CARSON, Calif. — For someone who can make playing soccer look so easy, Landon Donovan has never been shy about conveying how hard the sport can be for him. He has made no secret that the responsibility and the trappings that came with being the standard-bearer of American soccer for more than a decade had long ago become a burden, and that in recent years he had begun to view his talent not so much as a gift, but as an obligation.

“No question,” said Donovan, who announced in August that he intended to retire from the sport.

Donovan, 32, has sought counseling, struggled with depression, watched his celebrity marriage disintegrate, reconnected with his father and even taken a four-month break from soccer in 2012-13 — laying out his vulnerabilities for all to see. If other widely recognized athletes build fences around themselves and their thoughts, Donovan, more often than not, has laid out a welcome mat to his mind.

That self-awareness, and his willingness to express it, have made him appear more human, which is not always a desired quality in star athletes.

“The way we see athletes — coaches see us this way, fans see us this way, the media sees us this way, owners see us this way — they want us to live, breathe, eat and die the sport,” Donovan said. “Every game they want you to go out and do everything you can to make the fans feel good, make the coach feel successful, make the owners successful.”