoined the Galaxy. After a summer in which he played for the U.S. at the Confederations Cup, he returned to the Galaxy, took a short break, then joined Everton. That started a 10-month stretch that included the World Cup, where he had three goals for the Americans, including a stoppage-time score against Algeria that advanced the U.S. to the knockout phase.

Donovan said during the MLS playoffs last month that overcoming the mental fatigue was more challenging than dealing with the physical. Despite missing time for the World Cup, Donovan scored seven goals for the Galaxy and led MLS with 16 assists.

"We think (it's) in the best interest of the club and the player that Landon continues his postseason break and begins preparations for what will be a challenging year in 2011 at both the domestic and international levels," Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said.

Donovan and all other veterans were bypassed for the U.S. training camp ahead of a Jan. 22 exhibition against Chile. He likely will rejoin the national team for a contemplated March 26 home exhibition against Argentina.

David Beckham is still alive? And he still plays for the Galaxy?

David Beckham was activated on Thursday by the Los Angeles Galaxy, meaning he can play on Saturday in their match vs. Columbus.

"I think I could possibly be on the bench," Beckham, who in March tore his left Achilles' tendon while playing for AC Milan, said after training Thursday.

"Obviously, it's down to talking to the physio, the guys I've been working with and, obviously, the manager and deciding, but, fingers crossed, I'll be eligible to be on the bench."

Getting on the field is altogether something else. Beckham doesn't have the match fitness to contribute a whole lot, especially in a match so important to the Galaxy (13-5-5) and Crew (13-5-5), who are atop the Supporters' Shield standings. But he'd love the chance.

"I think I can play at some point of the game," he said. "With not playing for six months, there has to be kind of a careful ... a few minutes here and there. If I can play 10, 15, 30 minutes, then hopefully I can do that."

Galaxy coach Bruce Arena isn't so optimistic.

"I don't think that's likely," he said. "All taking him off the disabled list simply means [is] he's eligible [to play] in a game. You're required to be on [the injured list] for six weeks, and we're at the end of the six-week period.

"We fully expect him to be involved with our team for the month of September. All the decisions are going to be based day to day and week to week."

The 35-year-old Beckham says he thinks he could play for "quite a few more years," growing excited about the Galaxy's playoff push and the still-faint possibility of returning to the English national team someday.

Beckham is less interested in playing again for a European club. After several years of nearly nonstop play, Beckham indicated he's likely to decline a loan to AC Milan or another team in favor of a more relaxing winter.

"I need that -- my body needs that," Beckham said. "I've been hitting it quite hard for the last couple of years, and this injury is because of that, so I think now it's time maybe for me to look at myself and look at my fitness."

While focused on Los Angeles' remaining season, Beckham hasn't written off the possibility of playing again for his country. England manager Fabio Capello was widely criticized last month for saying Beckham was too old to play for the national team again, forcing Capello to backpedal.

"I've always had a good relationship with Fabio, and that's not changed," Beckham said. "He's England manager, and he has to look to the future, look to some great, talented young players coming through. These players need to be given the chance, and they will be. But obviously the manager is aware that there needs to be some old heads in there, and some experience.

"If I'm part of that, then great, but like I said, my main objective right now is to get myself fit and playing again."

My thoughts and opinions on Becks have been expressed long ago so I don't really have anything new to add here other than I wish him good health and no further injuries before his playing days are over.

We'll always have your mohawk, you bozo

Along the same line of where has the time gone comes the news that uberbozo Clint Mathis is retiring this weekend from the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Don't remember him? Country boy with an awful mohawk was the talk of the U.S. men's national team before and during the 2002 World Cup. The team had its best finish ever which helped this vastly overrated player parlay his fifteen minutes of fame into a decent MLS career.

The team said Tuesday that the 33-year-old midfielder will end his 11-year Major League Soccer career after Saturday's exhibition against Real Madrid at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

Mathis began his career with the Galaxy in 1998, the first of three stints he had with the team. He left in 2000, then returned briefly following the end of the 2007 MLS season, and was reacquired from Real Salt Lake in January.

Mathis played for the U.S. national team in the 2002 World Cup, when his left-footed goal gave the Americans a 1-1 tie with host South Korea and helped them reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 1930. He made 46 appearances for the U.S., all under coach Bruce Arena.

Mathis also played for New York and Colorado, and had stints in Germany and Greece.

I have nothing against Mathis, if anything I applaud his ability (pre-Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc) to become famous for so little. Plus, as is usually the case when somebody retires or dies, we gloss over the forgettable, yucky stuff and remember them for the best moments of their life.

It's going to be a long summer in the Beckham mansion

Proving that money can't buy everything, David Beckham's recovery from his torn Achilles tendon is taking longer than expected, two months to be exact.

This means that Becks will be out until November, all but ruling out a return to the Los Angeles Galaxy unless they make a deep playoff run. Can we finally cut loose from Beckham in the MLS experiment? It didn't work, I have no problem admitting that.

He's always been a great teammate though to his countrymen and he's planning on traveling with the English national team to the World Cup in South Africa. For a team that's already had so much drama before the pressure has even really started, his presence could be a nice distraction. He was trying to be the first English player to compete at four World Cups for the Three Lions.

"My mentality is to kind of push it and get moving and running and soon as possible. But it's an injury that has to take time to heal," Beckham said in a separate TV interview. "It's frustrating. It's obviously disappointing because I've been working for the last two years to get into the English squad [for the World Cup]."

Despite the injury, Beckham is set to travel with England to the World Cup in South Africa. England opens against the United States on June 12.

"At the moment, it's just getting the motion back into the ankle, the tendon, because it's still repairing," Beckham said on the MLS website. "I'm trying to get mobilization back into the ankle."