By Ben Knight

 

It’s insidious, it’s real – and as of noon Wednesday, Eastern daylight time, it’s entirely justified.

In the wake of the America-Algeria climax, my pal Rudi Schuller Facebooked in from South Africa his puzzlement that he’d found himself cheering for Landon Donovan … again.

I know how he feels – and the disorientation is a tricky adjustment. 

With his last-gasp winning goal that won Group C and kept Uncle Sam’s World Cup stumble dance alive, Citizen Landon Captain America Donovan has cemented his place as the uncontested outward face of Yank soccer.  It’s one of the biggest goals in the nation’s footy history, and should prove to be a huge boon to popularizing the world’s most popular game in the world’s most traditionally reluctant soccer nation.

I’m not anti-American.  I’m deeply skeptical of America, but that’s not the same thing at all.  I’ve always thought the United States was – on average – a little too heavily armed to be that globally naïve.  And Landon’s pretty-boy-we’re-number-one thing has never, ever gone down well. 

For all those years, the American hype machine told us all what a great player Landon Donovan is – honest!  And for most of those same years, we looked at his poor performances in Europe, and thought yeah, the kid can play a bit, but so hairy wot?  Toss in Landon’s role with the 2008 L.A. Galaxy, who played like desiccated dog barf for eight calendar months on the trot, and liking Donovan just wasn’t much of an option, most days.

Too cute.  Too sweet.  Too much of all the things I distrust and dislike about George Bush and Sarah Palin’s America.

But then …

- Landon does just fine at Everton, thanks. 

- Landon is a huge contributor to a brilliant, league-leading start for the oh-ten Galaxy.

- Landon neatly and professionally scores that all-world, ultra-clutch winner against Algeria.

Try this on, Landon haters:

Who cares how the kid does in Europe?  What if his true role is to be THE American soccer superstar, and play all his finest years – and best football – based in Major League Soccer?

Nothing Landon didn’t do in two tours of Germany is hurting him in any way at all as he leads the U.S. into the round of 16, and the Galaxy to a huge lead at the top of the domestic ladder.  Nothing about Landon’s smarmy cuteness matters a whit compared to the genuine, deeply human joy and pride he’s been expressing – eloquently and almost humbly – ever since the Algerians went down.

This … is … a … good … soccer … story.

A REALLY good soccer story – and there’s nothing in my Tea-Party-despising, stars-and-stripes-induced nagging, cautious Canadian concern that even matters a whit anymore.

Landon Donovan wasn’t put on this planet to be a soccer superstar in Europe.  He’s here to be the man who – finally – makes Major League Soccer matter in its own country.

That’s a significantly good trick, y’all.  And I freely and gleefully admit I’m enjoying watching Captain America do his work.

Thoughts?

Onward!