Landon Donovan makes final bow for USA before retiring from international football in draw with Ecuador- Donovan played final game for USA against Ecuador in East Hartford
- Striker was substituted in 41st minute and received hero's ovation
- LA Galaxy forward will retire from professional football at end of season
- Donovan holds USA record for most international goals with 57
Landon Donovan brought down the curtain on his international career on Friday night as he played his last game for the US national team. The 32-year-old LA Galaxy striker, who
will retire at the end of the MLS season, played for 40 minutes during USA's friendly against Ecuador in East Hartford. Donovan has been the face of the sport in America for more than a decade and bowed out to a hero's ovation on his final appearance for his country.
The former Everton forward was replaced by Joe Corona in the 41st minute on Friday. Mix Disterud gave USA the lead in the fifth minute, but West Ham striker Enner Valencia snatched a draw for Ecuador with an 88th-minute strike.
After being substituted, Donovan told ESPN: 'We’ve all put in a lot of work, and we deserve a night like this.
What’s next? I want to see the world, I want to hang out with my family, and come to games like this.
'I’m forcing myself to take time to get away and relax, but you’ll probably see more than me soon.
I believe that things work out the way they’re supposed to. I made a lot of mistakes, but I made them with good intentions, and I think they’ve served me well.'
Donovan retires as USA's record goalscorer with 57 strikes to his name and he played every game of their 2002, 2006 and 2010 World Cup campaigns.
However, the 32-year-old was controversially overlooked by manager Jurgen Klinsmann for this summer's World Cup in Brazil.
The German manager's decision to axe Donovan sent shock waves through America.
Donovan addressed the media before his final game against Ecuador, and he insisted that he should have gone to the World Cup.
He said: 'Although I didn't agree with the decision and I still know I should have been there, it was also good for me to say, you know what, it's not always going to go your way.
'And it took time for me to get to that place. I'm human. I had some very real emotions after.
But after a while I said: Maybe this is a going to be a good thing. And I wouldn't have the opportunity to grow had it not happened.
'I certainly grew a lot more by that happening than if I had gone to the World Cup and played there, and in that way you can learn a lot from it
'I had the opportunity to feel what other players have felt in my career.
A lot of times when I made a team I was so happy for me that I forgot about the guy who got cut, so for the first time it kind of put that in front of my face.'
Donovan received a special framed shirt, made up of 19 national team jerseys that he wore during his long international career,
and US Soccer tweeted: 'The end of Landon Donovan's USMNT career. Only one word: #LegenD.
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[ 此帖被羅力亞在2014-10-11 10:12重新編輯 ]
