For the first time, the face of U.S. soccer is not viewed globally as the jumbo shrimp.
Because for the first time in his career, Landon Donovan is not viewed as a beach bum baby who requires the perceived weakness and shelter of the MLS to make him feel better.
As the respect for U.S. soccer has slowly expanded over the past decade, it has coincided with Donovan's ascent.
"Landon has been the poster child for so long you're going to identify U.S. soccer with him," veteran FC Dallas goalie Kevin Hartman said. "Landon grew up in the system and came along where you could watch the rise of U.S. soccer, and he was right there through it. I considered their journeys have gone hand in hand."
The World Cup begins Friday in South Africa; the U.S. will begin pool play Saturday against England in Rustenburg. The Americans feature international celebrities such as Tim Howard, Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey, but for the time being this team's identity is the 28-year-old Donovan. And for the first time in his career, that's a good thing.
A ROUGH START
Eleven years ago Donovan was viewed as the man who would replace Claudio Reyna and Alexi Lalas as the nation's premier player; a player capable of taking a pitch in La Liga, Man U or Madrid and representing the U.S. as something more than an over-hyped Nike creation.
Players such as Reyna and Lalas were symbolic of where the American game was — nice little players from a nice little international squad.
"There is a patronizing attitude in European football when talking about American football players," said Greg O'Keefe, who covers the sport for the Liverpool Echo newspaper in England.
That attitude was solidified when, as a 17-year-old, Donovan signed a pro contract with Bayer Leverkusen of the German Bundesliga and promptly demonstrated he wasn't good enough. He didn't play much and, when he did, he was overpowered.
Donovan did considerably more on loan to the MLS while under contract for Leverkusen. He led San Jose to MLS titles in 2001 and '02.
"The German game is big, physical. He's going to get beat up," said FC Dallas assistant coach John Ellinger, who worked with Donovan as a teenager. "Landon probably went to the wrong place. Spain would have been better."
Donovan's second stint with Leverkusen didn't go much better, and he returned to the MLS and the L.A. Galaxy, his current pro team.
The perception was cast. Donovan was soft. He could not thrive against the world's best players in the world's best leagues. It didn't speak too well of Donovan or USA soccer.
"Everyone thought that about him. The players did. U.S. soccer did," said former FC Dallas midfielder Bobby Rhine, who is now a broadcaster for the club. "(They thought he was) a player that is connected to California that likes his beaches and his lifestyle and the creature comforts the MLS can offer."
Donovan needed the safe haven of America and the MLS to be Beckham Lite.
A PROVEN COMMODITY
When photographer Annie Leibovitz assembled some of the world's greatest players for a Vanity Fair photo essay previewing the World Cup, the American chosen was Donovan. There on Page 118 is Donovan, next to two-syllable, one-name icons such as Kaka and Pato.
Donovan belongs there.
He began the process of proving as much internationally in the 2002 World Cup, when he scored a pair of goals as the U.S. reached the quarterfinals in South Korea/Japan. He proved his merit again in the 2009, when the U.S. defeated Spain to reach the final of the FIFA Confederations Cup.
Despite his success in international matches and in the MLS, Donovan's resume lacked the validation of sustained production in the world's best leagues. He knew it. When he signed a four-year contract with the L.A. Galaxy in December 2009, part of the deal was that he would be one of the few MLS players who could go on loan to international teams.
Beginning in January, he went to English Premier League team Everton.
In the 10 weeks Donovan played for Everton, he was no longer the contact-shy player who disappeared in the Bundesliga. He didn't shy away from tackles. He didn't whine. His game was fast, spirited and he created. In one match in particular against Chelsea, Donovan gave defender and national team star Ashley Cole fits. In 13 appearances for Everton, Donovan scored two goals.
By the time his loan with Everton was nearing its end, Premier League teams were bidding for Donovan's services, and the fans at Everton's Goodison Park were actually chanting "USA! USA!" for him.
"There was concern because it hadn't worked out in Germany — that the best of the MLS wasn't good enough for the Premier League," O'Keefe said. "In actual fact, it was. From the moment he pulled on the Everton shirt it was clear he had the ability to flourish here."
The "soft" label was gone. If he didn't know it before, Donovan had demonstrated to himself the teenager who couldn't cut it in Germany didn't need the MLS to make him a star.
"Playing against some of the best players in the world and succeeding gives you a lot of confidence. That is the biggest thing that I gained," Donovan said at a news conference after his return from England.
Although players such as Howard and Altidore are international fixtures, the loan to Everton cemented Donovan's role as America's premier player. No longer did having Donovan as the poster child of a nation require an asterisk.
"This recent loan spell got the people's respect he deserves in Europe or South America," FC Dallas midfielder Dax McCarty said. "Now after going against the toughest league in the world and proving himself against the toughest players in the world, he's the face of U.S. soccer."