Los Angeles Galaxy

Robbie Rogers, the Los Angeles Galaxy and Major League Soccer made history on Sunday night.

Rogers, who had announced his retirement from football in an eloquently-written blog post in February, was making his competitive return to the sport for Galaxy against the Seattle Sounders.

Even though he played just 13 minutes in a 4-0 win that included a Robbie Keane hat trick, it was him that the cameras, reporters and eyes of the world were focused on before, during and after his brief appearance on the pitch.

His, after all, had been no ordinary comeback.

“For the past 25 years I have been afraid, afraid to show who I really was because of fear,” he blogged from London just over three months ago. “Secrets can cause so much internal damage. People love to preach about honesty, how honesty is so plain and simple. Try explaining to your loved ones after 25 years you are gay.”

With those words, Rogers both revealed his sexual orientation and announced he was stepping away from the game he had loved all his life. Professional sports and the macho culture of the locker room—a sort of “Don’t ask, don’t tell” code—remained, for him, incompatible. So, he embarked on what he called “the next chapter,” a phase of his life free from both secrets and, tragically, football.

And there certainly was an element of tragedy about his retirement.

At just 25 years of age, Rogers was looking to transplant a successful four-year spell in MLS to England, and while there had been some hiccups at both Leeds and Stevenage, that was not the trajectory of a career that had already included 18 appearances for the United States sloping downward.

But, as a gay man admittedly weary of carrying his “secret,” he concluded the only way to move forward honestly and freely was to unburden himself, even if it meant moving on from football.

It’s tragic that he felt that way, although you can hardly blame him. The thought of being in the spotlight because of his sexuality—nevermind the encounters with teammates, opponents and fans he no doubt played through his mind time and again—must have been terrifying, and it's understandable if he thought the normalcy of just playing football was gone forever.

I won't ever forget tonight! I love my new home @lagalaxy.

— Robbie Rogers (@robbierogers) May 27, 2013

Thankfully, “normal” was precisely what he found his comeback to be, and in his post-match press conference following Sunday’s win, he appeared a man not only at peace with himself, but confident about what his future had in store.

“You could see it on my face—I had a huge smile of enjoyment,” he told reporters. “Okay, I’m back. This is normal and very supportive.” (LAGalaxy.com)

He added: “I keep saying the word: ‘normal,’ ‘normal.’ But it was. Once I got on and I saw the support, I just zoned in. It was good to be back and I’m excited to move on from here.”

Three months away from football likely did Rogers a world of good, but the break might also have served to pave a route for a return in rather more conducive circumstances.

Just last month, San Jose Earthquakes forward Alan Gordon was handed a three-match ban for uttering a homophobic slur at Portland Timbers midfielder Will Johnson. While MLS was swift in administering the punishment, Gordon’s own club was even swifter—president Dave Kaval called the incident “deplorable” and told Earthquakes fans the organization had let them down.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHmTvpmLFKA

MLS, to its credit, actively advocates for respect, equality and dignity in football through its “Don’t Cross the Line” campaign, and the expediency with which Gordon was dealt with seemed to show its tough stance was working.

In that regard, the North American top flight is the perfect place for Rogers to be playing as the continent’s first openly gay member of a professional sports team.

And while there was good reason for the almost festive atmosphere at Home Depot Centre on Sunday night, Rogers conceded there was still so much to be done.

“Tonight I’ll just sit in my bed and reflect that God gave me the courage to do this and to come back,” he said. (LAGalaxy.com) “Obviously, to something that I love, but obviously something that will help kids my age who are dealing with the same stuff that I am.”

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On Sunday night, Robbie Rogers became the first openly gay male athlete to compete in a major United States sporting event. He came on as a substitute late in the L.A. Galaxy's 4-0 win over the Seattle Sounders.

It was a huge moment for the MLS, for soccer in general and for gay rights in the United States. While NBA player Jason Collins announced he was gay last month, he is a free agent and has yet to play a game since making the announcement. Other male athletes in the United States who have come out did so once they retired, such as former NBA player John Amaechi. 

It was also a huge moment for Rogers, who announced he was gay in February and promptly retired from the sport, fearing the scrutiny he would face as a gay athlete. 

And from a pure sporting perspective, it was a huge moment for the L.A. Galaxy and the U.S. men's national team, who will each likely be getting an impact player to add to their roster. 

Rogers only played 13 minutes and didn't do anything of note, but his initial appearance was more symbolic than anything else. At least for now. And Twitter took notice, reacting throughout the evening after he made his appearance. 

We start with Yahoo! Sports, who tweeted a picture of Rogers on the pitch:

Robbie Rogers became the first openly gay player to take an #MLS field for the @LAGalaxy. See his night in photos: http://t.co/NBTk4BcQhL

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) May 27, 2013

A pair of ESPN analysts and former United States internationals, Alexi Lalas and Taylor Twellman, tweeted out their support of Rogers and impressions of the historic moment:

That was wonderful. Simple and wonderful. #RobbieRogers

— Alexi Lalas (@AlexiLalas) May 27, 2013

Congrats to @RobbieRogers making history. #respect

— Taylor Twellman (@TaylorTwellman) May 27, 2013

Rachel Nichols of Turner Sports paid her respects as well:

Cap tip to Robbie Rogers.

— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) May 27, 2013

Along with putting the moment in perspective, Ives Galarcep of Soccer By Ives took particular notice of Rogers' countenance when he finally entered the match:

To clarify, Rogers is the first openly gay male athlete to compete in a major U.S. pro sports league. The smile when he entered is priceless

— Ives Galarcep (@SoccerByIves) May 27, 2013

Meanwhile, Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated apparently caught some flack by followers for tweeting about Rogers' historic moment. That wasn't about to deter him from continuing to do so, however:

Why, yes, your complaints about me tweeting about Robbie Rogers will make me tweet his name again and again. #robbierogersFTW

— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) May 27, 2013

Yes, there are always going to be certain people who "don't understand why this is a big deal" or who comment that "straight athletes don't reveal their sexual preference, why should homosexual athletes do so?"

But given the history of intolerance toward homosexuals and equal-rights issues, it is a big deal. With Rogers being the first openly gay male athlete in the United States to play in a professional sporting event, it's a huge deal.

The military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy was repealed—why should we demand athletes be held to that antiquated policy?

Ultimately, Rogers will now be judged by what he does on the pitch, not by who he loves off of it. As Andy Glockner of Sports Illustrated (and Rogers' teammate, Landon Donovan) noted, hopefully Rogers can now just focus on the game:

https://twitter.com/AndyGlockner/status/338920539106205696

Hear, hear.

It has been quite the week for Los Angeles Galaxy and United States midfielder Landon Donovan. 

On Tuesday, it was reported that the 31-year-old would not be a part of Jurgen Klinsmann's plans for the upcoming friendlies against Belgium and Germany as well as the three CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers in June (via Los Angeles Times). 

As is the usual with news about Donovan, the reaction surrounding Klinsmann's decision was polarizing to say the least. 

While it now seems like a foregone conclusion that the earliest American fans will see Donovan back with the national team is July's CONCACAF Gold Cup, he must now focus on the task at hand in Major League Soccer with the Galaxy.

Just a day after the announcement was made by Klinsmann, Donovan lit the Philadelphia Union on fire with a stunning performance that included a goal and two assists in the Galaxy's 4-1 win. 

Donovan's impeccable partnership with the forward elevated itself to another level on Wednesday as the two combined on two of the four Galaxy goals in the match. 

The duo also showed signs of their continued dominance without the now-retired David Beckham against Sporting Kansas City on April 20 at the Home Depot Center as they combined on both Galaxy goals in the victory.

If Donovan and Keane are to play at the same rate that they did against Philadelphia and Sporting, the rest of MLS is in for another season of dominance by the Galaxy. 

The two-time defending MLS Cup champions will have Donovan in the squad until at least early July, and even then no one is sure if he will accept the call-up to the tournament where the United States are expected to field their "B" team. 

If Donovan does end up snubbing the national team, and in the process continues the drama-filled run around of words with Klinsmann, the Galaxy could have quite the run of form in the summer. 

Keane, who has retired from international football with the Republic of Ireland, will be in the Galaxy camp all summer alongside Donovan and if the two can do something similar on the pitch to what they did against the Union and Sporting, the Galaxy could end up challenging the record number of points in a season set by the club themselves way back in 1998. 

It is worth pointing out that defender Omar Gonzalez will be playing for the United States in the five upcoming matches in May and June while Mike Magee may get called up for the Gold Cup squad if his current run of form continues. 

Both Magee and Gonzalez have been crucial members of the Galaxy squad for the last few seasons but the scary part about the Galaxy is that they have plenty of depth in case of the possible departures to the international scene. 

The trio of Sean Franklin, Tommy Meyer and A.J. DeLaGarza can easily come in to the vacated spot left open by Gonzalez and the stacked midfield that contains Hector Jimenez, Greg Cochrane and Marcelo Sarvas should be able to fill in for Donovan and Magee, if they were to leave for international duty. 

Regardless of whether Donovan and his teammates head off for the Gold Cup in July, one thing is for sure about their expected play before then—it will put MLS and even Klinsmann on notice that the old Donovan is back for good and a three-peat is in the cards for the Galaxy. 

Follow me on Twitter, @JTansey90. 

It’s still early in the young 2013 Major League Soccer season with most teams only six or seven games into the 34-game season.

With that being said, there are many signs that already point to an L.A. Galaxy three-peat for the 2013 MLS Cup.

Here are five reasons the Galaxy are already the early favorites to win the title yet again.

They’ve been there before

The L.A. Galaxy have been the most dominant team in MLS the past four seasons, winning the Western Conference in 2009, 2010 and 2011, the Supporters’ Shield as the MLS team with the best regular season record in 2010 and 2011 and the MLS Cup in 2011 and 2012.

Experience counts in MLS, and the Galaxy has loads of it. The only major loss from their 2012 championship season is David Beckham.

Omar Gonzalez

Early in the 2012 MLS season, with Omar Gonzalez still recovering from an off-season ACL injury suffered while on loan with Nuremberg, the Galaxy struggled. Of their first 13 games, the Galaxy won only three and fell to last place in the Western Conference.

After Gonzalez’s return to the starting XI, however, the Galaxy went 11-4-3 (win-loss-draw format) and made a playoff run, which included knocking off all of the league’s hottest teams in the San Jose Earthquakes, the Seattle Sounders and the Houston Dynamo.

Gonzalez went on to win the MVP award in the 2012 MLS Cup final with a terrific defensive display and the game-tying goal to boot. Since then, Gonzalez has been on an absolute tear, earning four caps with the United States men’s national team, being a vital piece of the USMNT’s 0-0 away draw to Mexico and having a number of dominant performances for the Galaxy already this spring.

There is little doubt that Omar Gonzalez is one of the best, if not the best, center-backs in the league.

The rest of the LA Galaxy defense

While Gonzalez is the foundation of the Galaxy’s back line, there are many other great defenders filling in the rest of the puzzle for the Galaxy defense.

Sean Franklin, the Galaxy’s right-back, is one of the best attacking right-backs in the league.

A.J. DeLaGarza, who can play as a center-back or on either flank, is one of the most versatile and tactically astute defenders in the league.

Add in a veteran like Todd Dunivant, a healthy Leonardo and youngster Tommy Meyer, and the Galaxy have a defense any MLS team can be jealous of.

And all of this is to say nothing of the improvement the Galaxy made in the net, replacing Josh Saunders, easily the weakest player in the starting XI for the 2012 Galaxy, with former Chelsea and Tottenham goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini. While Cudicini has appeared rusty at times so far in 2013, once he gets a string of games under his belt, he will represent a marked improvement for the Galaxy defense.

The return of Donovan

While Landon Donovan’s missed penalty this past weekend was not exactly confidence inspiring, he has returned from his offseason sabbatical and is already back in the starting XI for the Galaxy.

And while Donovan is no longer a spring chicken, he has not overtly relied on his athleticism for years, instead contributing with his playmaking and goalscoring abilities.

When Donovan and Keane are on the field together, they form one of the most dangerous offensive duos in the league, making runs off of each other like the two top-class players that they are.

Once Keane returns from injury and Donovan returns to top form, the Galaxy will again have the most feared offense in the league.

The rest of the squad

In addition to the prowess of Gonzalez, DeLaGarza, Franklin, Donovan and Keane, the Galaxy have a host of veterans and youngsters who make them one of the deepest squads in the league.

Juninho has been a workhorse in the Galaxy midfield for the past three seasons, starting 99 games for the team in that time. Additionally, the Galaxy have Mike Magee, who currently leads the league with five goals and has a penchant for scoring big-time playoff goals.

The Galaxy have a number of talented youngsters in 18-year-old forward and U.S. youth international Jack McBean and new signing Gyasi Zardes, who scored 33 goals in his last two years at Cal State Bakersfield.

And that is to say nothing of 19-year-old phenom Jose Villarreal, who was so impressive recently with the U.S. U-20 team during Olympic qualifying.

To top it all off, the Galaxy are led by Hall of Fame coach, Bruce Arena, who has four MLS Cups and three MLS Coach of the Year awards to his name.

With no disrespect to some of the other top contenders such as Sporting KC, the Houston Dynamo, FC Dallas or the Montreal Impact, the Galaxy have too much talent and experience not to be the favored team to bring home the 2013 MLS Cup.

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President Obama may be best known to sports fans for his love of basketball—and for, you know, being the President of the United States—but he showed off his soccer skills on Tuesday when the MLS Cup-winning LA Galaxy visited the White House.

As Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times tweeted, the President wasn't afraid to use his head at the ceremony.

Obama bounces soccer ball off his head, takes Galaxy jersey from Donovan

— Helene Elliott (@helenenothelen) March 26, 2013

Meanwhile, Agence France-Presse tweeted this photo the President awaiting a ball heading his way.

#PHOTO: Members of the LA Galaxy watch as Barack Obama reaches for a ball at the White House, by Brendan Smialowski pic.twitter.com/M7OlXB8EUY

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) March 26, 2013

He's totally going to trap that sucker. 

And political blogger Jeff Gauvin snapped the President sharing a laugh with the Galaxy and posing for a photograph with Landon Donovan and David Beckham.

https://twitter.com/JeffersonObama/status/316626807258484736

The Galaxy made the trip to the White House for the second straight season after once again defeating the Houston Dynamo in the MLS Cup. It was the Galaxy's fourth MLS championship.

The Associated Press (via USA Today) posted a video of President Obama's header, which also included the President noting, "That's a lucky number," when presented with a  No. 44 jersey from the Los Angeles Kings, who were also visiting the White House after winning this year's Stanley Cup.

The United States travels to Estadio Azteca to face Mexico City on Tuesday night in a crucial World Cup qualifying game for both countries. Given the President's heading skills, perhaps he can make the trip to Mexico City.

It has been a month since Landon Donovan emerged from his self-imposed "break" from soccer, and by all accounts, he is scheduled to rejoin the LA Galaxy next week. The 30-year-old midfielder is the all-time leader in goals and assists for the U.S. National Team and has racked up five MLS Cups throughout his career.

But as Donovan begins to transition out of the prime of his career, there is a perception that he has not lived up to his full potential. The perception stems from his balking at playing in Europe (multiple times). The fact that Donovan has not spent more of his career in Europe leaves many American fans wondering if he has underachieved.

In his recent de-facto press conference at the USC School of Journalism, Donovan admitted that he is burned out from the game, but also implied that he is burned out by the pressure of being an American star. By all accounts, Donovan is a thoughtful, articulate guy, so nobody can discount his comments, but at the same time the pressure he faces is minimal compared to that of his former teammate David Beckham, or New York Red Bull star Thierry Henry.

Maybe it is naive to think that at this point in the United States soccer culture we can produce a player at the caliber of Beckham or Henry. But the reason why Donovan can be considered an underachiever, even as a four-time winner of the U.S. Player of the Year Award, is that he does not want the necessary responsibility of being a star player. And that’s fine. It’s his life, and Donovan certainly does not owe the American soccer fan anything. But it leaves us to wonder: What does it say about soccer in the United States when a player with this mentality also happens to unequivocally be the most accomplished player in American soccer history?

Regardless of how Donovan treats the last chapter of his career, his recent self-imposed exile should make us all take a step back and assess what we expect from our American stars. Sure, Donovan may not be the "chosen one," but in his time American soccer fans have been quick to anoint other promising stars (Freddy Adu, Jozy Altidore, and recently Juan Agudelo) as game-changing players, without making them prove it on a consistent basis. Maybe if we had demanded that of Donovan, he would have never felt burdened by whatever expectations he felt were being placed on him.

So if/when Donovan returns, maybe we should appreciate him for who he is. A great American player, who proved in spurts that he could excel at the European game, but ultimately did not make a serious dent in the global landscape. His return to the LA Galaxy, or the U.S. National Team for that matter, will not change the course of American soccer. He is just another attacking option, like Clint Dempsey or Jozy Altidore, and in the long run the United States will probably need five or six Landon Donovans to be considered a true global force. Let’s just hope that when they come around, we see them for what they are, and rate them accordingly. 

The Los Angeles Galaxy will be ruing the fact that they had to settle for a 1-1 draw with rivals Chivas USA in a heated LA derby at the Home Depot Center on Sunday.

Bruce Arena's team enjoyed the lion's share of possession throughout the 90 minutes. Robbie Keane looked to be in the mood as well, which usually does not bode well for Galaxy opponents.

Of the teams' 25 meetings throughout this rivalry, Chivas have secured a non-loss result just nine times.

Further damning for new coach Jose Luis Sanchez Sola was the fact that by the 40th minute his side was down to 10 men. Joaquin Oscar Velazquez was shown his second yellow card and given his marching orders for a clumsy challenge on Galaxy midfielder Colin Clark.

Chivas, the visitors on the day, were able to hold their opponents at bay for the remainder of the half.

In the second half, the Galaxy were sloppy and failed to convert any of the handful of chances that they were given. Numerous times the back post was left wide open, waiting for an attacker to get on the end of one of the many crosses fired in from the flanks.

Chivas was doing an equally good job on the counterattack, creating chances despite being shorthanded.

What was most astonishing about the 10 man Chivas side was that they appeared to be stronger than some of the other MLS sides have been this season. 

Carlos Alvarez came on at halftime and began to torment the reigning champions with his movement and his speed.

Finally, in the 83rd minute, Jack McBean broke the deadlock after a bit of marvelous play from A.J. DeLaGarza. The defender broke down the right flank and did well to hold the ball up for just enough time before firing a cross into the box that McBean hit home at the near post.

It was McBean's second goal in as many games.

After McBean's late goal, the Galaxy defense appeared to switch off. They were made to pay for their mistake.

Chivas looked to be devastated by conceding a late goal after holding their opponents at bay for so long, yet somehow they found the desire to attack the home side and fight for a point. 

Chivas did well to break down the field through Eric Avila, who smashed the ball across the box, only for Alvarez to tap the ball into the wide-open net. Their perseverance paid dividends. 

The Galaxy will be feeling regret for not focusing in the final minutes. Even worse were all the chances they had throughout the 90 minutes that they didn't capitalize on.

If the Galaxy are going to repeat as champions this season, they are going to have to find a way to be more clinical in front of goal.

As for Chivas USA, anyone familiar with the team will see that the manager is having an effect on the side. Their determination and mental strength was fantastic, despite playing the majority of the match with only 10 men.

The LA derby proved to be the most exciting Galaxy game of the season so far. If future matches play out similarly, the SuperClasico may become one of the premier rivalries in the MLS.

Jake Little is an LA Galaxy season ticket holder. He can be found on twitter @jakelittle. 

The Los Angeles Galaxy secured a 4-1 victory over Costa Rican side Herediano to secure a spot in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions League.

This is the first time in the club's history that they have made it to this stage of the tournament.

The atmosphere at the Home Depot Center was marvelous throughout the night. The visitors brought a sizable amount of support, but the home fans' enthusiasm dominated the entire 90 minutes.

Omar Gonzalez opened the scoring for the Galaxy on a set piece that came after Bruce Arena's side bossed the early minutes.

Similar to their season opener against the Chicago Fire, Robbie Keane and his colleagues found a way to control possession without letting the visitors ever truly threaten.

Gonzalez, Keane, Jack McBean and Jose Villarreal would all put the ball in the net by the time the night was over. 

The outstanding play of Villarreal, who held the ball up well and took his chance marvelously, was one of the many positives to take from the match. 

Galaxy goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini seemed much more relaxed than he did against Chicago. His command of the penalty area was improved and it appears as though the relationship between him and his defenders is going to do nothing but get better.

McBean was another bright spot for the Galaxy. The midfielder came on in the closing minutes and scored a fantastic goal just seconds from time.

The depth of the Galaxy is going to serve them well as the season endures.

Unfortunately the home side did have a brief lapse, allowing Herediano to score a well-taken goal to make it 3-1.

This goal is cause for concern primarily because the defending was non-existent.

Even so, the Galaxy played a fantastic 90 minutes, and they will go into this Sunday's L.A. Derby with a superb amount of confidence.

The Los Angeles Galaxy have won back-to-back MLS Cups, and now they have kits that denote their place atop the American soccer world.

In an introduction ceremony for the 2013 roster, the Galaxy introduced a brand new secondary kit that will be worn during the upcoming Major League Soccer season. The Galaxy's Twitter feed sent out a look at the players modeling their new digs at the event on Wednesday night:

The new @LAGalaxy #2ndkit and your 2013 Galaxy roster! pic.twitter.com/ZhFJAHfAm0

— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) February 28, 2013

Though the jersey remains mostly the same at first glance, there are a few noticeable changes in design from last year's model.

Most notably, if most Galaxy fans didn't know what a quasar was prior to Wednesday—don't worry, we had to Google it, too—they will become awfully familiar with the new kit. The quasar, which is a luminous galactic nucleus, plays a prominent role in the changes.

Showing up most noticeably at the left collarbone, the quasars in that area are meant to signify each of the Galaxy's four MLS Cups. There are three silver ones, for the Cups in 2002, 2005 and 2011, with a gold quasar placed atop the others to congratulate the Galaxy on their triumph last season.

In a statement released with the kit's unveiling, Adidas product manager pinpointed all the areas where the quasars show up unbeknownst to the initial glance (per MLS' official website): 

We're staying with the blue theme and we're really kind of focusing in on the quasar. We've got the embossed pattern of that quasar that kind of runs through their home primary on the sash, but now it's embossed on the away up on the right shoulder and also on the left hem.

While we may have gone with something most wouldn't have to look up in an astrological dictionary, the quasar works beautifully with this kit. The design is both respectful to the Galaxy's intergalactic nickname and serves a purpose in honoring the past championships. It also helps that the silver and gold provide a nice contrast to what was a relatively ordinary kit design in 2012.

Paying homage seemed to be a pretty big point of emphasis for Adidas' kit design team. Not only is the Galaxy franchise honored with the new digs, their fans and city also both get a notable place on the jersey. 

On a standout jock tag, the phrase "This Is LA" is transcribed in bold lettering. That is meant to honor the city of Los Angeles and the fans, who oftentimes chant that particular phrase when cheering on from the stands. 

Again, jerseys are as much for fans as players. To honor fans while not outwardly pandering—the Galaxy also use the "This Is LA" phrase quite regularly—is a smart move. It allows those in attendance to feel like a real part of the team. 

The only other major changes of note are an alteration of the number design and that the three stripes down the sleeve are now printed. The stripes are the same design and color, so that's ultimately only worth minor note—especially for fans, who are unlikely to notice much of a difference.

As for the numbering, it's just fine. No one is going to write in their diary about it on Wednesday night, but it's by no means ugly. 

Overall, the Galaxy had one of the MLS' best kits prior to the changes, and this secondary look is a thing to behold. The designers did a wonderful job of staying true to the past while incorporating new innovation, so it's very hard to find anything wrong with this look. 

Overall Score: 9.5/10

(Note: All photos in this article are provided by the Twitter feeds of the Los Angeles Galaxy and team insider Adam Serrano.)

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For many, he is among the most recognizable faces in United States soccer history, if not the most recognizable. But for all the thrills Landon Donovan has provided fans of his club sides and the men’s national team over the years, there have been a comparable number of irritations.

His self-imposed exile from the sport, over which he was supposedly brooding long before the MLS Cup final against Houston last December, can be chalked up in the latter category.

For several months Donovan left both Los Angeles Galaxy and the national setup in the dark regarding his plans while taking a Brett Favre-style sabbatical, and while Galaxy provided a hint as to his return in statements made Sunday, the 30-year-old’s timetable is a convenience to no one but himself. Galaxy general manager and head coach Bruce Arena told the Major League Soccer side’s official website:

After a series of collaborative discussions between Landon, his representatives and our key club leaders, we have agreed to allow Landon to remain on an extended leave of absence and return to training with the team during the first week of March.

He added, “We understand this arrangement is not ideal, but we are confident it will allow Landon the time he needs to be both mentally and physically prepared for the upcoming season.”

Not ideal, but so typically Donovan.

Here is a player who, for the entirety of his career, has borne the weight of expectation on his shoulders—both as a leader for the United States national team and as one of the country’s most promising exports to Europe. And while the dual burden has left him admittedly tired (in November he told the LA Times he was “worn out” from the “expectations”), that doesn’t detract from the rights of fans, teammates and coaches to keep expecting—if not consistent play at a high level, then clarity regarding his agenda.

That clarity, despite Galaxy’s Sunday statement, has still not come, and after Monday training Arena’s remarks to the press were pregnant with frustration.

“For whatever reason [Donovan] feels physically and mentally fatigued and needs some time off,” he told the Times.

Donovan himself has admitted struggling with mental strength—notably self-motivation—frequently during his career. In an October interview with ESPN he revealed he had routinely “struggled with motivation,” saying there were “times when it all came easily,” and others when it didn’t.

None of this will come as news to anyone who saw him try to break through in the Bundesliga between 2001 and 2009.

Donovan’s own website says he found life in Germany “much harder than expected” after making the move and, despite being given every chance by Bayer Leverkusen, just “wasn’t enjoying the experience.” He was “unhappy and not fully committed to his new German team.” Eight years later at Bayern Munich the situation repeated itself, and the Bavarian giants opted not to extend his loan from Los Angeles.

Donovan’s failed attempt at establishing a long-term career in European football is worth mentioning for two reasons.

One: It foreshadowed his current situation, which is once again down to a lack of motivation as much of anything else. Two: It served to exasperate and even embarrass a section of the American soccer establishment that had expected the IMG Academy graduate to make it big across the pond.

But Donovan wilted under the pressure, and even though he played some of the best football of his career upon returning to Southern California, there were still those who remained ashamed of him. His dithering of the past few months will have done nothing to restore his dignity in their eyes.

When Donovan finally does make his return (at this point likely in early April), Galaxy will have played both legs of its CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal against Costa Rican champions Herediano, and the United States, with late-March matches against Mexico and Costa Rica, could well find itself facing an uphill battle to qualify for the 2014 World Cup.

Much of the goodwill he still maintains among many fans may well have evaporated by then, especially if he doesn’t address them, and the reasons behind his absence, directly.

In the meantime, he has already lost something.

“Obviously Landon’s not going to be the captain,” Arena told the Times. “He’s not here.”

Follow @jerradpeters