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Americans need to focus on making World Cup 2026 a growth experience
Landon Donovan can't be sure he would have played international soccer had the World Cup not come to Pasadena in 1994, but he can say with certainty he wasn't aware what international soccer was until then. 'I went to one game,' said Donovan, who was a 12-year-old prodigy the first time the World Cup was played in the U.S. 'And I knew nothing — and I mean nothing — about soccer on the global scale. It opened my eyes because there was no soccer on TV, no internet. I didn't know anything about it.' Eight years after watching Romania eliminate Argentina at the Rose Bowl, Donovan was scoring the U.S. team's final goal in the 2002 World Cup, helping the Americans reach the quarterfinals for the only time in the modern era. The tournament will be back in the U.S. in less than 11 months, with the U.S. playing two of its three group games at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. And Donovan is certain some of the people watching will be kids who, like him, will be inspired by their first up-close look at the global game. 'There's millions of kids who maybe played a little bit, or thought about playing, or play a lot and go to a World Cup game. It changes their life forever,' he said. 'Millions' might be a bit of a stretch, but the sentiment is well-taken. And it's not just one Donovan experienced himself, but a transformation he saw take place at the 2015 Women's World Cup final in Vancouver as well. Read more: Commentary: 2026 FIFA World Cup dress rehearsal exposes the big problem of extreme heat 'I was watching these little girls in front of me just completely fall in love with the game right in front of my eyes,' he said. 'That's part of the reason why I'm critical or passionate about our team. It's because I understand what the opportunity is.' The criticism and passion Donovan is referencing are comments he made last month on the Unfiltered Soccer podcast he does with former USMNT teammate Tim Howard. In discussing the decision of players such as Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah to pass up this summer's CONCACAF Gold Cup, the last major tournament before next year's World Cup, Donovan said their choice to take a 'vacation' angered him. The comments seemed hypocritical since Donovan took his own well-chronicled sabbatical from the game in 2013, missing some World Cup qualifiers. And in his case the break helped, with Donovan returning to the national team that summer to get a career-high 24 points (on eight goals and eight assists) in 10 games, only one of which the U.S. lost. Pulisic said he needed both a mental and physical break after playing a career-high 3,650 minutes in all competitions for AC Milan last season and appearing in 118 games for club and country in the last 22 months. Donovan believes in and supports that idea, he clarified in a phone interview last week. It was the timing he didn't like. 'That's his decision and only he gets to make that decision,' Donovan said. 'So my criticism was never with him or anyone taking a break. It was choosing when to take the break and from which team they were taking the break.' 'It was at the expense of the national team growing this summer,' he added. When Donovan took his respite he missed five games with the national team as well as training camp and five games with the Galaxy, which cost him the armband as captain and, he says, $1 million in salary. Pulisic, he argued, could have done the same, splitting his break between his club and the national team. 'So it was never about taking a break. The break is justified,' Donovan said. 'It's about prioritizing the national team.' Read more: News Analysis: U.S. lost the Gold Cup final to Mexico, but Mauricio Pochettino still earned a win The idea of AC Milan giving Pulisic time off is a nonstarter, however. The American is the fifth-best-paid player at the club, earning a reported $5.8 million a season, and he was the team leader in goals and assists last season. With Milan chasing a European tournament berth down the stretch, there was no time for rest so Pulisic started 12 games in the final 7½ weeks. He was on fumes when the final whistle sounded. So Donovan's comments seemed influenced more by wisdom and jealously than reality. Wisdom because, at 43, he knows that playing for the national team is an honor that doesn't last forever and when it's over you regret the games you missed more than you celebrate the ones you played. And jealousy because for all that Donovan accomplished — he retired as the national team's all-time leader in goals, assists and starts and the MLS record-holder in goals, assists and championships — he never played a World Cup game at home. Pulisic, who turns 27 next month, will get that chance. 'That would have been incredible to play a World Cup in your prime in your home country. And knowing two of the games are in L.A., that is literally a dream come true,' he said. 'There is a massive opportunity to build this thing and get this country behind our team. I just don't want this opportunity to get wasted.' The last World Cup in the U.S. ended with the country forming a top-tier professional league in MLS, soccer becoming a top-five sport in the U.S., and the U.S. Soccer Foundation getting the funding needed to help grow soccer at the grassroots level. It also inspired a youthful Landon Donovan to become the greatest player in the country's history. As a result, the tournament will return to a country with a soccer culture far advanced from 1994. 'There's a massive, massive wealth of talent here,' said Donovan, who speaks from experience after spending part of last week at a 'dream team' tryout organized by Spanish club Real Madrid and Abbott, a global leader in the healthcare industry. 'Some of those kids out there — 17, 18 years old — technically are better than guys I played with.' The top 11 players from five tryout camps will go to Spain to train at Real Madrid's complex. The fact that the richest club in the world came to the U.S. to scout players, Donovan said, is more evidence of soccer's growth in this country, which he believes makes next summer even more important. 'We're at a point where we're doing a lot of things well,' Donovan said. 'The one area where we are still struggling is in our development. It was eye-opening to watch some of these kids because I think we're missing out still on a lot of these players.' Next summer's World Cup can close that gap, provided we don't waste the opportunity. ⚽ You have read the latest installment of On Soccer with Kevin Baxter. The weekly column takes you behind the scenes and shines a spotlight on unique stories. Listen to Baxter on this week's episode of the 'Corner of the Galaxy' podcast. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Reuters
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Keegan Bradley: Bryson DeChambeau already on U.S. Ryder Cup roster
July 21 - Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley committed to Bryson DeChambeau being part of the U.S. roster at Bethpage Black in September. In a text message to Sports Illustrated, Bradley confirmed there was a spot reserved for DeChambeau regardless of whether he remains in the top six in points to earn an automatic qualifying bid. DeChambeau was fifth in points when The Open Championship ended Sunday. "Bryson is going to be a very important piece to us winning the Ryder Cup," SI reported of Bradley's text message Sunday night. "He brings so much. He brings energy, passion but most importantly, he's one of the best players on the planet." DeChambeau, a two-time U.S. Open winner and currently No. 15 in the Official World Golf Ranking, was fifth in points heading into the Open at Royal Portrush. After the top six automatic qualifiers are settled, Bradley will select the remaining six players to play on his Ryder Cup roster in Farmingdale, N.Y. DeChambeau finished tied for 10th at the Open at 9-under. He left Northern Ireland on Sunday thinking about being part of the U.S. team. "I hope I can bring a lot of energy and a tsunami of a crowd that's going to be rooting for Team USA," he said. DeChambeau, 31, became emotional when asked if he had any communication with Bradley this week. "I talked with him briefly, and then he put something in our lockers that was pretty inspirational," he said. "It's a personal message." Bradley wrote individualized messages to players who are in the top 15 on the current points list. "It meant a lot," DeChambeau said. "This year's no joke. We're tired of it. We're tired of losing." Since 2010, Team Europe has won five of the seven Ryder Cup competitions and is the defending champion. --Field Level Media
BBC News
18-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
The Ryder Cup dilemma 'helping' Open contender Bradley
There are scant scenarios where debate would swirl about a Ryder Cup captain picking one of the world's most in-form players as a it's a no-brainer. But Keegan Bradley finds himself right in the middle of a rare conundrum with the biennial contest between the United States and Europe an outstanding run of form, the US captain has played himself into contention for the 12-strong team to compete at Bethpage Black, New York in late has not been a playing captain at the Ryder Cup since Arnold Palmer led the US team in 1963, at a time when the event was not the global behemoth it has become a strong start at this week's Open Championship has further underlined 39-year-old Bradley's credentials."I've been playing some pretty good golf - but so have a lot of other Americans," Bradley said in an interview published on the Ryder Cup website this week., external"If I was sitting here without being captain then making this team would be my number one goal - that doesn't change with me being captain."I would be sitting here thinking 'I'm right there and have a great chance of making the team'."The world number seven is clearly feeling uneasy about the situation and has been eager to avoid discussing the hypothetical at Royal Portrush. The awkwardness of picking himself as a wildcard in New York might end up being redundant. Bradley still could qualify automatically as one of the six leading Americans - especially if he earns a high finish in the final major of the year which is weighted to carry more ranking winning the Travelers Championship on the PGA Tour last month, Bradley moved up to ninth in the US Ryder Cup qualification standings. The top six will automatically go into Bradley's team, with another half-dozen players picked by the captain."Nothing about picking whoever it is is going to be easy," said Bradley, whose sole major victory came when he won the 2011 US PGA Championship."If I get to that position [of finishing outside the top six] and I feel like I'm going to help the team, then I'll consider playing. "But I get asked that question 10 times a day and I don't really have an answer." Based on his results this year, it is hard to dispute Bradley should not be selected. Over the past seven months Bradley has earned five top-10 finishes on PGA Tour, including his one-shot triumph over England's Tommy Fleetwood at the clamour for Bradley to emulate Palmer - who was 34 when led the US team to victory in Georgia - has continued to both roles has benefitted Bradley in what he calls his "day job". He has been playing more freely on the course - shown in his accurate driving and precise putting at Portrush - and the commitment to his "other job" means he has not been overanalysing his performances."Being inside the ropes is almost like a sanctuary," Bradley said."One of the things of being a captain is when I get inside the ropes I can really focus on just playing. "Normally when I leave the tournament I'm still hyper-focused on what I did that day, what's coming up or what swing thought I'm working on."Now I leave just focused on the Ryder Cup. Worrying about my own game has been taken over and I think that helps."A strong display at Royal Portrush has further demonstrated why he deserves a place in the missed the cut at his past five Opens, he shot a three-under 68 on Friday to propel himself into Claret Jug contention at the halfway stage."It is the best round I've played at The Open in a very long time," Bradley told BBC Sport."I'm focused on being the captain. Whether I play or don't play, I just want the best for the team." Bradley's appointment makes little sense - analysis Iain Carter, BBC golf correspondentEverything about this American Ryder Cup set-up looks completely muddled to me - right down to the appointment of Keegan Bradley when it was made a year made no sense then and it is making even less sense now, if you look at it dispassionately. Bradley still doesn't know if they will start with foursomes or fourballs. [European captain] Luke Donald would have this all nailed down already, having his stats team looking at everything and getting combinations groundwork which the European captaincy regime puts in compared to what we see among the Americans - the chasm is have to wonder if [appointing Bradley] is going to will work. I've never felt more confident of a European victory on American soil given the way this has built up from their point of view.
CTV News
26-06-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
SailGP confirms dates for Halifax event in 2026
SailGP boats from the U.S. team are pictured in the Halifax Harbour on May 29, 2024. (Jonathan MacInnis/CTV Atlantic) A global sailing event will return to Halifax next June, two years after it drew tens of thousands of people to the waterfront. SailGP unveiled its full schedule for the 2026 season on Thursday, promising events in Brazil, New York and Halifax, among others. The Halifax event, which will be the only Canadian stop on SailGP's schedule, will run on June 20 and 21. SailGP debuted in Halifax (and Canada) last year, bringing in more than 80,000 fans and generating more than $14 million in revenue for the city. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
