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Landon Donovan (born March 4, 1982 in Ontario,
California|Ontario, California) is one of the most
talented and best-known United States|American
Football (soccer)|soccer players, who currently
plays for the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League
Soccer.

Landon is the son of Canada|Canadian Tim Donovan
and Donna Kenney Cash. Donovan grew up in
Redlands, California, and attended Redlands High
School, before transferring to Redlands East
Valley High School|Redlands East Valley. Landon
signed a professional contract with Bayer
Leverkusen in February 1999 at the age of 17,
shortly before playing in the Football U-17 World
Championship|U-17 World Cup where he won the
Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.

Donovan could not break into the first team with
Leverkusen, however, and, unhappy with his
situation in Germany, was loaned back to the San
Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer for the
beginning of the 2001 season.  In MLS, Donovan has
been hugely successful, leading the Earthquakes to
two MLS Championships, and becoming one of the
most recognizable faces of soccer in America. In
four years in the league, he scored 32 goals and
29 assists in league play, and ten goals and six
assists in the playoffs. Donovan was named U.S.
Soccer Athlete of the Year in 2003.

Donovan has also been successful on the
international stage. After starring in the 2000
Summer Olympics, he earned his first cap
(football)|cap for the United States men's
national soccer team|U.S. National Team on October
25, 2000 against Mexico national football
team|Mexico. He was integral to the United States'
run to the quarterfinals of the Wc|2002 in
Japan/South Korea, scoring two goals. As of end of
2004, he has amassed 59 caps for the US, scoring
19 goals, including a rare four-goal game against
Cuba national football team|Cuba in 2003.

On June 3, 2004, Bayer Leverkusen announced that
Donovan would return to the club in 2005, and
Landon followed suit, announcing his return to
Germany on November 23, 2004. He then became the
first man to be named U.S. Soccer Athlete of the
Year two years in a row, taking the award for that
year.

In early 2005, after not getting much playing time
with Bayer, Donovan stated his intentions to come
back to MLS. His wish was granted, but it was not
San Jose that he returned to. Los Angeles traded
leading scorer Carlos Ruiz to F.C. Dallas to get
on top of the allocation pecking order, and signed
Donovan on March 31, 2005.

==See also==
*List of current MLS players

==External links==
*http://www.donofan.org/ Landon Donovan Fan Site