CARSON, Calif. — For Landon Donovan, playing 100 games for the United States is part of an ongoing process.

"I don't set goals like that," he said. "I'm proud of it but I enjoy winning as much as possible. My main goal is to try to win MLS Cup every year and try to get us to the World Cup."

The 26-year-old Donovan enters Sunday's World Cup qualifier against Barbados as the youngest American player to appear 100 times for the United States. He achieved that milestone by starting the June 8 exhibition against Argentina.

"I'm proud of it," said Donovan, who played in the past two World Cups and won two MLS Cups. "It's a good accomplishment but, hopefully, I'm not done."

Scoring and versatility have marked Donovan's career with the national team. Since making his international debut in 2000, Donovan has become the national team's all-time leader in goals (35) and assists (30).

The native of Redlands amassed those totals while playing as a winger, a central midfielder and a forward.

"Around the world, great players often have the ability to take on slightly different roles," U.S. coach Bob Bradley said Wednesday. "You watch Manchester United and you see Cristiano Ronaldo on the left, on the right and up front."

Yet Bradley said he is most impressed with Donovan's development as a leader.

"Sometimes, we forget that he's still young," Bradley said. "But he's made a lot of progress. It's in little things: getting a good tone every day, having a greater sense of what's going around him with each player."

For Donovan, that improvement reflects a renewed commitment to his craft.

"In the past, I would start Friday night preparing mentally for a (weekend) game," Donovan said. "Now, it's Sunday night or Monday morning. I get my mind focused on eating properly, hydrating properly, training properly."

Donovan's new approach has paid immediate dividends. He scored eight goals in his first five games with the Los Angeles Galaxy this season, and leads Major League Soccer with nine goals and six assists.

"The idea of being a professional is doing it that way all time," he said. "I've noticed, and now I've found out, that if I do that, I can be very successful."

Despite a nagging groin injury that kept him out of two games with the national team and one with the Galaxy, Donovan said he is ready for Barbados.

"With where I'm at right now, the two main things are real hard acceleration and shooting with the instep," he said. "I'm not 100 percent but I feel good enough to play."