Landon Donovan on U.S. loss to Costa Rica

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Landon Donovan put Friday’s 1-0 loss to Costa Rica in proper perspective, addressing the immediate ramifications for the U.S. men’s national soccer team.

Still, he managed to take aim at the bigger picture.

“Sometimes this game is cruel,” Donovan said. “I don’t think we deserved to lose the game. At a minimum, we probably deserved to tie the game. When you’re not good in front of the goal and you make mistakes defensively, that can happen.

“We were still in a fine position to get something out of that game. Unfortunately we fell asleep on one play and they made us pay. We did a good job in possession. We did a good job moving the ball. We probably weren’t quite dangerous enough and didn’t get enough pressure on their goalie.’

Donovan felt that the team tired near the end of the game, a byproduct of difficult travel (for some) and intense training sessions this week under a new coaching staff.

‘I think there’s no question tonight is going to benefit us,’ he said. ‘There’s a lot to learn from tonight. A lot of our young players will now see you can dominate a team, dominate possession and have the majority of the ball and still lose.’

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