Landon Donovan's Final International Game Will Help Usher in a New Era for Team USA

Landon Donovan's final international soccer match this Friday is shaping up to usher in a new era for the U.S. Men's National Team (USMNT).

Longtime teammates like Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley will instead be Jozy Altidore, DeAndre Yedlin and Bill Hamid. USMNT coach Jurgen Klinsmann said this decision was intentional, to give some younger players as much experience playing together as possible.

The coach also said it his intention to give Donovan, the USMNT's all-time leader in assists and goals, the sendoff he deserves.

"He comes in on Thursday and has a chance to really enjoy the atmosphere and the support of the fans," Klinsmann told the Associated Press.

The game is Friday, Oct. 10 at Rentschler Field, in East Hartford, Conn. with kickoff set for 7 p.m. ET.

Klinsmann made headlines ahead of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil for leaving Donovan off the roster, but that too was part of his plan to get younger players international experience. One of those youngsters, Yedlin made a strong impression coming off the bench in a few matches. The 21-year-old defender displayed magnificent speed and the ability to stretch the field and facilitate shots on goal.

There will also be more lesser known American soccer players for the near future, but not because Klinsmann means to move away from Dempsey, Howard and some of the more veteran players.

"We left quite a few of the experienced players out because we want to give the younger players a chance to break in," Klinsmann told the AP. "Guys like Kyle Beckerman, DaMarcus Beasley, Brad Davis, Chris Wondolowski and others are not in this roster, not because they aren't part of the national team moving forward, simply because we want to see the youngsters make their point."

Donovan may no longer have a place on the pitch for the USMNT, but he will go down as one of his country's all-time greats.

"We look at these two games as an opportunity to take a picture of the player pool as it stands now," Klinsmann said in the news release announcing Friday's roster. "Already the hierarchy starts to shift in some ways, which is normal at the beginning of a cycle. We are excited to look at this group against a very competitive team like Ecuador, and then we will have a chance to bring some different faces for the game against Honduras. Obviously, it's going to be a special night on Friday as everyone in the U.S. Soccer family will have the chance to honor the amazing career of Landon Donovan."

by cdh7116