Donovan’s decision to return to the Galaxy, in part a response to Gyasi Zardes’ season-ending foot injury and Nigel de Jong’s departure for Turkey, has been in the works for about a week. During their time together, the pair scored a combined 83 regular season goals, helping the Galaxy win three MLS Cup titles in the process.
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Galaxy coach and general manager Bruce Arena reached out to Donovan “about a week ago” to gauge interest. Even though Landon Donovan is one of the greatest American soccer players ever, he is 34 and hasn’t played competitive soccer in two years. It wasn’t that I couldn’t play anymore, it was that I couldn’t effectively get through an entire season physically, emotionally, mentally.
“Anytime people step away from something they love and still have that burning desire to get back into it again is a good thing”, Arena said.
His head coach and teammates-who only found out about Donovan’s return a few days ago-are preaching patience as Donovan rapidly tries to return to form after the extended layover from the sport.
“It will obviously take some training and take some reps with the team, but he sees the game so quickly that it will bail him out when his body can’t move like it used to”. Arena instigated the conversation, saying “there were some rumors going around [that Donovan wanted to come back], and I contacted him regarding those rumors”.
“I love this club”, Donovan said Friday after a training session. “Anything he can give us in a positive manner is a plus”. “As long as he doesn’t come back fat and in a Washington Wizards jersey”, said Conrad, alluding to basketball great Michael Jordan’s ill-advised second comeback that ended at age 40 in 2003, “he’ll be fine”. “He’s here to help the team, and as long as he can do that, he’s going to be a big asset to this group”. Donovan even said so in his statement. “He had a good week, from what I’m told by our training staff, and we’ll see how he feels tomorrow and just keep progressing him each day and, hopefully, get him to a point where he can help our team”.
“No one [had] seen it coming, if I’m being totally honest with you”, Keane said. “I love this team and I love this organization”.
“I think I’m ready”, Donovan said.
Maybe, instead of Retirement I, this should be labeled Sabbatical II. MLS has enjoyed some great publicity in the past 24 hours, and I highly doubt that mainstream news and sports sites would be talking about MLS if not for Landon Donovan.
“Obviously, there are a lot of challenges ahead here, and there’s no guarantees, but I think he’s much more balanced now than he has been in recent years to play and contribute and have a good feel for where he’s at in his life”, said Arena, who brought Donovan, then 18, into the US national team in 2000. The Galaxy have lost US national team star Gyasi Zardes for the rest of the regular season, while Steven Gerrard and Jelle Van Damme are sidelined for shorter spells.
“I played with him in Steve Nash’s charity game in June and he was as smooth as sharp as ever”, former US and Galaxy midfielder Kyle Martino, now an analyst for NBC Sports, said Thursday when reached by ESPN.
Thursday, he made it official that he was returning, rejoining the Galaxy for the remainder of the 2016 season.
Donovan will re-team with captain Robbie Keane and numerous players still left from his last team.
If Landon isn’t able to contribute, I don’t think it changes our world.
Giovani Dos Santos called it “a dream come true” to play alongside “the best player in the history of the United States, the best player in the history of this club”.
“Honestly, I think if anybody can do it, Landon can”.
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“I think it (2014) was the ideal time for him to leave”, Arena said.
