posted by Baggiesboy

(Boxing, boxing, boxing blah blah bloody blah… where the bloody bleedin ‘ell is Baggiesboy already with our football updates innit? Well enough of your squawking out there, Mr. No Mas Bubble N Squeak, because the Bag is back in all his glory, and you know how he roll. Brother Bag is just our S-O double-C E-R D-O double jizeee, D-O double jizzee… -L)

The Times Square ball drop is complete. A frigid, state of the art, kick-off to the last year of the new century’s initial decade that cost north of $5 million just for the new, bigger, brighter ball (and a remodeled roof to house it.) Silver mylar rectangles are no doubt still frozen onto the ‘Crossroads of the World’s” sidewalks (and quite possibly some New Year’s revelers as well.) But while Ryan Seacrest ponders if sub-zero temperatures are worth braving to succeed the brave Dick Clark, it’s time to consider the future of another American idol: Landon Donovan.

Back in January 2007, the Los Angeles Galaxy landed the biggest coup in the history of Major League Soccer, the signing of David Beckham. Who knew it would be the bust of the century? Not me. And I don’t think Beckham’s new teammate did either. On the afternoon of the former Galáctico’s debutante ball at the Home Depot Center, I spent a few hours with Donovan shooting a profile piece for the premier episode of ‘David Beckham’s Soccer USA.”

The Redlands-native couldn’t have been more cordial. He drove the crew and myself around Los Angeles, answered every question and chatted amiably with the odd fan that recognized him as we shot b-roll at Huntington Beach. Clearly well versed in the dark arts of dealing with the fourth estate, Donovan said all the right things about Beckham and delighted in stoking the US-Mexico rivalry. He also made it clear that the only place he wanted to play his soccer was Los Angeles. The man who loves to dribble made it perfectly clear that he hated Leverkusen drizzle. And he experienced plenty of it in two stints in the Bundesliga; most of it spent out in the cold.

Now in 2009, as the most expensive ball game in the world is under way again: the January transfer window, the U.S. national team’s all-time leading scorer is back in Germany. In the 1960s another Donovan sang of ‘Sunshine Superman.” The title sums up Donovan’s MLS career perfectly, (the line: ‘Everybody’s hustlin’ just to have a little scene,” fits Beckham’s time in LA just as well.) But American soccer’s most gifted player is suddenly deep amid the winter snow of Bavaria seemingly eager to switch from one dysfunctional team to another.

While ‘Brand Beckham” has clearly become a black hole for Donovan and the rest of the Galaxy, the Bayern Munich situation is no ray of sunshine either. At the winter break, the German giants sit atop the Bundesliga, tied with TSG Hoffenheim. Much more was expected of Jurgen Klinsmann. The new Munich manager answers to demanding fans, demanding media and a very demanding trio of bosses who played in the World Cup Final 5 times between them: Franz Beckenbauer, Uli Hoeness and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. And all those interest groups remain skeptical of Klinski’s American connections.

Donovan loves to be loved. Good luck finding that in Munich. Lukas Podoloski , the 2006 FIFA World Cup Best Young Player Award winner and a prolific scorer for Germany can barely get a kick with Bayern, and is reportedly on his way to AS Roma or SV Hamburg. Klinsmann is clearly a Donovan admirer, but so is Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena. During his short time as an ESPN analyst, Arena once called Donovan the best striker and the best midfield player on the U.S. national team. He should know. If Arena’s lucky, Beckham will find a way to stay in Milan, and Donovan will stay home. But just in case his underwear salesman stays in Hollywood, the Galaxy coach signed a Jamaican goalie to backstop his porous defense. As for Arena’s 2008 MLS Golden Boot winner, well, he’s playing his chance card and hoping to stick around in Deutschland long enough to enjoy Oktoberfest.

I wish him well. And not just because he picked up the In-N-Out Burger tab, but rather if Donovan were ever to succeed in Munich (or Madrid or Manchester or Milan for that matter), it would truly be the biggest thing to ever happen to American soccer: or to paraphrase the other Donovan: he’d be a Sunshine Superman to slowly blow your little mind.