STORYLINE: Landon Donovan gives his reaction today at Stubhub Center, in Carson, California, to being removed from playing at a fourth World Cup finals after being dropped from the United States squad. SCRIPT INFORMATION: The 32-year-old Los Angeles Galaxy forward was one of seven players cut from the USA roster when coach Jurgen Klinsmann announced his final 23 on Thursday. Donovan was part of the US squad that competed at the Japan/Korea 2002, Germany 2006 and South Africa 2010 tournaments and has racked up 156 international caps to date, scoring a record 57 goals. The USA will open their Group G challenge against Ghana in Natal on June 16 before taking on Portugal in Manaus six days later. They then meet Germany in Recife on June 26. United States' World Cup squad: Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake). Defenders: DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Timmy Chandler (Nurnberg), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Monchengladbach), DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders). Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Jermaine Jones (Besiktas), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City). Strikers: Jozy Altidore (Sunderland), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders), Aron Johannsson (AZ Alkmaar), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes). SHOT LIST: Carson, California, USA. May 24, 2014. 1. 00:00 Wide practice on the pitch 2. 00:05 Medium Donovan walking with mates 3. 00:10 SOUNDBITE (English) Landon Donovan/Professional American Soccer Player on his reaction to being pulled off World Cup: "I'm just disappointed. I'm sad. I'm human, and I wanted to go. I really wanted to go. I'm art peace with it. I respect the decision, I just feel in my heart that I deserve to be there, and that is the pill that is the hardest to swallow." 4. 00:35 Medium Donovan signing autographs 5. 00:40 SOUNDBITE (English) Landon Donovan/Professional American Soccer Player: "You know, a part of this, although it is disappointing for all seven of us that didn't get to go and the many others that didn't get called into the 30, I think it is also very important that after today we all move forward and support this team. Because they have a big task ahead and I have a lot of friends on that team, and teammates that I really want focus the energy and move it towards supporting them so we can have a successful world cup." 6. 01:12 Medium Donovan on the pitch 7. 01:15 SOUNDBITE (English) Landon Donovan/Professional American Soccer Player: "Well, all of this is personal. I mean we are human beings. So we feel disappointed. We work so hard for these moments, and I have been very fortunate in my life and career to be on the positive side of these decisions. At the end of the day, we are players, and coaches make decisions, and you have to live with that and respect that. Do we agree with it always? No. That is the part that has been hard for me. I firmly believe that not only should I be going, I feel like I really deserved it. Not from anything I did in the past, but from what I've done in the last week and a half." 8. 02:03 Medium Donovan signing autographs 9. 02:10 SOUNDBITE (English) Landon Donovan/Professional American Soccer Player: "Well, like I said, the amount of support I've had has been. . . overwhelming is the best word I can use. The responses and the messages I've had from fans, from friends, from family, from teammates, from my camp, from my staff at camp, from my teammates here, coaching staff, it's really been pretty amazing. And someone said to me, and I think it is true, 'a lot of times you don't hear those kind of messages unless, unfortunately, you are all ready dead at a funeral'. And so some of these things I heard were really uplifting. Sort of validates the way I feel about myself as a player and a person, and I really appreciate all the support I've had from everyone." 10. 02:58 Medium Donovan have picture taken with fan 11. 03:01 SOUNDBITE (English) Landon Donovan/Professional American Soccer Player: "We are all professionals. We are all men. And we have to handle things like this. But I think it is important that we support out team and support our nation - they need us." 12. 03:16 Medium Donovan on pitch 13. 03:23 Medium Donovan walking with reporter

• published: 25 May 2014
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