CARSON, California (AP) — Landon Donovan is surprised and disappointed by US coach Jurgen Klinsmann’s decision to drop him from the World Cup squad.

Donovan also disagrees with Klinsmann’s assertion that other American players were a step ahead of the 32-year-old attacker. In fact, Donovan thought a strong performance in US training camp had earned him a chance to play a significant role for the Americans in Brazil, perhaps even as a starter.

Klinsmann’s decision was still sinking in when a saddened Donovan returned to work with the LA Galaxy yesterday instead of preparing for his fourth World Cup.

While Donovan says he would gladly return to the team if an injury created a spot on the 23-man roster, he’s urging fans to support the current squad.

Meanwhile, Klinsmann has apologised after his teenage son posted a Tweet which mocked veteran forward Landon Donovan’s dropping from the Stars and Stripes’ World Cup squad.

“I am very disappointed, I called him immediately,” Klinsmann told a press conference Friday in Stanford.

“After a few minutes he realised what he had done. He had just come home from school and was joking with his classmates.

“Things then went mad on Twitter and he didn’t think about the fact he has followers.”

Klinsmann’s 17-year-old son Jonathan, who plays in goal for the USA Under-18 side, took to social media Twitter after hearing Donovan had been dropped.

“HAHAHAHAHAHAH DONAVAN (sic) HAHAHAHAA I DIDN’T EVEN NOTICE UNTIL MY PHONE NOTIFIED ME”, he tweeted, before his account was later deleted.

But his father says the teenager is a fan, who has a playing shirt from the LA Galaxy star in his room, and owes Donovan an apology.

“He owes him a big apology. That was highly disrespectful and I think he has learnt the biggest social media lesson that he can imagine,” said Klinsmann.