Football - Everton v Hull City Barclays Premier League

Landon Donovan boarded a plane at London's Heathrow Airport today for the long journey back to the sun and fun of Southern California. His 10-week loan stint at Everton has come to an end, and while the experience was success for him professionally, he now heads into an uncertain situation.


Not because LA is in disarray, or because Donovan is set for an adjustment period, but because there's a good chance that the fifteenth MLS season won't kick off when it's scheduled to.


Donovan should be coming back to excitement in LA over his English run, especially as it ended when originally planned; Donovan went and shined, and won't miss the Galaxy's start to the season. The fans must be proud of their star, a player whose previous struggles in Europe were a black mark on his resume despite the good he's done in Major League Soccer. It will be tough for the Galaxy faithful, and those fans around the league who manage to like Donovan no matter the colors he wears, to produce the right enthusiasm considering the labor environment.


And let's not forget that Donovan himself has been vocal (in press releases at least) during the process, reiterating the MLS must change its ways and give players their deserved rights. His status as the preeminent American player makes him the most obvious mouthpiece for the MLSPU as they work to sway fans to their side. Here's Landon Donovan, on top of the world and American soccer's golden boy, to soften up the fans before the players walk out in the face of owner intransigence.


Or perhaps Donovan will join his LA teammates in camp, train for the new season, and lay low on all of this labor unpleasantness. He has been away for two and a half months, after all, so even though he knows the league and it's ways intimately, it might not be the best idea for him to jump into the fray with both feet. Better to let the Twellmans, Kellers, and Garcias of the world do the talking while he himself remains in the background.


Whatever Donovan decides to do, his words, or lack thereof, will have weight in the public perception of the MLS labor drama. Donovan might compare the plight of MLSers to the rights his Everton teammates have in England; or he might argue that MLS needs to "grow up" to one day reach the level that he played on in Merseyside. If he doesn't speak out, it could just be that he's leaving the battle to others, or that he knows he's not long for this league anyway; it's impossible to know. That won't stop observers from guessing at his motives.


It's unfortunate that the highlight of Donovan's career is followed by a return to a league that remains in labor purgatory. Any attention MLS might have garnered from abroad with the return of their biggest American star, and any additional fans that might have gravitated towards the league because one of its players went and starred in England, could be lost. Marketing coup turned into a "what if".


Landon Donovan landed LA today, fresh off of a magical run at Everton. He now finds himself smack in the middle of a mess. Such is the life of American's greatest footballer.
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