CARSON, Calif. (Thursday, August 25, 2011) –LA Galaxy midfielder Landon Donovan was one of 24 players named to the U.S. National Team roster for the upcoming friendlies against Costa Rica and Belgium. U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann named the complete roster earlier today, with Donovan one of 11 MLS players who will train at The Home Depot Center in advance of the two games starting on Monday, August 29. He will rejoin the Galaxy ahead of the showdown with the defending MLS Cup champion Colorado Rapids on Friday, September 9 at The Home Depot Center, meaning that he will miss the club’s trip to LIVESTRONG Sporting Park on Monday, September 5 to face Sporting Kansas City.
The U.S. will host Costa Rica at The Home Depot Center on Friday, September 2 at 8 p.m. (PT) in a game that will be shown live on ESPN2 and Galavision. Four days later, the U.S. will be back in action against Belgium at the King Badouin Stadium in Brussels on Tuesday, September 6. That game will be shown live on ESPN starting at 11:30 a.m. (PT).
As part of the week of activity in Carson, the National Team will hold a public training session Wednesday, Aug. 31 from 5-6 p.m. at The Home Depot Center. Admission and parking are free and open to the public. Fans who plan on attending are requested to register by emailing rsvp@ussoccer.org. All training times and locations are subject to change. For more information about this training session, please CLICK HERE.
Donovan has made 137 career appearances with the U.S. National Team, scoring a U.S. record 46 goals. Three of his 46 goals with the U.S. have come against Costa Rica, while he has never faced Belgium. He played the full 90 minutes in Klinsmann’s first game in charge, a 1-1 draw with Mexico at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on August 10.
Additionally, Galaxy goalkeeper coach Ian Feuer will serve as the National Team’s goalkeeper coach for the friendly against Costa Rica. Currently in his fifth season with the Galaxy, Feuer has helped to oversee LA’s defensive transformation over the past three years. Since the start of the 2009 MLS season, the Galaxy have allowed just 77 goals in 86 regular season games while keeping an MLS-best 37 clean sheets, including a club record 13 so far this season. A former professional goalkeeper in Belgium and England, as well as in MLS, Feuer made one appearance for the U.S. National Team, facing Morocco in a March 1992 friendly.
Donovan and the Galaxy are back in action at home on Thursday, August 25 when they take on Costa Rican champion LD Alajuelense at The Home Depot Center in Week 2 of the Group Stage of CONCACAF Champions League. That game kicks off at 7 p.m. For more information about the game or to purchase tickets, please call 877-3GALAXY or visit www.lagalaxy.com/CCL.
