The US soccer world was dealt a shocker Thursday night when all-time leading international goal scorer Landon Donovan was left off Jurgen Klinsmann’s 23 man squad for the 2014 World Cup.  Donovan was the hero of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa with his famous game-winning goal against Algeria and has been the most influential USMNT player for well over a decade.  In Donovan’s place is 18 year old Bayern Munich prodigy Julian Green, who has played just a handful of minutes for the national team.

There seems to be a hint of more than just footballing reasons for Donovan’s absence from the 23 man squad.  In a stunning example of lifting the curtain on some true feelings behind the scenes, Klinsmann’s son may have revealed a part of what was really going on.

Jonathan Klinsmann is a U-18 goalkeeper in the US system and had this to say about Donovan not making the team. (Via Soccer by Ives.)

Talk about kicking a guy when he’s down – he didn’t even spell Donovan’s name right.  The younger Klinsmann deleted his Twitter account, but the damage was already done.  Did Jonathan Klinsmann expose a personal distrust and dislike of inside his family?  That’s certainly the perception that will make the rounds today – that Donovan was left off the team more for personal reasons and not because of his ability to still contribute.

The relationship between the elder Klinsmann and Donovan has obviously been strained ever since Donovan took a sabbatical from soccer at the start of the World Cup Qualifying campaign.  It was a year ago that Klinsmann left Donovan off his squad for a series of qualifiers amidst the prevailing thought that he was sending a message about commitment to the national team.  The Klinsmann-Donovan story continued to have its ups and downs with Donovan starring at the Gold Cup but continuing to be yo-yoed in and out of Klinsmann’s team.

What may be the most interesting aspect of this surprise is that it will all be documented on ESPN’s series inside the USMNT and their World Cup preparations.  In the wake of Donovan’s axing, a video has been released by ESPN with the pair talking about the 2014 World Cup.  Interestingly, this is what Klinsmann had to say about Donovan in a prophetic sign of what was to come:

“Landon Donovan: the media thinks he’s untouchable, the media thinks he has to be in the starting lineup, or he has to be in Brazil based on what he did, and he did marvelous for the United States for the last 12-14 years… that’s not how it works. I have to choose the best 23 players based on what I see today.”

US soccer fans just have to hope their coach’s decision on the World Cup squad was truly based on who the best 23 players are and not any other factors.  Klismann’s decision to keep Donovan home could work – the players going to Brazil are young, inexperienced, but also very talented.  It could also blow up in a disastrous tournament in the Group of Death.  Right now it seems there is no middle ground.  Whatever happens in Brazil, Klinsmann leaving Donovan home is the decision that could define his tenure as USMNT coach.