LOS ANGELES - Retired Major League Soccer (MLS) player and former United States international Landon Donovan has admitted that he is still waiting for Jurgen Klinsmann to call him up to the United States squad for the upcoming game against Mexico.
"He owes me," said Donovan to our reporter on Tuesday morning. "He owes me big time. After I didn't get the call for the World Cup and I retired, I know in my heart of heart that I should still be starting for the United States."
While Klinsmann and Donovan clearly had a fall out over Donovan's absence to Cambodia during the United States World Cup qualifying campaign, there are no signs that their acrimony has receded in recent times.
"This is my time to be retired but still get call ups to the national team. I haven't been training at all but I could likely walk onto the field and school all these young whippersnappers. Klinsmann just hates America and wants me to actually be retired like I claimed that I was going to be. What he didn't realize is that I wanted to retire from playing when I didn't want to play. My retirement is more about me just being able to play internationally, like Alex Morgan or Abby Wambach. The club game is for suckers. The real joy is just running out on the field every once in awhile for the national team and then selling endorsements for JNCO jeans. I just want to bleach my hair, call Bianca, and pretend that it is 2002 all over again without actually having to show up for Galaxy training, talk to the press, or play soccer for more than one game. Is that too much to ask?."
While it seems that Donovan hasn't let the grudge go, The Nutmeg News asked Jurgen Klinsmann for his thoughts on the matter and received the following response by email.
FROM THE DESK OF JURGEN KLINSMANN:
"Lan...don... WHO?"
* Dictated but not read
The Nutmeg News will have more on this when their feud bursts into flame again for no reason.