Donovan Commits to Galaxy, MLS

Landon Donovan has decided to stay with the Los Angeles Galaxy and has signed a four-year deal with the club, a decision that represents a tremendous coup for Major League Soccer.

At a news conference on Wednesday afternoon, America's best player said he wants to remain a part of a revamped organization that nearly won the championship last month. "I love it here. I love L.A.," he said. He also wants the opportunity to spend the offseason abroad, and Galaxy GM and coach Bruce Arena said the new deal will allow Donovan to do so with no strings attached. Donovan said that provision was crucial to getting the deal done, and Arena confirmed that England's Everton is the most likely destination for his captain this winter.

Donovan is sure to face criticism from fans who think playing abroad is the only way to prove yourself as a player. However, the truth is that he already has proven himself. His maturation and subsequent leadership of a fractured Galaxy locker room was a huge reason the club was able to contend this season, and his performance at last summer's Confederations Cup in South Africa demonstrated he has the ability to succeed at the highest level. Turning out for Blackburn or Malaga won't enhance that.

Certainly Everton supporters know Donovan's pedigree -- team message boards have been almost universally positive about his pending arrival. The segment of American fans who remain in denial simply are missing out on appreciating the best player this country has produced, and they should be thankful that MLS has improved to the point where an athlete of that stature would want to spend the prime years of his career here. It seems like he's been around forever, but Donovan still is only 27 years old.

"This has been a very, I would say, interesting decision for me," Donovan said Tuesday. "It's been very difficult at times and I think at the end of the day, after a lot of thinking, a lot of soul searching, this is the place I want to be." He added that, "This year has turned the way I thought about this franchise. Candidly, a year ago I wouldn't have made this decision."

Donovan made $900,000 last year and one can only assume that AEG and the Galaxy offered him a significant raise. Because his salary exceeded the $400,00 designated player limit when the rule was enacted prior to the 2007 season, Donovan was grandfathered in and did not count as a DP. It's unclear whether or not that exemption will continue, but the looming expiration of the collective bargaining agreement next month probably makes all that moot anyway. New rules will exist next year. Donovan said Galaxy ownership "made a very significant commitment" to him and the club.

Sticking to his habit of being among the most candid athletes around, Donovan took the opportunity to address the personal issues that have followed him this year as well. In addition to the David Beckham saga, Donovan endured a separation from his wife, actress Bianca Kajlich. Rather than crumble under the weight of that emotional burden--something his detractors surely expected--he had the best season of his career.

On Wednesday, without being prompted by a question, he said: "This has been a very trying year for me personally, and I'm very grateful for all the lessons I've learned off the field that have helped me on the field. I'm very grateful for the marriage I had, all the things I've learned in life this year, and that's helped me come to this decision."

He is a thoughtful person for whom quality of life is paramount, and that is not a flaw. In fact, the quality of life in the US has helped attract players to MLS as well -- I've heard Argentines and Brazilians talk about how nice the facilities are, how good the schools are, how comforting it is to be paid on time. Donovan's comfort in his surroundings, and his conviction that AEG and Arena have built a consistent winner, are perfectly good reasons to want to stay in Los Angeles.

"It's not a one-year thing. This team is stable now," Donovan told reporters. "As an athlete, you only have so many years to do things. The thought of not being in a winning environment, not being completely happy professionaly, was scary. That has changed this year. Bruce has completely turned this team around and made it somewhere players want to be."

And Donovan will still get his chance to see how he fares abroad. He called it the "best of both worlds," and said he is "passionate" about having the opportunity to spend offseasons in Europe. "This wouldn't have gotten done if Bruce and AEG weren't also willing to let me go on loan."

Arena said that no deal has been finalized, but that Donovan could leave for as long as 10 weeks and that this year's sojourn "will likely be with Everton."

But the important thing is that for nine months a year, Donovan will be playing on American soil. MLS (and ESPN, perhaps) can continue to market America's best player, and fans can continue to watch him play. Donovan has proven he is good enough to lead the national team to success, and he has earned the right to do what makes him happy. Anyone who finds anything negative to say about this simply hasn't been paying attention.