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CARSON, Calif. - Until last weekend, Landon Donovans pending retirement was a nebulous concept obscured by games, goals and a sport-wide outpouring of appreciation from the moment he made his stunning decision this summer.This week, Donovan finally saw the finish line.After the LA Galaxy host New England in the MLS Cup on Sunday afternoon, the greatest soccer player in U.S. history knows he will be voluntarily unemployed at 32 years old.Donovan has most of his life ahead of him, and he plans to fill it with travel, education and working with kids. He probably also has several good years of soccer left in him, but Donovan remains determined to figure out who he is outside the sport that has defined his whole life.Im just trying to stay present, and well see what happens afterward, Donovan said Friday at the Galaxys training complex. But for now, I just want to channel the excitement in the right way, as we all do, and really put it into a meaningful and special day on Sunday. After that, I can worry about the rest.Donovan is seeking his record sixth MLS Cup championship when the favoured Galaxy take on the Revolution. The Southern California native has carried MLS banner for 14 years, spurning a European career to play a major role in building his sport and its U.S. league from a small-time operation into something bigger and better.With his self-imposed end in sight, the top goal-scorer in MLS history cant help reflecting on the journey.I could have never in a million years imagined playing against Thierry Henry in brand-new stadiums, Donovan said. I could have never imagined playing with Robbie (Keane), a guy I followed as I became a professional and idolized so much. Playing with David (Beckham) for so many years. All of those things, if you had said that in 2001, I would have said youre absolutely crazy.Donovan is still one of MLS best players after 14 years, and he will play a key role in his franchises attempt to win its record fifth championship trophy Sunday. Teaming with MLS MVP Keane and Gyasi Zardes in a dynamic attacking combination, Donovan would love to make the difference one more time with his combination of speed and skill.Although Donovan struggled to find the inner motivation for his sport at times in recent years, even taking a fairly brief sabbatical last year, he insists he still retains his hunger for goals and success in one last game.This week has been a little bit different than the past few, because I personally didnt know what was coming next (before this), Donovan said. Now I know, so Ive been very excited every day to wake up and go to training. Candidly, I dont want it to end right now. Its been a lot of fun, and Im going to have that attitude Sunday. I personally want it to be as enjoyable as possible, and that would be winning. I love winning, these guys deserve it, and I want to help them do that.That plaintive note of wistfulness in Donovans voice has been seized upon by fans, media and even his own friends as a reason to hope he wont walk away after all. Perhaps after an extended break, Donovan will revive his love for competition and the sport that brought him success and fame — and a sizable fortune that probably wont get bigger without soccer.But Donovans coach, Bruce Arena, and his teammates say they believe hes done. Just as they did when Beckham abruptly left the Galaxy in late 2012 following back-to-back championships, Keane and Arena are ready to bid a winning goodbye to a key piece of their championship lineup.If he hasnt changed (his mind) now, I dont think hes ever going to change it, Keane said. Its been an absolute honour to play with him. Its certainly up there with one of the best partnerships Ive had. Hes made the decision that hes going to retire, which is a shame. But at the end of the day, thats up to him. You have to respect someones decision, and if anyone deserves to go out on a high, its certainly Landon.Donovans future beyond Sunday afternoon is uncertain. Even if he doesnt leave with another trophy, his past is secure.I think his legacy is that he left the game as the greatest player in the history of U.S. soccer, and hes a damn good person, Arena said. Thats a pretty good legacy. Vapormax Dame Dk . There, I saw a teenaged boy with tears in his eyes, being consoled by strength and conditioning coach Randy Lee. Vapormax Herre Tilbud . Ontario Superior Court Case Management Master Ronald Dash released the decision on Monday, saying John McCaw Jr. must testify in front of a jury by live video conference. Moores lawyer, Tim Danson, asked the court to compel McCaw - who is based in Seattle - to testify in the case back on February 27. http://www.vapormaxdanmark.com/ . - Olympic champion Marielle Thompson accomplished her mission of defending her skicross World Cup title at Nakiska Ski Area on Saturday. Vapormax Dame Ebay Danmark . Bryant underwent an operation in December to correct an irregular heartbeat. His season ended with four games left because of a rapid heartbeat, a condition he has known about for several years and had been treated for in the past. Vapormax Herre Udsalg . Mesoraco hurt his hamstring while scoring from second in Friday nights 5-4 loss at Atlanta. Chapman was hit by a line drive during an exhibition game on March 19, breaking his nose and a bone above his left eye. The left-hander looked strong while throwing 43 pitches in batting practice before Saturday nights game against the Braves.It hit me this week. There it was staring at me in the form of a magazine advert for posters. Placed together as portraits were drawings of four high-profile football managers but one made me do a double take. It wasnt long ago that the face of David Moyes, placed next to Jose Mourinho, Manuel Pellegrini and Arsene Wenger, would not have made me think twice. I have always hoped he would succeed, back to the days when I covered him as a manager of Preston North End. Yet, heading into Wednesdays crucial game against Olympiakos, it was easy to look at him differently after what has taken place under his watch at Manchester United this season. I am not a United fan but when I visited Old Trafford for their clash with Chelsea in August I was pleased that he had been given a chance. "The Chosen One" sign hung proudly in the famous Stretford End and the United fans sung songs with his name in them and mocked the manager in the opposing dugout. "You wanted the job...you wanted the job...Jose Mourinho...you wanted the job!" Seven months on and the joke has turned on them. Oh how they must wish for Mourinho to be in charge of Manchester United today. The same amount of home league wins as Crystal Palace. Fewer home league goals than Stoke, Swansea and West Ham. More than twice as many league losses than Chelsea. "This has been a difficult season," admitted Moyes in his programme notes for Wednesdays home match against Olympiakos in the second leg of their last 16 encounter in the crown jewel of club football, the Champions League. The official matchday programme had a message for fans before they even opened it saying, on the front cover, the Reds are determined to give everything. Inside the desperation reached new heights with a message from Moyes telling the fans to "make time wasting noticeable to the officials." It all felt a little forced. Defensive, in fact. From a team full of stars who have underperformed this season, the one message they wanted to make sure they got across was that they would give it everything. Manchester United expect more than effort but on a day when it felt like their managers job was seriously on the line, this was the message they were given. It was a night when more than a managers job seemed in jeopardy. A club who this season have badly lost their identity, were in danger of losing their place amongst the sports elite. On Wednesday night they claimed back a little bit of both. Before Robin van Persie scored a terrific hat-trick, United were in danger of falling from the balcony hosting the greatest clubs in the world and hanging on by their finger nails. Their position, outside the room, is not exclusively David Moyes fault but an elimination on Wednesday would have certainly played a massive part in the eventual sacking of the manager, whether that would have been this week or in the summer. The truth is United dont think they should be on the balcony, instead they think they should be inside hosting the party, but a home win against Olympiakos wont get them back in. What it does give them is two more games to show if they can once again be back where they belong as well as a victory that this club badly needed, not just for Moyes, but for themselves. To understand Uniteds demise at the elite level it is important to look at their performances in the true big games. No United team should be judged on past victories over any team out of the top 7 of the Premier League. For the purpose of this study, I looked at all of Manchester Uniteds matches in the last six seasons against Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham and their games in EEurope, whether it be in the Champions League, Europa League or the European Super Cup.dddddddddddd Over the last three seasons (2011/12, 2012/13, 2013/14) United have now played 66 of these big game matches. They have won 28, drew 15 and lost 23 for a very disappointing win percentage of 42 per cent. They have been knocked out of the Champions League in the group stage and the last 16 in the last two seasons. In the three seasons prior to this stretch (2008/09, 2009/10, 2010/11), United played 70 big game matches. They won 45, drew 18 and lost 17 for a very impressive win percentage of 64 per cent. During this time they went to the Champions League final TWICE and lost in the quarter-finals on away goals to a team called Bayern Munich. The alarm bells should have been sounded during Sir Alex Fergusons penultimate year in charge when United were well and truly outplayed at Old Trafford in Europe by Benfica, Basel, Ajax and Atletico Bilbao. Likely, this was when Ferguson knew his time to retire was coming soon. He no longer belonged in the room at the top table with the sports best clubs. A collapse in April in two more big game matches, 4-4 at home to Everton and 1-0 at Manchester City, gave away the title and Ferguson returned for one more year but the big game cracks continued to show. The four previous seasons United had lost 24 big game matches combined – an average of 6 losses per season. Despite cruising to the Premier League title last season, United lost nine big game matches in 2012/13. Yes, they were Premier League champions but against the best sides they looked desperately short of genuine world class players. Alarmingly, in the last 14 months, heading into Wednesdays match, they had played 27 of these matches and won just seven of them. This is where the intense pressure fell on Moyes. This season, before Wednesday, in 18 of these games, his United team have scored more than one goal in a game only three times. No wins in four games against Chelsea and Tottenham. One goal, from a set piece, in two matches against Arsenal. A loss at home to Everton and away at Manchester City and, above everything else, two losses to rivals Liverpool who absolutely demolished United at Old Trafford on Sunday. All of these results, and specifically the performances, stayed with Moyes like bruises on the face of a prize fighter and with every new failure in a big game his loyal supporters started to doubt him more. Moyes wasnt just on the ropes on Wednesday night. He was on the floor facing a count to 10. Thats what makes the victory over Olympiakos so enormous. It is arguably the biggest victory in the career of Moyes. A victory that proves to himself, his bosses and his players that he can take charge of a significant victory in a big game. A loss would have capped off a nightmare season for United and the only way the club could have hung on to that balcony will have been to fire Moyes and blame him for their season. Players care about three things. Money, trophies, and playing at the highest level. It is essential that Manchester United are always able to offer that. If they had been knocked out on Wednesday they will have only had money in their hands to offer players who will have been worried to play for Moyes. Yes, the 3-0 victory saved Moyes but it also saved United who have been treading water in big games for far too long. It is clear star players need to come in to improve their record in those games but, perhaps, a star manager does not. Wednesdays win is only one game but for Moyes it can help change perceptions that, perhaps, he belongs amongst the games best managers without anyone looking at him twice. ' ' '