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Fleet-footed Donovan leads U.S.

The American captain nets a hat trick against Ecuador in front of a record crowd of 31,547.

By BRANDON WRIGHT
Published March 26, 2007

TAMPA - Landon Donovan, arms extended above his head, took a slow jog toward the U.S. sideline as time wound down.

Clapping as a sign of appreciation toward the crowd, he removed from his left biceps the white captain's armband - something he had never worn under interim coach Bob Bradley.

Chances are it won't be the last time he wears it.

Donovan got the second hat trick of his international career as the United States looked solid against Ecuador, which reached the round of 16 in the 2006 World Cup. The Americans won 3-1 in an international friendly before a record 31,547 at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday.

The three strikes gave Donovan 30 goals in a U.S. uniform and moved him into a second-place tie with Brian McBride on the all-time list, four behind Eric Wynalda.

It was the 10th time an American recorded a hat trick in international play.

Donovan, 25, who had been sharply criticized after a poor showing at the World Cup, has five goals in the three U.S. matches since Germany. He scored in a 2-0 win against Mexico and broke an 18-month drought with a goal in the 3-1 victory against Denmark.

"At the end of last year and the World Cup, as bad as that was for me personally, I feel like I learned a lot from it," Donovan said. "I think I grew up a lot."

Bradley not only praised Donovan's efforts on the pitch, he spoke of a newfound focus in his two-time U.S. male soccer player of the year.

"Throughout this camp, you could tell that he had really stepped things up in terms of his role on the team," Bradley said.

The crowd was the largest to see a U.S. men's national team friendly in Florida.

And those in the crowd barely had enough time to settle into their seats before Donovan took one touch from the top of the penalty box and volleyed a left-footed missile past diving goalkeeper Rorys Aragon just 45 seconds into the match.

Felipe Caicedo equalized it in the 11th minute.

But Donovan responded with a pair of second-half goals less than a minute apart.

Defender Oguchi Onyewu played a long ball out of the back that Brian Ching - who briefly left the match in the first half with a bloody nose after being kicked in the face - settled near midfield.

With a defender on his back, Ching wheeled and found a streaking Donovan, who outraced his defender and slotted a shot past Aragon in the 66th minute for a 2-1 lead.

"I knew the last defender was marking me, and I saw Landon just take off," said Ching, who played with Donovan in San Jose MLS. "And he's going to beat pretty much anybody in a footrace."

Donovan added a thunderous exclamation point on the next U.S. attack.

DaMarcus Beasley drove deep into the left corner before cutting back and sliding a ball to an on-rushing Donovan at the top of the box. He deposited it into the upper-right corner of the goal for the 3-1 final.

The United States heads to Texas today to prepare for Wednesday's friendly with Guatemala.

The team plays China on June 2 in San Jose, Calif., before competing in the CONCACAF Gold Cup and Copa America in the summer.

Brandon Wright can be reached at bwright@sptimes.com or (727) 892-2216.

Ecuador 1 0 - 1

United States 1 2 - 3

First half-1, United States, Donovan, 1st minute, 2, Ecuador, F. Caicedo (Reasco), 11th minute

Second half-3, United States, Donovan (Ching), 66th minute, 4, United States, Donovan (Beasley), 67th minute

Yellow Cards-Espinoza, Ecu, 16th; de la Cruz, Ecu, 18th; Feilhaber, US, 22nd

Referee-Silviu Petrescu, Canada. Linesmen-Hector Vergara, Canada; Amado DeLuca, Canada

A-31,547

Lineups

Ecuador-Rorys Aragon; Ivan Hurtado (Jorge Guagua, 78th), Ulised de la Cruz, Giovanny Espinoza, Neicer Reasco (Oscar Bagui, 90th); Edison Mendez, Sgundo Castillo, Luis Valencia, Luis Caicedo (Luis Saritama, 64th); Felipe Caidedo (Edmundo Zura, 72nd), Carlos Tenorio (Felix Borja, 78th)

United States-Tim Howard; Carlos Bocanegra, Steve Cherundolo (Jonathan Spector, 80th), Jimmy Conrad, Oguchi Onyewu; Clint Dempsey (Brian Mullan, 80th), Benny Feilhaber, DaMarcus Beasley (Justin Mapp, 83rd), Landon Donovan (Brian Carroll, 90th); Eddie Johnson (Michael Bradley, 46th), Brian Ching (Taylor Twellman, 73rd)

. up next

U.S. vs. Guatemala

When/where: 9 p.m. Wednesday; Pizza Hut Park, Frisco, Texas

TV: ESPN2, Galavision

U.S. 3

Ecuador 1

[Last modified March 26, 2007, 01:22:13]