I know it’s not as sexy to dote on the LA Galaxy these days. David Beckham isn’t just gone (as in 2013), now he’s increasingly associated with Miami and that city’s MLS expansion effort, less and less associated with those two titles he won at the then-named Home Depot Center.
Meanwhile, the Seattle Sounders (hello, Clint Dempsey and annual attendance records) gets the biggest share of West Coast league coverage. What doesn’t get gobbled up by Seattle goes to Caleb Porter and his ongoing efforts at Jeld-Wen Field in Portland.
Meanwhile, Landon Donovan has been around so long, we tend to take the guy for granted. Never mind that he’s got a shot at becoming the league’s all-time assist leader at some point, set to partner that crown with his all-time league scoring leadership.
Well, here’s the thing: you will u0ndervalue the Galaxy at your own peril.
They solved their goalkeeping issues that were dragging down the effort last spring and early summer. Omar Gonzalez, DP contract in hand, appears set to regain total command of the back line after a slightly off 2013.
The center of the park remains rock solid. And there’s no reason to think the air is leaking in Bruce Arena’s competition tires.
And now this: Robbie Keane is back, pretty much right on schedule.
The Irish international had been mostly limited to jogging in the early weeks of preseason, recovering from a pair of heal surgeries. He was back to full training last week, and Wednesday got into his first preseason match.
Keane, always so wise and skillful during his MLS stay, even converted a penalty kick as the Galaxy downed UCLA, 2-0, in a closed door scrimmage at the StubHub Center.