Landon Donovan Has Swine Flu

Hopefully he’s able to recover quickly and maintain his form. He’s been playing incredible soccer the past month or so, as seen in this volley.

In some ways though, it’s not a surprise, what with all the traveling soccer players have to do, especially those who play for their national teams, like Donovan. However, it looks like Donovan contracted the H1N1 flu virus from Galaxy staff members:

Los Angeles Galaxy forward Landon Donovan says he has tested positive for swine flu.

Galaxy coach and general manager Bruce Arena told the Los Angeles Times in a story posted on its Web site Thursday that Donovan is believed to have contracted the virus from two Galaxy staff members who came down with it during last weekend’s game against the New England Revolution in Foxborough, Mass.

Donovan told the Times he had been feeling ill since joining the U.S. men’s national soccer team in Florida on Sunday.

Arena told the Times that Donovan is not infectious. He says Donovan has a mild strain of the flu and is at the tail end of it.

From the USA Today.

A quote from Donovan in SI:

“I haven’t felt that way in a game in a long time,” Donovan said from Los Angeles. “During the game and even after the game I thought maybe it was the altitude, the heat, whatever. But even so I’ve never felt that bad. The last time I was there [at Estadio Azteca] I didn’t feel that bad. I just felt lethargic, slow. I didn’t feel normal.”

From SI.

And the LA Times has a more detailed story and some quotes from Donovan:

“During the game, I just can’t remember the last time I felt that way,” he said. “It felt strange to be out there. I kind of wrote it off and said it’s just the altitude and the smog. I got home last night and when I woke up this morning I was just on fire so I took a temperature and had a 100.7 fever and figured something was going on. So I went to the doctor and sure enough.

“Now it’s turned a little worse. Now it’s a full-blown flu. All afternoon I’ve just had really bad chills and a bad fever and a lot” of congestion.

Read more…

There’s even some talk that Donovan will try to play on Saturday when the Galaxy play the Sounders.