Landon Donovan, Past the Pitch

Landon Donovan joins Rich in studio with his new book, Landon, a memoir. The conversation goes far beyond soccer, into the parts of his life that the TV cameras never caught.

Donovan opens by clarifying what the book actually is. It is not a soccer story. It is the story of a kid who grew up 80 miles east of Los Angeles in Ontario, California, in a 900-square-foot home with a single mother, a twin sister, and a brother. His dad was not around. His family battled mental health issues for years. Donovan himself battled depression for stretches of his career, sometimes unable to get out of bed for two weeks while still suiting up for training and matches.

The public saw the goals. The teammates and coaches did not always see what was happening underneath.

Rich tells a great story from the 2002 World Cup. He and Stuart Scott drew straws for who had to stay at SportsCenter until 4 AM Eastern to call the highlights of the US team's quarterfinal run in South Korea. Rich drew the short straw. He watched the sunrise driving home. Donovan thanks him for his service.

The conversation turns to the current state of American soccer. Donovan notes that 2002 remains the furthest the US men's team has ever advanced in a World Cup. The US has won only one knockout-stage game in its history, which came against Mexico in 2002. That statistic stopped Donovan in his tracks when someone shared it with him.

His diagnosis is direct. The United States does not develop players the way the rest of the world does. Youth soccer in America is broken. Clubs charge high fees. Coaches prioritize winning. Kids get left behind. Donovan played in Germany at age 17 and saw something different. Their under-16 team was coached by a 60-year-old who had been doing it for 25 years because they wanted their best coaches working with the youngest players. In America, the worst coaches often get the youngest kids.

Donovan says fixing youth development is his next life mission. Give the game back to kids. Let them play outside. Let them touch the ball without pressure.

He and Rich close the interview with a friendly debate about whether Rich could save a penalty kick from Cristiano Ronaldo, whether Landon could score on an elite keeper, and whether either of them could take a point off Carlos Alcaraz. The answer was no across the board. The conversation was pure joy.