Landon Donovan, in the midst of his playoff campaign with the San Jose Earthquakes and just after helping the USA qualify for the 2002 World Cup, was the feature of TuesdayÆs MLS conference call. Landon Donovan’s opening comments: “Obviously the win on Sunday was a fantastic result for us and combined with the other two results I’m sure it made everyone’s life a lot easier this week. I’m sure the offices will be running a lot more cool, calm and collected this week. “Personally I wanted to say thanks to the people at Bayer Leverkusen, MLS, and my agent for getting me back here. I know I wouldn’t have been a part of the game on Sunday without all their help.” “I wish we [San Jose] could have played a couple of days after the end of the Columbus series because I don’t think we wanted to come of that cloud. Hopefully we can carry that into tomorrow night. Miami is a fantastic team and Ray [Hudson] has done a phenomenal job with them. We’re very thankful Diego [Serna] is not playing tomorrow night but we’re sure he’ll be back in full force this weekend.” Donovan on coming back to the U.S.: “I was in a bad, bad situation in Germany where I wasn’t playing, and life was getting more miserable on a daily basis. I wanted to get out desperately, and at the time the chances were slim to none. I’m extremely lucky to have had my agent, Richard [Motzkin], help me through it and calm me down and that the people in Germany were so cooperative in allowing me to come back. MLS obviously did everything in their power to get me back here. “I felt like I was at a point in my career where I needed to be playing, and sitting there on the bench I wasn’t improving. People have seen what this league can do for someone now. In the beginning it was very difficult for me here and I’ve gotten more comfortable playing every week. That has culminated into us making the playoffs and we’ve done well. I hope to keep riding the wave as long as I can.” Donovan on the long break and sustaining momentum: “We [San Jose] were absolutely flying after the two games against Columbus. We were high as a kite. We would have liked to continue rolling along. We’re a pretty old team and we’re very mature. We don’t have a ton of playoff experience, but I think the guys know what they need to do to win and we showed that in our first two games against Columbus. I would imagine it hurts us a little more than Miami, but either way it is going to be a great series.” Donovan’s key factors in the series: “I have two games of experience in the MLS Cup playoffs but the one thing that has really stood out to me is the importance of good defense. Everybody knows that Miami is going to get their goals and they are gonna get chances. They are just a phenomenal attacking team. The team that plays the better defense and that stays the most consistent will have the upper hand.” Donovan on the benefits of qualifying to his being able to focus on the playoffs: “If we would have lost and we were out of it, there would have been an emotional letdown that would have been tough to get over. You take the win in qualifying and put it in your hat but now that it is done and I have new issues to deal with and this team to concentrate on. Without a doubt it makes life easier knowing that we don’t have to go to Trinidad and win. It takes a lot of pressure from that and allows me to focus on the Miami series.” Donovan on looking beyond his deal with MLS: “I have no thoughts about that whatsoever. My main focus the last couple of weeks has been on the next game. Recently, every next game has been the most important game of my life. I have other issues to deal with. One thing I can say is that I absolutely loved my life this year. By far this has been the best year of my life on the soccer field, off the soccer field, the people I’ve met, everything. ôThat being said there is a competitive part of me that wants to go see if I can make to show the people there that I’m good enough. I am extremely content and extremely happy here.” Donovan on what the World Cup means to him: “Not having been there I can’t say I know what it is like. I also couldn’t relate to how much pressure there was. The other players could because they’ve been in those situations before. They helped calm everybody down. They didn’t approach it in a scared manner. There was a calm atmosphere and that helped me be calm for what was really by far the biggest game of my life. ôGrowing up, the only thing I ever wanted to do was play in a World Cup. I’m not sure that I’ll make the team next year, but just getting your country there and having so many people dependent on you and helping someone else get a chance to go is more than enough to satisfy me.” Donovan on the “first-to-five” points playoff format in MLS: “First I’d like to remind [Miami coach] Ray [Hudson, who had brought up, but didnÆt necessarily advocate, the aggregate system on the conference call before DonovanÆs answer] that if it was an aggregate series they wouldn’t be playing us right now. We are extremely happy with the way it has gone. It does give you a bit of leeway if you have that off game, then there is a chance to redeem yourself.” Donovan on shouldering the expectations placed on him: “To be honest, every day I wake up and I play the game I love to play. I’m with very good players every day of my life that help alleviate the pressure. If I was on teams that weren’t as talented it would be a lot tougher. Everybody around me makes it easier, my coaches, my family and my agent keep me in check from time to time. They all make it possible for me to just wake up and play a game I love to play.” Donovan on the best goal celebration this season: “I’d just say wait until tomorrow night.” Donovan on combining with Joe-Max Moore and Claudio Reyna on the U.S. national team: “Joe is a player that I think anyone would want on their team. Being a forward he does a lot of work that makes my life a lot easier. I consider myself a decent pressing forward but Joe takes it to another level. ôHe makes it easier for me to cut off defenders and read passing lanes and obviously his offensive talent has been seen. He can score goals. But the other side is that he’s a player everyone wants to have on his team because he battles and he wants to win. He’s very competitive. ôClaudio is just phenomenal. I don’t know any other way to describe him. He sees things that other people don’t. When he does things on the field it’s special and it’s fun to be around. He makes my life easier and the more I play with him I think he’s the type of player I can combine well with because I feel we’re on the same page in a lot of aspects of the game.”