EAST HARTFORD, Conn. -- Just over 35 minutes had elapsed in Friday's friendly between the U.S. and Ecuador, when the chant from the American Outlaws could be heard echoing around Rentschler Field.
"Thank you, Landon! Thank you, Landon!"
It summed up the moment, as well as Donovan's 14-year international career, perfectly. This was a night to give thanks -- and recall all the signature moments Donovan has delivered.
Five minutes later, the U.S. team's all-time leader in goals and assists saw the signal from the sideline that he was to be substituted, and just like that, his career in a U.S. shirt was over.
There was a game to be played, of course, and the U.S. was forced to settle for a 1-1 tie in front of 36,265 fans. Mix Diskerud's first-half tally put the U.S. in front, only for Enner Valencia to equalize in the 88th minute.
Here are three quick thoughts from a celebratory night.
1. No fairy-tale ending, but still a night to remember for Donovan
Donovan was lively throughout his stint, and was involved in the buildup to Diskerud's tally in the fifth minute. His cross to the far post was eventually corralled by Jozy Altidore. He played the ball back to DeAndre Yedlin, who then teed up Diskerud for a first-time finish.
For the rest of the half, it was almost as if Donovan's U.S. teammates seemed more intent on setting him up than taking chances themselves. All told, Donovan had three clear opportunities. A deflected clearance was nodded toward goal by Donovan in the ninth minute, forcing a sharp save from Ecuador keeper Maximo Banguera. Donovan's best chance occurred in the 25th minute when a clever feed from Altidore put the U.S. captain into space, only for his shot to ring off the post. A 38th-minute combination with Altidore found Donovan with the ball at the top of the box, but the ball got caught under the U.S. captain's feet, and he could only scuff his shot wide.
The misses did allow for a bit of symmetry. Donovan's first international goal came on Oct. 25, 2000, in a 2-0 win against Mexico. His last was also against El Tri on Sept. 13, 2013, which cemented another 2-0 victory.
When it came time for Donovan to come off, he took the time to hug all of his teammates, and then all eyes were on his interaction with U.S. manager Jurgen Klinsmann. The clear tension between the two had been bordering on unbearable in the run-up to the match, with Klinsmann creating an unnecessary stir during the week with his ill-timed comments about how Donovan could have achieved more in his career. Fortunately, they made nice for the cameras. While the interaction seemed somewhat awkward, the two shook hands and then embraced. Clearly they'll never be BFFs, but at least the sentiments on display fit the occasion.
2. Diskerud, Yedlin shine
Fresh off his impressive performance against the Czech Republic, the question was whether Diskerud and Alejandro Bedoya could repeat their performances. The night proved to be more profitable for Diskerud than it did for Bedoya. The Rosenborg midfielder was perfectly positioned to slam home Yedlin's feed. He spent the rest of the half managing the tempo fairly well, although given the formation change to a 4-4-2, there were moments when defensively he and Bedoya struggled to match up with Ecuador's midfield. When the U.S. reverted to a 4-3-3 after Donovan's departure, the U.S. looked more secure.
The other big winner was Yedlin. Lining up on the right side of midfield, his forays down the right wing proved menacing, although there were moments when taking an extra touch to settle the ball might have served him better than playing first time.
As for goalkeeper Brad Guzan, he was solid in goal for most of the night and delivered a trio of sharp saves during one first-half sequence, although the last of those efforts already looked to be going wide. He was caught stepping to his right on Valencia's tally, however, which eventually curved to Guzan's left and into the net.
3. Mixed night for the youngsters
The most sobering news of the evening was the first-half knee injury to Joe Gyau. The U.S. midfielder appeared to first sustain the injury while making a run down the left wing. When he tried to recover and run it off, he went to the ground again clutching his left knee. U.S. Soccer described the injury as a left knee sprain, although the sight of Gyau exiting the field on crutches with the knee wrapped in ice hinted at something more serious.
Of the remaining youngsters, Greg Garza fared best putting in an impressive shift at left-back, and even showing some decent speed going forward. The night wasn't as productive for Bobby Wood, who worked hard to get into some good positions in front of goal, but his finishing touch eluded him. When presented with a chance to slot home a game winner in stoppage time, Wood opted to pass, one that was scrambled away by the Ecuador defense.