LANDON DONOVAN - UNITED STATES

Date of birth: March 4, 1982
Birthplace: Ontario, Calif.
Club: Los Angeles Galaxy (United States)
Position: Forward
International debut: October 2000 vs. Mexico

The golden boy of American soccer, Landon Donovan, will be looking to make a splash at the 2006 World Cup in a country that hasn't been terribly hospitable to him in the past.

Donovan, a star forward with the Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, is a key member of the U.S. national team — he scored seven goals in the qualifying round — and possesses a real scorer's instinct and a mean shot.

The biggest star in MLS the past five years, Donovan is a dangerous player who uses his quickness to beat defenders. He's also a wonderfully versatile player: He can line up as a forward or anywhere in midfield as a playmaker.

Donovan has played for his country over 70 times and has helped elevate the U.S. from internat ional lightweights to one of the top soccer nations in the world.

Donovan first turned heads playing high school soccer in California. Such was the extent of his talent that German club Bayer Leverkusen signed the American to a pro contract when he was only 17.

Donovan proved Leverkusen didn't misread his skills when he scored three goals and led the U.S. to the semifinals of the 1999 under-17 World Cup. Donovan also won the Golden Ball award as the tournament MVP.

His time with Leverkusen proved to be unfruitful, however, as he could not break into the starting lineup and only played for the club's youth team. Unhappy after two seasons of inactivity in Germany, Donovan returned home in 2001 when Leverkusen loaned him out to the San Jose Earthquakes of MLS.

The move revitalized his young career: Donovan quickly emerged as the league's top star by scoring 42 goals in four seasons and leading San Jose to MLS championships in 2001 and 2003.

Donovan made his debut for the U.S. national team in 2000 and quickly established himself as an integral member of the side. After helping the U.S. to qualify for the 2002 World Cup, Donovan shined in South Korea and Japan as he scored two goals and helped his team reach the quarter-finals. Donovan was named the U.S. player of the year in 2003 and 2004 and was recalled from San Jose by Leverkusen prior to the 2004 German league season. This time he did play — albeit in a limited role as a substitute — and it didn't take long for Donovan to return home for a second time.

In 2005, Leverkusen sent him to Los Angeles and he made a triumphant return to the U.S. by scoring 16 goals for his new club. He also scored four times in the playoffs as the Galaxy won the MLS Cup — his third MLS championship to date — making him the league's all-time leading scorer in the post-season with 14 goals.

Now Donovan is headed to Germany for a third time, but unlike the past, he won't be watching from the sidelines as he did with Leverkusen. Instead, he'll be front and centre as the spearhead of the American attack.