U.S. soccer star Landon Donovan has tested positive for the H1N1 flu virus, Donovan told SI.com on Thursday night.
"I felt something when I got into Miami on Sunday," Donovan said. "I just felt real bad and finally went to see the doctor. They took a swab from my nose and confirmed it, so that was that."
Donovan learned of the H1N1 diagnosis on Thursday afternoon, the day after he played 90 minutes in the U.S.'s 2-1 World Cup qualifying loss to Mexico in Mexico City. Even though Mexico has been the epicenter of the global H1N1 outbreak, Donovan said that he contracted the virus in the United States.
Donovan assisted on Charlie Davies's ninth-minute goal that gave the U.S. a 1-0 lead, but Donovan had little impact on the game after that. Usually the U.S.'s fittest and fastest player, Donovan appeared tired midway through the first half and trailed behind Mexico's Efraín Juarez on the run that resulted in Mexico's decisive 82nd-minute goal.
"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."
Donovan said he wasn't sure if he would miss the Los Angeles Galaxy's game on Saturday against the Seattle Sounders. "If I feel well there's no reason why I can't play, but we'll just have to see how I feel," he said. "Judging by how I felt during other flus and colds [in the past], this doesn't seem as bad, so maybe I got a mild strain of it. The [doctors] don't know a ton, so I'm just trying to keep myself away from people and just go by how I feel each day."
For the past two months Donovan has been in a torrid run of form. He has scored in his last three MLS league games and was the league's Player of the Month in July.
