At twenty-five years of age, with two World Cups and a prima career in Major League Soccer already in his scrapbook, he pockets a salary of $900K per annum. Landon Donovan is a genuine U.S. soccer star, and a home-grown one to boot. But so far, he hasn’t cut it at a higher level of play. Now let’s look at the context of his career, and what it may mean for the development of other young players and for our national team.

Donovan’s successes were initially with the San Jose Earthquakes on 2001 and 2003. The coach there was Frank Yallop, who had played for the Tampa Bay Mutiny in MLS from 1996 until his retirement at the end of the 1998 season. But what was more important was Yallop’s experience before joining MLS.

Yallop signed with Ipswich Town in the English League at 16 in 1983 and was a member of the team that became a founding member of the English Premier League at the end of the 1991-92 season. He played 376 games for the club, for many years alongside Terry Butcher, a stalwart defender for the England team in the 1986 World Cup. Frank Yallop had competed at the highest level of professional soccer, with and against world-class players.

Could Landon Donovan learn from him? Of course he could, and the combination of Yallop and Donovan produced two championships for San Jose. Andrea Canales of ESPN Soccernet wrote that Yallop refused to take credit for developing the U.S. star, stating that “Landon’s been a good player ever since I’ve had him.” The important thing about their relationship was that Yallop was able to give him some useful guidance, could help Donovan produce his best, by passing on his own vast professional experience. It seems to be working again in Los Angeles.

Could Bruce Arena do that as coach of the national team? Could Steve Sampson, former head coach of the national team and then the Galaxy? Sampson has no professional playing experience; Arena only a game or two in the “A” league; Sigi Schmid, another prominent coach now being considered as the national team boss, played for UCLA in the seventies, never in the NASL or MLS, or in any professional league.

This, I believe, reinforces for us a lesson from soccer history: except in very rare cases, the most successful coaches are those who had playing experience at the highest level. They can teach and guide our young players, as Yallop has done with Landon Donovan, and now is doing again after recently taking over the reins of the Galaxy. Amateurs rarely teach professionals; first-aid instructors don’t teach future surgeons.

Is there a message from the story of Landon Donovan for those in charge of selecting a coach for our national team? I believe there is, but I am also afraid that because of perfectly-understandable chauvinism, but a false pride, it will go unheeded.