What’s happening to the San Diego Wave? Last season, they dominated the NWSL, only failing at the last hurdle to NJ/NY Gotham FC. Yet, they won the NWSL Shield, an annual award given to the team with the most league points. However, those fairy tale days are over and the club lingers in around 12th position in the NWSL Championship. To revive them from their misery, USMNT legend Landon Donovan took over the reins to revitalize the club.

But the pathway to success won’t come easy. There are multiple reports of the club having a ‘toxic’ atmosphere and how mental health is ‘completely disregarded.’ This called for concerns as Donovan looked to stitch back the camaraderie within the club. In a conversation with Alexi Lalas and David Mosse on the Alexi Lalas’ State of the Union podcast. Donovan shared his thoughts about working with the club.

In a bid to help the club up, Donovan looks to instill some confidence in the players. He stated, “A lot of work to do. I think anytime you come into a new situation, it probably means things haven’t been going well. Probably means there’s issues that need to be resolved. So it’s been in some ways challenging but also very, very rewarding and I’m really enjoying it so far.”

Since team president Jill Ellis sacked Casey Stoney after a seven-game winless streak, someone should have come to steady the sinking ship. And it looks like Donovan is ready to take it up. Players like Alex Morgan and Naomi Girma are the team pillars and look ‘lost’ according to Donovan.

He continued, “There’s a lot of things I’m just evaluating right. So, for the first few weeks, you’re trying to kinda build the plane as you fly it. And you’re trying to figure out where the challenges are. The starting point is really good group of human beings here in the locker room. They care a lot but I think they’ve just lost their way a little bit.” If there is one player who has attracted most of the attention in all this, that is none other than Alex Morgan. And Donovan has already started the groundwork to bring the player back on track.

The timing could not have been worse for Alex Morgan. She is going through a goalless streak in the NWSL. Probably that had a bearing on her snub from the USWNT Olympic squad. Donovan’s arrival amid this crisis might be a blessing for her. And Donovan might be particularly well-suited to handle Alex in this situation. Do you know why?

In a conversation with Athletic just days back, Donovan had said, “I went through the same thing that she went through this summer. I got left off a team, and I have the ability to empathize because I went through that.” Indeed, looking at Alex might be a déjà vu moment for Donovan. He was dropped for the 2014 World Cup by coach Jurgen Klinsmann, who questioned his commitment. Similar to Hayes, the former coach wanted to push the youth. However, Donovan returned and won an MLS Cup with the LA Galaxy to finish his spell with LA.

Referring to that, Donovan had added, “We [he and Alex Morgan] had a long talk — ‘How do you make the last stretch of your career still positive?’ I was able to come back and win a championship that season with my team, and that was the lasting impression of that season, not getting cut,”

Considered the USA’s most famous men’s player of all time, Donovan faced scrutiny in the latter part of his career. Winning 2002 World Cup’s Young Player of the Tournament, he holds the record for most assists in international soccer. In addition, he had an exceptional club career winning six MLS Cups. Interestingly, as Donovan tries to bring the team out of the slump, it seems his work is much beyond strategizing only on the field.

Landon Donovan strives to mend the team with his soothing touch

“My No. 1 core value is compassion. I don’t view this as purely a soccer job. My job is to have a positive impact on their life every day. That doesn’t have to be on the field,” Donovan had said about his approach to coaching. And who can know the value of compassion more than him? He had to take a five-month break from soccer at the prime of his career to battle depression. So a focus on mental health is going to be central to his coaching.

“I’ve been there. I wanted compassion and grace so I’m going to give that to them,” Donovan was quoted as saying by the Los Angeles Times just days back. “If you can take five minutes and empathize with something they’re going through, it’s going to help make them better. I genuinely care about them as people,” he further added. This mindset is reflected in Donovan’s attitude as well.

While most of the coaches argue aggressively to establish their points, Donovan is diagonally opposite. He is so soft-spoken that one often has to stretch their ears to listen to him. For Donovan, the delivery of the words is of paramount importance. And the players have already noted that. “He’s very adamant on checking in on people. He’s done a very good job managing us individually,” defender Kennedy Wesley said of him. But looking at his soft-spoken self don’t make the mistake of thinking him soft-natured.

As Donovan puts it, being compassionate “Doesn’t mean I’m not hard on them. I hold them accountable”. Behind the calm demeanor, also lies an individual that is fiercely confident. That very confidence does not make him bother about the fact that he has never coached a woman team. Need more proof? When Wave president Jill Ellis reached out to Donovan seeking suggestions for the club’s interim coach, Donovan recommended himself!

“In the end, they’re human beings and they’re soccer players. There are subtle differences. I could go through 10 of them. But they’re not like major, crazy differences. The biggest so far for me has been how much faster they have picked up information, processed information, implemented information,” Donovan said about his maiden job in women’s soccer coaching. The team seems to have started recovering.

In their first match under Donovan, the Wave defeated Santa Fe FC 2-0 in its opening match of group play in the CONCACAF Women’s Champions Cup. However, four days later, they lost to Angel City FC 2-1 in their first NWSL match. However, looking at Donovan’s novel coaching strategies, it seems good days are not far away!