US Soccer Icon Landon Donovan Delivers Scathing Assessment of National Team's Performance
Former United States men's national team striker Landon Donovan has delivered a brutally honest critique of his country's recent performance against Belgium, using just one word to summarize the display: 'Brutal.' The 5-2 defeat in Atlanta marked a dramatic departure from the promising form that concluded 2025, with disgruntled fans leaving early and boos echoing throughout the stadium.
A Shocking Collapse in Atlanta
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail, Donovan expressed his disbelief at what he witnessed during the weekend match. 'You're at home in front of 70,000 people, three months before a World Cup, and you got blown out of your building by Belgium,' the former LA Galaxy star stated. 'Not like a hard-fought game, lost in the end. And that to me is shocking. It's shocking.'
Donovan highlighted the concerning lack of competitive spirit displayed during the second half collapse. He referenced comments from his podcast co-host Tim Howard, who noted that during his playing days, someone would have made a strong statement on the field when trailing 3-1. 'Somebody would have clattered someone and said, "look, the game might finish 3-1 and you guys will win. It's not going to be 4. And if it's 4, you're not going to walk out of here because I'm going to smash you,"' Donovan recounted. 'And there was none of that.'
Questioning the Team's Competitive Desire
For a squad featuring players at prestigious European clubs including AC Milan, Juventus, and Atletico Madrid, Donovan criticized what he perceived as a fundamental lack of desire. 'People talk about talent of this team and those clubs they're playing at and all this bulls**t, and it doesn't matter if you don't step on the field and compete,' the former striker asserted. 'You're wearing your nation's flag. You have to compete and care.'
Donovan issued a stark warning about the team's World Cup prospects. 'If you don't do that at a minimum, we have no chance this summer,' he declared. 'And it's not about getting out of the group because we got blessed with the easiest group in the history of our World Cups. We'll get out of the group, but Belgium's a team you'd face in the round of 16.'
Support for Pochettino Despite Concerns
Despite his harsh assessment of the team's performance, Donovan maintains confidence in manager Mauricio Pochettino. 'I don't focus on what he says publicly because what he says publicly is to make sure that people stay behind the team,' Donovan explained regarding the Argentine manager's typically positive post-match comments.
The USMNT legend emphasized that the crucial factor is what happens behind closed doors. 'What I can't speak to because I'm not there is what he's saying in the locker room or behind the scenes. Or in training this week,' Donovan noted. 'I have an opinion of what I think it is because every time they've started to go down this negative rabbit hole, they have come back and performed.'
With a critical match against Portugal approaching, Donovan expects significant improvement. 'I expect the attitude and the effort and the care factor to be really high tomorrow,' he stated. 'I don't know what the result's going to be. Portugal's a really good team, but I expect that to be better.'
Donovan's Role with Lincoln City
Beyond his analysis of the national team, Donovan also discussed his involvement with EFL League One club Lincoln City, where he serves as a strategic advisor. The Imps currently lead the division with 84 points and could secure promotion to the Championship for the first time since 1961 with just four more points.
Donovan revealed that his connection to the club began unexpectedly at a San Diego Padres baseball game, where he met someone who introduced him to club owner Clive Nates and CEO Liam Scully. 'It was very apparent immediately that we were all the same type of humans that saw the world the same way, saw soccer the same way, and wanted this thing to be special,' Donovan recalled.
While describing his organizational role as 'very small,' Donovan admitted he has developed a 'very big emotional' connection to the club and has 'completely fallen in love with' Lincoln City. He believes the timing is ideal for potential promotion due to the club's solid foundation.
'A lot of times, clubs that all of a sudden just have an amazing year and they get promoted... [they] can't afford to pay the players, don't have the facilities, don't have the infrastructure to support all this and they end up coming right back down,' Donovan observed. 'The key is not to go up. The key is to go up and stay up. Goal number 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 is to go up and then stay up.'
