Star Without Heart No Longer

Landon Donovan, you are officially my hero.

I know that I gave you more than a fair share of grief following the last World Cup when you'd had possibly the worst tournament of any US player ever. (And I include Jeff Agoos in that comparison..)

Although you sparked the comeback against Slovenia and were denied the glory of the assist on the deserved game-winning goal, you struggled to put your stamp on the most crucial match in US World Cup history.

Until you collected the beautiful outlet pass from Tim Howard. And then fed Jozy Altidore in the space on the right flank. And smartly hung back while the play developed, watching as Altidore found Clint Dempsey in the six. And then pounced on the rebound and slotted it into the left side netting, sparking celebrations from US Soccer fans worldwide.

Thank you.

I may have called you a "Star Without Heart" in the past, but you are now the Heart and Soul of American Soccer.