Landon Donovan is widely regarded as the best American football player of all time. He had just that, and his career has been marked by success and glory. With 138 international games and 46 goals, he is the USMNT's historic leader in goals and assists. He has won numerous awards, including the prestigious MAC Hermann Trophy as the best college player in the country.
Other great American soccer players include Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard, Christian Pulisic, Sergino Dest, Gio Reyna (the son of Claudio Reyna), Alexi Lalas, Brad Friedel, John Harkes, Fernando Clavijo, Eddie Pope, Joe-Max Moore, Kasey Keller, Cobi Jones, Marcelo Balboa, Earnie Stewart, William Looby, Freddy Adu, DaMarcus Beasley and John O'Brien. John O'Brien was one of the first American soccer players to make an impact in Europe. He played for Ajax Amsterdam and was part of the USMNT squad that reached the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup. He also won 81 international games and scored seven goals during his international career.
Eric Wynalda was the first American soccer player to participate in the Premier League and was sometimes captain of the USMNT in the 1990s. He scored 34 goals in 107 international games and was the USMNT's all-time leading scorer until Landon Donovan arrived. Jerzy Altidore is expected to improve significantly in his 46 international matches and 13 international goals to date. He has four goals in his 17 international matches so far and currently plays for Sochaux.
Fernando Clavijo won 61 games with the USMNT and was included in the National Football Hall of Fame. He was born in Uruguay but chose to play for the United States. Carlos Bocanegra has 101 international matches so far, with 12 goals. He was captain of the USMNT multiple times throughout the 1980s.
DaMarcus Beasley has 96 international games with 17 goals. He led the USMNT in the 1930 World Cup and played for nine different clubs during his playing career. Eddie Pope played for the US national team for nearly 11 years and became a pillar of their defensive lineup during that time. He won 111 international matches and scored eight goals.
Cobi Jones' 164 games with 15 goals led him to play most of his career with the Los Angeles Galaxy in the MLS. Paul Caligiuri is another Hall of Fame member who has 110 international games and five goals with the USMNT. Joe-Max Moore participated in three World Cups with the USMNT, winning 100 international matches and scoring 24 goals. Marcelo Balboa won 128 international matches and scored 13 goals during his tenure as a staunch defender with a ponytail.
William Looby only played for the USMNT eight times but scored six goals during that period in the 1950s. Freddy Adu has 17 international matches and two international goals so far. Ralph Wegerle played 41 international games with seven goals. The United States may not be a global soccer powerhouse but they have a long history of players who have brought joy and euphoria to fans across the country and around the world.
Few would say that Landon Donovan is not one of them - he is undoubtedly one of the best American men's soccer players in history...
