Donovan feels hard done by after USA snub

Snubbed United States forward Landon Donovan believes that he merited a place in Jurgen Klinsmann’s squad for the FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

The LA Galaxy man was the most surprising name to be cut from the initial USA squad on Friday and will miss out on appearing at a fourth World Cup.

Klinsmann described the decision was one of the toughest of his career and Donovan responded by claiming that he felt hard done by.

The former Bayer Leverkusen striker, who has 156 caps and 57 international goals to his name, feels his efforts while at the pre-tournament training camp were enough to help secure a place in the starting XI.

“I think if I’m being judged based solely on what happened in camp, then I absolutely deserved to be going to Brazil,” he told various media outlets after an LA Galaxy practice session.

“I think I was one of the better players in camp. If I had gone in and didn’t think I deserved it then I can live with that, but that is not the case here.

“Based on my performances leading up to camp, based on my preparation for the camp, based on my fitness, based on my workload, based on the way I trained and played in camp, I not only thought I was a part of the 23, I thought I was in contention to be starting.”

Donovan, the USA’s all-time leading goalscorer, is responsible for one of the most iconic goals in US football history – scoring in injury time against Algeria at the World Cup four years ago to send the country through to the knockout stages as Group C winners.