To be fair, UEFA is a far higher standard of football than CONCACAF. Donovan has numbers, but those are inflated by the competitive level of CONCACAF. Doesn't mean he isn't a great player; LD has been absolute quality and has had a positive impact on Everton. The World Cup performances speak for themselves. But using his goals/assists stats in comparison to some of those players mentioned is a bit like saying Arthur Rowley was a better player than Dixie Dean because he scored more goals. Context matters.
Donovan may well be better than most players in this league. But using his international stats to justify that claim doesn't pass muster. Your statistics for his time in the Premier League make your point. What he does against Fulham or Villa matters exponentially more to this discussion than what he does against El Salvador and Belize.
This is an argument that is tossed out a lot, but there are other factors to consider in terms of context:
1. You are right, I don't disagree that the numbers are inflated due to the lack of defending skills of some of the nations in CONCACAF. Can't disagree.
But to be fair there is also:
2. Those teams tend to bunker and play the US for a draw. Literally. Pack 11 men behind the ball and hope for a win and then...
3. ...play for the win at home, with a pitch that has divots the size of my head, some pitches that have no grass for large swatches, and referreeing that's well...dodgy to use a kind word. You have bad referring in Europe, but in CONCACAF we have games where there is serious consideration to the ref being either a) plain old inept or b) paid off.
4. Trying to score in environments that are hell. Pure hell. And I say this having seen some hellholes in Turkey. Try standing for a corner kick with a literal shower (and I mean shower, not two items) of plastic items, batteries, piss, beer and god knows what being thrown at your head. Welcome to Azteca and Saprissa - hell holes of the highest order on the road. Let me put it to you this way: Mexico has lost on the road to Jamaica. With the A team.
5. The other players. Landon Donovan is generating assists for Conor Casey, not RVP.
So I see your point, but there are other factors to consider before completely labeling the stats "inflated." If you don't focus on the numbers, which is fair, you can focus on the numbers being "a lot" and more than DOUBLE the nearest person on the national team side (Eric Wynalda). If you add club and country, the goals and assists tally are nearly TRIPLE the next contestant (which is indeed rapidly becoming Clint Dempsey). If you want to compare to Europeans, I would also focus on the magnitude, rather than the number. He'll have greater than 100 goals and assists by the time he's done. Even if you take 25% of that number away for an "adjustment" it's still impressive.
So I think using his international stats is quite relevant to this discussion knowing what I've written above.
Sorry, I didn't want to get into a debate on this, but I did want to point out that qualifying through CONCACAF, though easier than qualifying through Europe, no disagreement there, is no cakewalk due to a completely different set of challenges.
Oh, and I don't think he's a "world beater" either, whatever that means nowadays. He can get into any premier league side except the top 4/5 - agree with that thought based on his talent. Neither of the Manchester teams, not Spurs. Maybe Chelsea and maybe Arsenal if Arsene would consider hiring someone over the age of 21. Doubt it.
Everyone else, he's got a decent shot, pending I'm sure some exceptions in a few places.
