Reading List: Soccer world bids farewell to Landon Donovan's career

Landon Donovan can kick his feet back. It's over.

The greatest career in the history of American soccer came to an end Sunday night in Los Angeles, as Donovan and the LA Galaxy needed 120 minutes, but ultimately defeated the New England Revolution 2-1 in the MLS Cup final.

Donovan, who revealed earlier in the season that he would hang up his cleats come the end of the campaign, did not enjoy his greatest match on Sunday. He admitted as much after the final whistle. Thankfully, that did not deter the soccer world from showering him with an immediate outpouring of admiration.

For crafting the most illustrious career the United States has ever seen, it was the least he deserved.

Over at ESPN FC, Jeff Carlisle asked a number of players involved in Donovan's farewell to reflect on their time spent playing with - and against - the greatest footballer to ever come out of the U.S.

While a number of them provided interesting anecdotes about the 32-year-old attacker, it was, of course, Donovan himself whose reflection best captured the dichotomy of the moment.

"If feels great," he said. "As much excitement as there is about the game, there's excitement that tomorrow I don't have to train anymore, I don't have to do a lot of the things that were the 'not fun' parts of the job now. Along with that, I don't get experiences like today anymore either. There's a lot of good, there's going to be some bad. It feels good to go out this way."

In the same piece, Donovan, whose relationship with - and commitment to - the sport has been poked and prodded over his entire career, discusses his favorite aspect of the sport.

"It's family, they really are your family," Donovan said of his teammates. "And when you can celebrate it that way, it's so pure. I think that's the absolute beauty of sports."

Writing for Yahoo! Sports, Joe Lago quotes Galaxy boss Bruce Arena, who asks a very simple question that puts Sunday's events into perfect perspective.

Landon has done the real shift in the game (of soccer). He's done it all. He's got very little left to give. I'm so happy that he's made this decision, that he's able to go out as a winner. Don't we all wish we could be able to leave what we do like the way Landon left today.

He ends his career (as) arguably the greatest player in the history of U.S. Soccer. In the league, he's the all-time leading goal scorer with the assists record and championships ‐ what more can you say? Can you write that any better, that script?

Lastly, and perhaps most apt of all, The Guardian's Graham Parker examines the lasting legacy of Donovan's career, and how it was already on display in Sunday's contest.

And fittingly perhaps, given Donovan’s significance in modeling a new version of what a top American soccer career might look like, two of the significant moments of the game involved hometown players getting goals for their teams, while youth rather than experience marked the key battles of the game ...

Donovan goes out a champion, having won six MLS Cups, but the new generation are already jostling to take his place. That may be his greatest legacy.

Thanks, Landon.