Donovan still hurt by World Cup omission

Landon Donovan still believes he should have been part of the United States squad to travel to Brazil for the recent World Cup.

The 32-year-old was controversially left out of the party by Jurgen Klinsmann, before the US went on to reach the second round, where they were defeated after extra-time by Belgium.

Donovan, who went to three successive finals between 2002 and 2010, is the States’ all-time record goalscorer.

The Los Angeles Galaxy man will be given a final farewell in Friday’s friendly against Ecuador in Connecticut, where he will take the captain’s armband and play for 30 minutes before departing.

In a press conference ahead of the game, Donovan revealed he still does not concur with Klinsmann’s decision.

“I didn’t agree and I still know I should have been there,” he said.

“I’ve never shied away from being honest … probably to my detriment at times.

“I think about … how we find guys who have careers that help the sport progress.

“I hope people see I genuinely care about this whole thing and tried to make it better.”