The Official Site of Landon Donovan

Sun, Jan 10th 2010, 09:21

Donovan shines in Everton debut

The opening day of Landon Donovan’s mid-season holiday in the Premier League was not quite as advertised in the brochure.

The bright lights of England have long been a dream for the warm-blooded Californian who has proved himself to be a class act to his American audience for many a long year; but he could never have imagined that his debut in the land that gave football to the world would come in such frosty circumstances.

Team USA’s all-time record goalscorer has spent much of his first week in England answering questions about his previously less than cordial relationship with L.A. Galaxy team-mate David Beckham, with the duo apparently now best of friends and sharing notes on what Donovan could expect during his brief stay at Everton.

Presumably, Becks had not prepared Donovan for sub-zero temperatures that have plummeted to depths few in England have experienced for decades and, with the winter blast ripping through the Premier League fixture list, this game at the Emirates Stadium was the last one standing in the 3pm kick-off slot.

It meant Donovan had the eyes of a few more millions trained on his opening day in the Premier League and he wasted little time in setting about his task of proving his worth as David Moyes’ side went in search of revenge after the 6-1 humbling Arsenal handed out to them on the first day of the season.

Employed on the right side of the midfield, Donovan’s first task was always going to be getting to grips with the pace and power that oozes from every Premier League game and the tactics Everton employed for this game meant there was no time for the American to settle.

With the snow tumbling down in front of us as the first whistle blew, Donovan quickly adapted to the leap in class as he looked to combine with the every-dangerous Tim Cahill and Everton’s sole front man Louis Saha. Indeed, he warmed to the task well.

Okay, so he may not have taken hold of the first half in the manner he does for the Galaxy, yet such lofty ambition was always unattainable on a day when Everton’s chief job was to close down Arsenal at every opportunity, in a desperate bid to cut down the flowing football that they strive to produce.

Young Arsenal defender Armand Traore was given plenty to ponder as Donovan ran at him with intent from the off and, such was the impact Everton made in this game, that it was little surprise when the visitors snatched a lead after just 12 minutes.

This reporter has not been alone in noting the Gunners’ inability to deal with set-pieces in the past and it proved to be their undoing once again as a Donovan corner routine created the opening goal. The fact that little Leon Osman was the man who scored meant there were plenty of questions being asked of the Arsenal backline once again.

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