Julio Cortez/AP
U.S. soccer fans at Red Bull Arena are ready to move on from the omission of Landon Donovan from the World Cup roster.
The U.S. team held a training session open to the public Saturday at Red Bull Arena - the site of Sunday's send-off series game against Turkey. Since Donovan - the U.S. men's national team's all-time leading scorer - was cut from the roster last week, much of the talk has centered around his omission, rather than the 23 players on it.
But with the Americans opening game against Ghana on June 16 approaching closer and closer, fans at Red Bull Arena said it's time to move on and show support for the 23 players representing the U.S. in Brazil.
'(Jurgen) Klinsmann's the coach, he made the decision, and that's it, it's his call,' John Bieniek, a Dunellen, N.J. native, said. 'He's either going to be a genius or a goat because of it, but if Donovan's a step off, the coach can see that, and you've got to live with it because a step here and there makes the world of difference in soccer.'
While Bieniek has faith in Klinsmann's decision, there's been plenty of outrage from fans and media in the past week about the decision. Aside from him being the face of the team since 2002, Donovan brings plenty of experience to an otherwise inexperienced roster, which has only five players with previous World Cup experience. With Donovan included, the U.S. squad could count eight World Cup goals among its ranks, but, without him that number is down to just three.
But Bieniek, who leaves next week to attend the U.S. games in Brazil, as well as the other fans in attendance, said the country needs to embrace these players. They are young and energetic, which should provide some fun and entertaining soccer.
And with the U.S. facing the 'Group of Death' in Brazil, which features some of the top teams in the world in Germany and Portugal, as well as Ghana - which has eliminated the Americans in the previous two World Cups, the U.S. has to pull some sort of upset if it hopes to advance.
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'Soccer's a young man's game,' Bieniek said. 'We've got to attack those teams, and I think these guys will be the ones to go out and do it.'
While it was nothing like the intensity they will see in Brazil, the American players provided plenty of fun and entertaining soccer for the crowd Saturday. Every time a goal was scored or a nice save was made, every fan - plenty of which were wearing Donovan's jersey - cheered and showed their appreciation of the players.
'In a way I'm kind of happy about Donovan because this team has a lot of youth now, so we'll get a little glimpse of our future World Cups too,' Ryan Wilson, from Kearny, N.J., said. 'I feel bad for the guy because of everything he's done for this country and team, but eventually everybody's got to go.'
After Sunday's game against Turkey, the U.S. will travel to Jacksonville for its final send-off tour game, where the Americans will face Nigeria before heading to Brazil. And with plenty of people questioning how the U.S. will find a way to advance from the group, the answer could very well be in the team's youth.
'I like some of these guys,' Andy Soto, also from Kearny, N.J., said. 'It'll be fun to see what they can do in Brazil and also in future World Cups.'