‘Failed’—Landon Donovan Sent Scathing Social Media Attack From Ex-USMNT Teammate

Former U.S. men’s national team striker Eddie Johnson has unloaded on his compatriot Landon Donovan, taking to social media to berate the prominent pundit for talking “so much s---” about the current generation of American talent despite supposedly having “failed” himself.

Johnson also used his Instagram post as a vehicle to tell his ex-teammate: “I did everything you did with fewer opportunities.”

There are multiple layers to this fascinatingly vicious takedown from Johnson, who won 33 of his 63 international caps alongside Donovan between 2004 and 2014. To begin with, there is the source of the 42-year-old’s ire; Donovan’s discussion about unfulfilled talent on a recent episode of his podcast, Unfiltered Soccer.

The former USMNT striker played down the expectations surrounding Cavan Sullivan, the 17-year-old phenom who became the youngest male senior goalscorer in the history of the national team over the fall friendlies. “I am measured and calm because I, unlike a lot of new soccer fans, have seen this story happen over and over,” Donovan warned.

“I saw it with Freddy Adu. I saw it with a guy you won’t even remember, Santino Quaranta. I saw it with Eddie Johnson. I saw it with Gio [Reyna] and seen how it’s progressed. There will be the next superstar at some point. It might be Cavan. I’m hoping it’s Cavan, or maybe it’s Julian Hall.”

Johnson’s post leads with a screenshot of an article carrying these quotes, although the top line of the editorial is surreptitiously doctored to cover the writer describing Donovan as “a formerly hyped teenager who made it big.”

The caption offers Johnson’s rebuttal to Donovan.

Breaking Down Johnson’s Attack on Donovan

“I can’t speak for Freddy Adu or Santino Quaranta or Gio Reyna but I will speak for myself Landon Timothy Donovan. You talk so much s--- about every other young upcoming player in the past but yourself lol why don’t we talk about the five years you were in Germany and failed and ran back to MLS [because] you weren’t good enough? Why don’t we speak about this?”

This is in reference to the time Donovan spent on the books of German top-flight side Bayer Leverkusen between 1999 and 2005—that much is evident thanks to a screenshot of the player’s Wikipedia page Johnson has included on the second slide of his post.

Donovan became one of the youngest Americans ever to sign a professional contract with a European club by joining Leverkusen in February 1999 at 16. After two years in the reserves without making a single senior appearance, the Californian forward spent almost four years on loan with MLS outfit San José Earthquakes.

Donovan would return to Germany in 2005. “I am ready for everything that Europe has to throw at me,” he said at the time. Playing opportunities were not one of those things flying his way; the forward could only muster nine appearances, earning just a pair of starts while failing to score a goal.

A move back to MLS in his early prime at 23 with LA Galaxy brought Donovan the playing time he so craved. “I didn’t care about playing at Bayer Leverkusen—they were in the Champions League and all this—I didn’t give a f---, I just wanted to play soccer,” the outspoken forward would later reveal to The Guardian. “So I’m glad I got out of there as quickly as I could, because I wanted to play. I needed to be happy.”

“One of the best considerably (sic) players in our country failed in Europe early in his career no one killed him but he’s killing all these young players that have done more then he ever has done in Europe.”

Donovan is as forthright on the topic of other players’ career as he is about his own. The notable podcaster, pundit and color commentator famously ripped apart USMNT superstar Christian Pulisic after it emerged that the AC Milan forward had asked to skip the 2025 Gold Cup.

Pulisic’s father was unimpressed while his teammate Tim Weah called the cluster of retired pros in the media, with Donovan as their figure, “those guys chasing checks” who are “really evil.”

“I got time today. You played in a World Cup, I played in a World Cup, you played in a U-17 World Cup, U-20 World Cup, Olympics, I did the same—what make (sic) you different then a kid from Bunnell Florida. I did everything you did with fewer opportunities and [I’m] still considered one of the best strikers this country has seen!!”

Thanks to Johnson’s light schedule in midweek, he found time to conclude with a defense of his own career. The former Fulham and Preston North End forward did not take kindly to being used as an example of a wonderkid who fizzled out.

There’s no doubt that Johnson started quickly. The proud Floridian was the youngest ever player drafted into MLS at 16 before making his debut for Dallas Burn three months later. Johnson scored in his first four USMNT appearances and would have eight goals across his opening eight games for the national team. Over his remaining 55 internationals, Johnson scored just 11 times.

After turning down advances from Portuguese giants Benfica, Johnson joined Premier League outfit Fulham aged 23. The striker made just six appearances before he was loaned to Cardiff City, where he became a cult hero despite scoring only two goals in 32 games. A spell in Greece and a loan at Preston never saw Johnson rediscover his best MLS form.

Johnson vs. Donovan Career Stats

“Europe kind of didn’t go the way I wanted it to go, and every time it seems like I got a new opportunity, I start doing good and then, boom, adversity comes again,” Johnson told WalesOnline years later. “I never really had a chance to get a rhythm. Whether it was because I wasn’t in form as a player, or I was getting loaned out.

“If I’d had more time, there’s not a doubt in my mind I could’ve killed it,” he argued. “It was f---ing easy when I came back to the MLS.”

As he pointed out, Johnson was a regular at U.S. youth level and appeared for the senior side at the 2006 World Cup. However, the claim that he “did everything” that Donovan achieved ignores some obvious differences.