In which I traveled to Leverkusen, Germany, to meet the top young U.S. football prospect Landon Donovan, a phenom from Redlands, California, who had just signed a four-year, $400,000 contract with Bayer Leverkusen, the premier club in Germany's Bundesliga. He was assigned to its developmental regionalliga squad. It was not an easy cultural adjustment for a Donovan, who hated the food and struggled with the football culture: “I just couldn't understand why my game was not working. There's no creativity or flair in the game here. People kept telling me I have to battle.” Donovan started playing for Team USA at 18 that year and stayed on the team for 14 years, still ranking as its all-time leader in assists, and tied with Clint Dempsey as its all-time leader in scoring.
