TThe U.S. men’s national team has recently been in the midst of controversy after Noakai Banks refused to participate in the March FIFA schedule. The 19-year-old’s decision sparked a furious reaction from US soccer legend Landon Donovan, who made no secret of his displeasure on his Unfiltered Soccer podcast.
Landon Donovan rages against Noakai Bank
Donovan, who ranks with Clint Dempsey as the national team’s all-time leading scorer, relentlessly dissected the Hawaii-born, German-raised center back’s stance. For “Captain America,” national loyalty should not be a matter of negotiation or strategic waiting.
If there are people who don’t want to play for your country, get rid of them. Goodbye. And I’m not mad at him. He can make his own decisions. But now I don’t care anymore. I don’t care about Noah Kai Bank.
The former player emphasized that representing the United States should be a matter of passion, not a process of persuasion by the federation. “If he doesn’t want to play for the United States, that’s fine by me. I understand that. If he feels more German…I want him to make a decision based on what he’s passionate about,” he added sarcastically.
Donovan loses patience with Banks
Donovan was highly critical of what he perceived as “gamesmanship” on the part of the player’s camp, reminding him that the American system invests significant time and resources in the development of his youth.
“The very idea of us begging him to play for our country is a bull***. If you don’t want to play for us, don’t play. But enough of this little game. You know how many times we’ve been through the same story?” Donovan concluded in a chat with Tim Howard.
