We heard it at the recent winter Olympics. We'll hear it again at the Ryder Cup in October. Now we've even heard it at Goodison Park.

A soccer stadium, largely populated by 35,000 Englishmen, embraced the simplistic yet infectious chant: "USA...USA...USA" in recognition of an American who has left his mark.

Donovan celebrates birthday in style

Landon Donovan's late 28th birthday present was well worth the wait. A well-taken goal and an intelligent assist, as Everton swamped Hull City 5-1 on Sunday, was the perfect parting gift to the fans. Fittingly, his national head coach Bob Bradley was on hand to witness his brilliant cameo performance first hand, secure in the knowledge Donovan will be one of his mainstays at the World Cup.

Having passed his English exam with flying colours, Donovan is preparing to pack his bags and head home. Everton want him to stay beyond his 10-week loan, which concludes at the weekend and the player himself is certainly not averse to the idea. The L.A. Galaxy, not unreasonably, are not interested and want him back for the start of the Major League Soccer season. Just how long he stays remains to be seen.

It is all a far cry from his last European excursion which ended in a "We'll call you" type exit from the German Bundesliga twelve months ago. While Milan fans and coaching staff fawned over his Galaxy teammate David Beckham, Bayern Munich couldn't wait to see the back of Donovan. 

Undaunted by the experience (and previous others) Donovan has proved, beyond any reasonable doubt, he can compete and contribute in a league of the highest calibre. There is no question in my mind it will make him a better player, which, in turn, bodes well for Team USA in preparation for South Africa.

The Everton loan has also made him a more valuable player. It is no surprise MLS inked him to an improved four-year contract before allowing Donovan to try his luck again overseas. His stock in Europe has risen considerably and if, as I expect, he has a good World Cup, there will be no shortage of offers for his services once it is over. MLS will demand, and likely receive, top dollar before selling its prized asset.

Bradley getting ready

Bradley, meanwhile, has been putting the finishing touches to his coaching staff in readiness for the summer. In hiring former Czech international defender Lubos Kubik as an assistant, Bradley has brought in a trusted ally with firsthand knowledge of preparing for and playing in the World Cup. Kubik appeared at Italia '90 and was part of the talented Czech Republic team, which reached the final of Euro '96.

Their association dates back to Chicago's 1998 expansion year when Kubik anchored Bradley's Fire to the MLS Cup. Kubik has since returned to his homeland from where he will be well positioned to keep Bradley fully updated on the form of European based Americans over the closing weeks of their respective club seasons.

Among them, Stuart Holden has undergone surgery after breaking his right leg during the U.S.'s defeat against the Netherlands last week. The former Houston Dynamo midfielder, who had just broken into Bolton's starting line up, still hopes to go to the World Cup. Holden is expected to be out of action for six weeks which, if accurate, would see him return before the end of the EPL season.  

As for English fans chanting "USA!" don't expect it to catch on. It will cease long before June 12th.