(cid:62)(cid:117)(cid:28)(cid:70)(cid:93)(cid:105)(cid:97)(cid:111)(cid:28)(cid:62)(cid:113)(cid:95)(cid:103)(cid:104)(cid:97)(cid:117)(cid:28)(cid:70)(cid:110)(cid:42) (cid:62)(cid:117)(cid:28)(cid:70)(cid:93)(cid:105)(cid:97)(cid:111)(cid:28)(cid:62)(cid:113)(cid:95)(cid:103)(cid:104)(cid:97)(cid:117)(cid:40)(cid:28)(cid:70)(cid:110)(cid:42) www.childsworld.com Published in the United States of America by The Child’s World® P.O. Box 326 • Chanhassen, MN 55317-0326 800-599-READ • www.childsworld.com www.childsworld.com (cid:56)(cid:58)(cid:66)(cid:69)(cid:70)(cid:78)(cid:67)(cid:60)(cid:59)(cid:62)(cid:68)(cid:60)(cid:69)(cid:75)(cid:74) The Child’s World®: Mary Berendes, Publishing Director Produced by Shoreline Publishing Group LLC President / Editorial Director: James Buckley, Jr. Designer: Tom Carling, carlingdesign.com Assistant Editor: Ellen Labrecque Photo Credits Cover: AP/Wide World Interior: AP/Wide World: 24, 26; Corbis: 7; Getty Images: 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 15, 18, 21, 25, 28; WireImage: 1, 16 Copyright © 2007 by The Child’s World® All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means without written permission from the publisher. (cid:67)(cid:64)(cid:57)(cid:73)(cid:56)(cid:73)(cid:80)(cid:23)(cid:70)(cid:61)(cid:23)(cid:58)(cid:70)(cid:69)(cid:62)(cid:73)(cid:60)(cid:74)(cid:74) (cid:58)(cid:56)(cid:75)(cid:56)(cid:67)(cid:70)(cid:62)(cid:64)(cid:69)(cid:62)(cid:36)(cid:64)(cid:69)(cid:36)(cid:71)(cid:76)(cid:57)(cid:67)(cid:64)(cid:58)(cid:56)(cid:75)(cid:64)(cid:70)(cid:69)(cid:23)(cid:59)(cid:56)(cid:75)(cid:56) Buckley, James, 1963– Landon Donovan / by James Buckley, Jr. p. cm. — (The world’s greatest athletes) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-59296-754-X (library bound : alk. paper) 1. Donovan, Landon, 1982–—Juvenile literature. 2. Soccer players— United States—Biography—Juvenile literature. I. Title. II. Series. GV942.7.D66B83 2006 796.334092—dc22 2006006283 (cid:23) (cid:58) (cid:70) (cid:69) (cid:75) (cid:60) (cid:69) (cid:75) (cid:74) (cid:64)(cid:69)(cid:75)(cid:73)(cid:70)(cid:59)(cid:76)(cid:58)(cid:75)(cid:64)(cid:70)(cid:69) (cid:61)(cid:105)(cid:97)(cid:110)(cid:101)(cid:95)(cid:93)(cid:209)(cid:111)(cid:28)(cid:62)(cid:97)(cid:111)(cid:112)(cid:28)(cid:79)(cid:107)(cid:95)(cid:95)(cid:97)(cid:110)(cid:28)(cid:76)(cid:104)(cid:93)(cid:117)(cid:97)(cid:110) (cid:48) (cid:58)(cid:63)(cid:56)(cid:71)(cid:75)(cid:60)(cid:73)(cid:23)(cid:40) (cid:66)(cid:110)(cid:107)(cid:105)(cid:28)(cid:61)(cid:85)(cid:79)(cid:75)(cid:28)(cid:112)(cid:107)(cid:28)(cid:72)(cid:101)(cid:98)(cid:97)(cid:28)(cid:93)(cid:111)(cid:28)(cid:93)(cid:28)(cid:76)(cid:110)(cid:107) (cid:50) (cid:58)(cid:63)(cid:56)(cid:71)(cid:75)(cid:60)(cid:73)(cid:23)(cid:41) (cid:80)(cid:107)(cid:28)(cid:67)(cid:97)(cid:110)(cid:105)(cid:93)(cid:106)(cid:117)(cid:205)(cid:61)(cid:106)(cid:96)(cid:28)(cid:80)(cid:100)(cid:97)(cid:106)(cid:28)(cid:68)(cid:107)(cid:105)(cid:97) (cid:45)(cid:46) (cid:58)(cid:63)(cid:56)(cid:71)(cid:75)(cid:60)(cid:73)(cid:23)(cid:42) (cid:64)(cid:107)(cid:106)(cid:107)(cid:114)(cid:93)(cid:106)(cid:28)(cid:79)(cid:112)(cid:101)(cid:104)(cid:104)(cid:28)(cid:64)(cid:107)(cid:105)(cid:101)(cid:106)(cid:93)(cid:112)(cid:97)(cid:111) (cid:46)(cid:44) (cid:63)(cid:61)(cid:78)(cid:65)(cid:65)(cid:78)(cid:28)(cid:79)(cid:80)(cid:61)(cid:80)(cid:69)(cid:79)(cid:80)(cid:69)(cid:63)(cid:79) (cid:46)(cid:53) (cid:67)(cid:72)(cid:75)(cid:79)(cid:79)(cid:61)(cid:78)(cid:85) (cid:47)(cid:44) (cid:66)(cid:69)(cid:74)(cid:64)(cid:28)(cid:75)(cid:81)(cid:80)(cid:28)(cid:73)(cid:75)(cid:78)(cid:65) (cid:47)(cid:45) (cid:69)(cid:74)(cid:64)(cid:65)(cid:84)(cid:28)(cid:61)(cid:74)(cid:64)(cid:28)(cid:61)(cid:62)(cid:75)(cid:81)(cid:80)(cid:28)(cid:80)(cid:68)(cid:65)(cid:28)(cid:61)(cid:81)(cid:80)(cid:68)(cid:75)(cid:78) (cid:47)(cid:46) (cid:64) (cid:69) (cid:75) (cid:73) (cid:70) (cid:59) (cid:76) (cid:58) (cid:75) (cid:64) (cid:70) (cid:69) (cid:61)(cid:105)(cid:97)(cid:110)(cid:101)(cid:95)(cid:93)(cid:209)(cid:111)(cid:28)(cid:62)(cid:97)(cid:111)(cid:112)(cid:28) (cid:79)(cid:107)(cid:95)(cid:95)(cid:97)(cid:110)(cid:28)(cid:76)(cid:104)(cid:93)(cid:117)(cid:97)(cid:110) NOT TOO LONG AGO, BEING THE BEST SOCCER player in America was sort of like being the best baseball player in England. Only a few people knew about you, and even fewer cared. Soccer was a sport that many kids played, but few people followed on the pro level. The sport, however, has enjoyed explosive growth in the United States since the mid- 1990s. Since 1995, Major League Soccer (MLS), a 12-team pro league, has grown steadily in popularity. The U.S. national team has earned spots in the last five World Cups, the international championship held every four years. U.S. players have earned notice with their play on the best pro teams in Europe. As the sport has grown, top U.S. players have gotten more attention. Now, being the best soccer (cid:42) player in America is something (cid:58)(cid:101)(cid:100)(cid:101)(cid:108)(cid:87)(cid:100)(cid:22)(cid:94)(cid:87)(cid:105)(cid:22)(cid:87)(cid:102)(cid:102)(cid:91)(cid:87)(cid:104)(cid:91)(cid:90)(cid:22)(cid:95)(cid:100)(cid:22)(cid:99)(cid:101)(cid:104)(cid:91)(cid:22)(cid:106)(cid:94)(cid:87)(cid:100)(cid:22) (cid:45)(cid:43)(cid:22)(cid:93)(cid:87)(cid:99)(cid:91)(cid:105)(cid:22)(cid:92)(cid:101)(cid:104)(cid:22)(cid:106)(cid:94)(cid:91)(cid:22)(cid:75)(cid:36)(cid:73)(cid:36)(cid:22)(cid:100)(cid:87)(cid:106)(cid:95)(cid:101)(cid:100)(cid:87)(cid:98)(cid:22)(cid:106)(cid:91)(cid:87)(cid:99)(cid:36) millions of young players across the country are shooting for. The player most experts feel holds that title now is Landon Donovan, a young, high-scoring striker from California. Not too long ago, Landon was just another one of the kids racing around a suburban field. In just a few years, he has become one of the top goal- scorers in the world. His amazing rise from little kid in big shorts to international superstar has been the result of not only his great talent, but a nose for the goal rare in an American player. As the U.S. has improved its play, scoring goals has not been its best skill. Landon is changing that, for his (Major League Soccer) MLS team and the national squad. The best player in America won’t be a mystery much longer. (cid:43) (cid:58) (cid:63) (cid:56) (cid:71) (cid:75) (cid:60) (cid:73) (cid:23) (cid:40) (cid:66)(cid:110)(cid:107)(cid:105)(cid:28)(cid:61)(cid:85)(cid:79)(cid:75)(cid:28)(cid:112)(cid:107)(cid:28) (cid:72)(cid:101)(cid:98)(cid:97)(cid:28)(cid:93)(cid:111)(cid:28)(cid:93)(cid:28)(cid:76)(cid:110)(cid:107) LANDON WAS BORN IN 1982 AND IT SEEMED AS if he was kicking a soccer ball before he got out of diapers. Landon got his start on a real soccer field at the age of five in Redlands, California, east of Los Angeles. He joined a team of six- and seven-year-olds and scored seven goals in his first game. He played on youth league teams and soon joined the ranks of “club” soccer. This level of play is much higher than American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO—a large national youth league). Club players practice more often and travel to play in tournaments. Most top players have spent a lot of time in the club programs. Landon’s club was Cal Heat, and he was a top goal-scorer for them. Early on, he displayed his abilities to keep the ball on his feet in a crowd of (cid:44) (cid:23) (cid:55)(cid:22)(cid:92)(cid:107)(cid:106)(cid:107)(cid:104)(cid:91)(cid:22)(cid:66)(cid:87)(cid:100)(cid:90)(cid:101)(cid:100)(cid:22)(cid:58)(cid:101)(cid:100)(cid:101)(cid:108)(cid:87)(cid:100)(cid:53)(cid:22)(cid:66)(cid:87)(cid:100)(cid:90)(cid:101)(cid:100)(cid:22)(cid:109)(cid:87)(cid:105)(cid:22)(cid:87)(cid:88)(cid:101)(cid:107)(cid:106)(cid:22)(cid:106)(cid:94)(cid:91)(cid:105)(cid:91)(cid:22)(cid:111)(cid:101)(cid:107)(cid:100)(cid:93)(cid:22) (cid:102)(cid:98)(cid:87)(cid:111)(cid:91)(cid:104)(cid:105)(cid:202)(cid:22)(cid:87)(cid:93)(cid:91)(cid:22)(cid:109)(cid:94)(cid:91)(cid:100)(cid:22)(cid:94)(cid:91)(cid:22)(cid:105)(cid:106)(cid:87)(cid:104)(cid:106)(cid:91)(cid:90)(cid:22)(cid:105)(cid:89)(cid:101)(cid:104)(cid:95)(cid:100)(cid:93)(cid:22)(cid:93)(cid:101)(cid:87)(cid:98)(cid:105)(cid:22)(cid:92)(cid:101)(cid:104)(cid:22)(cid:94)(cid:95)(cid:105)(cid:22)(cid:106)(cid:91)(cid:87)(cid:99)(cid:36) players, and his skill at being near the goal at the right time. In 1997, he caught the attention of the Olympic Development Program (ODP), a group that searches for America’s top young players. The ODP took Landon another big step up the ladder toward his dream of a pro career. He went to a camp in Montana to train with other top young players. At the same time, he was also taking part in high school soccer, first for Redlands High and then (cid:45) (cid:74)(cid:94)(cid:91)(cid:22)(cid:98)(cid:87)(cid:106)(cid:91)(cid:105)(cid:106)(cid:22)(cid:75)(cid:36)(cid:73)(cid:36)(cid:22)(cid:105)(cid:106)(cid:87)(cid:104)(cid:22)(cid:106)(cid:101)(cid:22)(cid:91)(cid:99)(cid:91)(cid:104)(cid:93)(cid:91)(cid:22)(cid:92)(cid:104)(cid:101)(cid:99)(cid:22)(cid:106)(cid:94)(cid:91)(cid:22)(cid:75)(cid:35)(cid:39)(cid:45)(cid:22)(cid:106)(cid:91)(cid:87)(cid:99)(cid:105)(cid:22)(cid:95)(cid:105)(cid:22)(cid:106)(cid:91)(cid:91)(cid:100)(cid:87)(cid:93)(cid:91)(cid:104)(cid:22) (cid:60)(cid:104)(cid:91)(cid:90)(cid:90)(cid:111)(cid:22)(cid:55)(cid:90)(cid:107)(cid:34)(cid:22)(cid:94)(cid:91)(cid:104)(cid:91)(cid:22)(cid:102)(cid:98)(cid:87)(cid:111)(cid:95)(cid:100)(cid:93)(cid:22)(cid:87)(cid:93)(cid:87)(cid:95)(cid:100)(cid:105)(cid:106)(cid:22)(cid:73)(cid:95)(cid:91)(cid:104)(cid:104)(cid:87)(cid:22)(cid:66)(cid:91)(cid:101)(cid:100)(cid:91)(cid:36) as a top scorer for nearby East Valley High. His work with the ODP kept him away at times, but he still managed to score 16 goals in 10 games for East Valley. In his second year with them, he scored 15 goals and racked up 19 assists. After that season, he was named to Parade magazine’s All-America team. A large number of international soccer tournaments are held at the age-group level. In 1998, (cid:46)