Landon Donovan Quotations

We still need to get points and make sure that we at least finish third in the West. But it is a good game to put Wednesday behind us and hopefully move forward.

We're getting our rings, it's opening night and it's going to be exciting. It's our job to win the game and send everybody home happy.

Would I bet that nine times out of 10 we're going to beat Brazil? Probably not. Could we beat Brazil? Absolutely. So you have to be a little bit realistic, but we want to put ourselves in that situation. And if we're in that situation, I would still be confident.

We (had) been in a rut for the past 12-13 games. Now we don't have any excuses. Everyone's here. Everyone is available, ... We have all the training time. We have only two more road games. We've got to show that we belong.

Obviously, we know them pretty well now and we are excited to play them at home. We have to be careful and not look ahead to (Wednesday).

New England is clearly one of the better teams in the league that hasn't lost any of their players. So they're going to be as good if not better since they are a year older, have a year more experience and are a year more mature.

No chance. I've got to find it somehow. It'll be more exciting when I get there. I'm not excited about the travel and trying to recover, but I think stepping out on the field there is going to be really cool.

I'd be lying if I said I completely believed and expected we'd be here two weeks ago, after having a tough time at the end of the year,

I looked up and (Glen) was kind of fading away. So I just tried to put it in a good spot and he finished it. I don't know if he meant to, but he finished it.

I expected more from them. At least for the next three or four years, they'll shut up. They can't say anything.

Having Claudio and John makes it easy on me because they do all the work. I don't have to worry about getting the ball and moving it from side to side or finding people. They do that. I just get in front of the goal and try to score, so it's going to be fun for me.

He makes everyone better, but he's especially good for me. He's been our most consistent player. ... You always want him on the ball. He's going to make things happen.

Have fun. It's an incredible experience. It was one of the most fun times of my life and I would just enjoy it,

He should go to Vegas. He's been unbelievable. He's working hard. He's doing the right things and he's getting better every game. It's a lot different playing here, and I think he's starting to realize that and he's doing the right things and being rewarded.

He's been our most consistent player that's played in Europe and has played at the highest level for a long time. He doesn't yell at people. He doesn't say much, but he's just calming. Our team constantly wants to go, go, go, and he's the guy that knows when to settle it down. But he also knows when to go. You always want him on the ball. He's going to make things happen. It's invaluable.

When he comes into camp now, he's more vocal, he's more of a leader, he's more demanding, he's more aggressive. He's turned into what Bruce has called a real soccer player.

The only thing sweeter would have been to score. At least for three or four more years they will shut up and can't say anything and I love it.

I would not say it is greatest moment. I would say it is the most gratifying, ... It's been strange. I am used to everyone telling me how great I am and how wonderful things are. This year has been the complete opposite. It's validating and gratifying at the same time.

I think too often we let teams off the hook. When you get fouled, there's a lot of times you can put the ball down and play, and teams are kind of walking back. At this level, it can make a difference.

I think that's what angers them about us. We have lives beyond soccer. For a lot of them they don't, players, coaches, people in Mexico, that's what they have. It's almost what makes it sweeter to beat them.

I think that's what angers them about us, because we have lives beyond soccer and many of them don't . . . That's why they talk and say the things they do, because they can't do it on the field.

Our goal is to continue progressing in the World Cup,

Literally from the first minute, they went down, ... They wanted to make a big drama out of the game.

I'm so happy, man. They made it a little bit easier on us. I expected more. After we got the first one, they were never in the game.

I'm stunned, impressed and extremely happy for him. He deserves his reward.

I was better prepared and I was pretty motivated tonight, ... I certainly wish it could have gone better and I could have got another goal.

We've had excuses for part of the year, but we don't have excuses now. This is a game we need to win, period.

We came out and we were playing at home, we had a strong crowd and we were getting our rings. I don't know if because of that we thought we were just going to come out and win the game - but it doesn't happen that way. Not against a team like that. We better learn fast, or we are going to struggle. Teams come here and they want to win, especially New England. Our attitude wasn't urgent enough and it comes down to people making plays and we didn't make plays. Everybody needs to do that, and tonight they made the play to change the game.

We were getting slaughtered, ... We weren't playing well at all yet we're up, two-zero. But that's soccer.

We know, playing anywhere other than Mexico City, we're the better team.

We are deeper from one through 23 and a better team. The thing we don't have that we had four years ago was not as many clear leaders on the team.

We are deeper from one through 23 and a better team.

We qualified, and that is great. But let us get better over the next seven months. It does not mean you relax. Guys that get a chance to play now should prove that they belong. And that makes the depth of our team better.

We and Chicago have consistently been the two best teams all year, and this is what you want in a final -- the two best teams.

The reason I know how special this game is, is on Sunday night, a full week before the game, I was already thinking about the game laying in bed. And I never do that. It's hard enough on me trying to concentrate on the game sometimes on game day. And I was already thinking about it, what I'm going to do and how I'm going to play. How it's going to feel when we win. That says it all.

We had a good team game plan. I wanted to put on a show, though, and I did.

We give teams too much respect sometimes, ... We wanted to come out and put them under pressure. If they were good enough to beat it and get out of it, fine, but I didn't think they would be and sure enough getting the ball behind them, getting fouls and putting them in uncomfortable positions and next you know you're in control of the game.

Bruce made a good comment. He said: 'We've qualified, and that's great. But let's get better over the next seven months. It doesn't mean you relax. Let's get better as a coaching staff, as a team. And guys that get a chance to play now should prove that they belong.' That makes the depth of our team better. It's a great opportunity for some guys.

Don't get me wrong. I'd love to play for the national team but if I had the chance to be here and focus here then I'd prefer to do that, ... The only way is if (Bruce Arena) absolutely needs me. It's hard to imagine a scenario where that would be the case. If he says 'Look, for this reason or that I need you there,' I'll go. I'd be happy to go. If he really doesn't need me to be there, I'd like to stay.

Crucial, ... You don't want to worry about other results, you don't want to worry about getting a result in the sixth game. If you can finish it ... you finish it.

It would be the best possible ending to our qualifying.

Ten years ago, the level was nowhere near what it is today. We have an obligation to do that and most people take that seriously.

That's why they're talking and say what they do, because they can't do it on the field, ... That bothers them. That being said, all it takes is one result and they're going to run their mouths until the cows come home.

This is obviously an exciting day for everyone. Likewise, it's a sad day for a few.

They do a lot of talking. They haven't beat us in a long time here. I'm kind of sick of it, ... There's no better scenario than to beat them easily.

All of us who play here for less money than we could make and less fame than other players get around the world, we have the same goal in mind, ... We want soccer to develop and become a major sport in this country.

It's just a number, but it's special. There's not a lot of people in this country or in the world that have hit 100, so he's been around a long time. He deserves it.

It seems like we gave up a goal every time we were late in a game here at home. Realistically though, the half should be 45 minutes. Six, seven, or eight minutes were taken away from us, so it was fair.

It's a sign of respect, right? They don't yell that to anyone else. I'm sure they wish I hadn't come tonight.

It was the greatest game I've ever been part of. Things don't happen like that. Years down the road people are going to say that's the best game they've ever seen in the league.

It's a game where they had to push and try to get a goal to win, so I knew when I came in there was going to be a lot of space. It worked out. We almost got the goal we needed.

It's not just another game for me. I clearly, absolutely, desperately want to beat them.

It's soccer, so you never know. Maybe the game Sunday will be a little slower and wide open. I think people will expect a lot of goals.

Talent-wise, we are much deeper. We are deeper, one through 23, and that's a better thing. The thing we don't have that we had four years ago is as many clear leaders. This time, we have only four or five leaders. That's one issue that will sort itself out.

Talent-wise, looking at our roster, we are deeper. But the thing we don't have that we did in 2002, is there are not as many clear leaders.

(It's been) tiring, ... but two wins (in a short time frame) is always good. Hopefully we can make it three on Tuesday in Madrid ... I'm not excited about the travel and trying to recover, but I think stepping out on the field there will be really cool.

It just seemed like they were a step slow the whole game. I don't know if it was them being slow or us being excited.

It's difficult mentally, physically to always be at 100%. There are times in the year when you have injuries that may barely allow you to play, ... There may be things at home. When I have one thing to focus on, I feel like I play my best.

No matter how many time you beat them its always 'whose the best team in CONCACAF',

They are jealous of us, the Mexican players, because we've got a life and they have nothing, ... Because of that they despise us. ... Who is going to win this game? The best team. And we know good and well who is the best team between the U.S. and Mexico. We know it well.

After we got that first goal, they were never in the game. Hopefully, this will shut them up for the next three or four years.

I hope we can do it. It would be the best possible ending to our qualifying.

I love winning and any team I'm on, I expect to win. I don't think we could have said that 10 years ago.

I know that sounds weird. But that's how I feel. It's not just another game for me. I clearly, desperately want to beat them. I'll save my comments until after the game.

I have no regrets, and I am not sorry, ... You gotta do what you gotta do, and in that moment that's what I did.

If we as Americans can't contribute to our league, it's a bit of a disservice in growing soccer here in the US.

If you look at the teams, there's clearly a lot of firepower,

I just don't like the talking, I don't like the mannerisms, I don't like the way they treat us and the way they don't respect us, ... I want that to change and I'm going to try and be a big part of that on Saturday.

Claudio gives us an element we can't get anywhere else. He understands timing and tempo in a game. He knows when to go, he knows when not to go. It's almost like having a coach on the field. It's incredible.

He's just a good soccer player, ... He's been around for a long time. He knows where the ball should go, and he makes it happen. And I know that if I make a good run and get in the right position, he's going to find me.

I don't know if we care about the result. At the end of the day it doesn't matter. It's not like we're battling to get a 0-0 draw. We're going to go play and make the game fun.

I didn't really believe we could do it, ... I thought the season was over. We went from being a team that had absolutely no confidence and was playing as poorly as any team in the league to a team that in one game switched everything around and turned into the best team in the league.

I don't like how they treat us, how they conduct themselves with us. They intend to humiliate us and want to do that at whatever cost. But the people who will be doing the humiliating is us. We'll do that in the most painful way of being humiliated, on the field.

You'd be hard-pressed to find another team in our region that could do that.

You can't go into a World Cup timid, and you can't go into it shy thinking, well, it's just I'm happy to be there and let's get out and play. You're there for a reason, and we're there to win.

You can see that he already absolutely holds his own at this level, and I think that's incredible.

The hard thing was seeing. There was a period of 15-20 minutes where you couldn't see more than 10 yards. The other thing is you are trying to run with the ball and it just keeps popping up, popping up and it's hard to get your momentum going.

The good thing is it's over and it's not like that's going to have ramifications on our season. If anything it will help us. You don't play in games of that intensity and atmosphere but a couple of times a year.

The first half was sluggish. We didn't play so great. After the halftime, we got a little momentum and we started to get some free kicks in good areas. You knew that if we got a goal that they would be dead.

To imagine being in Germany having a home crowd is kind of silly, but we'll take it.

Relaxing, going on vacation, sleeping, having fun when I want, golfing when I want, do whatever I want - I am going to enjoy it.

Some things you can shake off, some things dig deeper than soccer.

If you let the reality of the business side get to you, it can turn you, and that's not good at all.

Do I feel pressure being a young player with high expectations? Nah.

Family is the most important thing in the world. If everything ended tomorrow and my family was still there, I'd be the happiest man alive.

I think about the things I control and do them well.

Americans love winners, so if we win we know we'll get a lot of support.

My decision to return to the MLS is one that I have made with thoughtful consideration.

If I look back after 10 weeks and say I really want to stay then maybe I can make that happen. If I say OK it was good, but I’m ready to go then I can go, but for now I’m taking it week by week.

He's confident. He knows what he's good at and he has people around him to help him. (on Freddy Adu)

In my heart of hearts, I thought, if we get a 1-0 win and the team doesn't perform well, that would feel good.

The first goal is always important.

I miss driving to Goodison Park. I miss just the positive energy of the fans walking into the stadium and how much they care about that club and the team. And I miss the players a lot.

I didn't have to step up into a leadership role, ... I just had to be there and help out where I could. But this year I had to be more of the man.

I sure am handsome. I cant lie. This is one handsome guy.

I don't know about the rest of the world, but I know in our region everyone is gunning to beat us. We have a new challenge.

New England has two factors to get them ready to play. They've consistently been, if not the best, the second best team all year and they're playing confidently. And a lot of those guys were on field when they lost to LA. They'll take motivation in that.

I want to be a positive influence. I want to be someone who they want to call in and want here consistently, regardless of my role.

I've never met anybody who says they don't like the World Cup. If you're a soccer fan or not, everybody loves watching it, and I think it could be the same for other sports.

There is something to be said for waking up every morning and seeing the sun.