Landon Donovan hails ‘perfect’ finale to record-breaking U.S. career

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Story highlights

Landon Donovan finishes playing career with record sixth MLS Cup win

Donovan's LA Galaxy beat New England Revolution after final goes to extra time

32-year-old Donovan hails career end as 'perfect'

Robbie Rogers also wins title, 17 months after coming out of retirement

CNN  — 

It was little surprise that Landon Donovan described the end of his career as “perfect.”

Even the Hollywood scriptwriters down the road would have struggled to come up with a more fitting finale for the man many acclaim as the greatest footballer in American history.

On Sunday, the player with a record goal tally in the MLS – and for the United States national team as well – left the pitch for a final time, with yet another trophy and a very last record as well.

As Los Angeles Galaxy beat the luckless New England Revolution 2-1 in Sunday’s MLS Cup final, the 32-year-old won the tournament for a record sixth time.

As sporting farewells go, it was near perfect.

Read: Landon Donovan to retire

Even more so given earlier this year Donovan had been controversially left out of the U.S. World Cup squad by coach Jurgen Klinsmann.

In August, the pressure increased a notch after Donovan revealed that the current season would be his last, declaring his desire to “pursue other opportunities that will challenge me and allow me to grow as a person.”

At the time, there was no way of knowing that Galaxy were once again on the way to the title, their third in four years.

Nor that the season-ending finale would come at the StubHub Centre, the stadium he has called home for the last decade (with Galaxy’s home advantage coming courtesy of winning more points during the regular season).

Neither could he known that after Galaxy’s Gyasi Zardes and the Revolution’s Chris Tierney traded goals, there would be the drama of an extra-time winner as Robbie Keane slotted home in the final period of Donovan’s career.

His sixth cup took him clear of Jeff Agoos and current Colorado Rapids midfielder Brian Mullan, both of whom boast five championships.

“It’s a dream to finish like this,” Galaxy’s brightest star said in his post-match press conference.

“For me, it’s perfect. All my family, more than 80 of my friends and family, were in the stadium and it’s a perfect day because they know what we have gone through in the last 16 years – and all are very happy.”

With fans waving banners saying ‘Thank you’ and ‘In Landon We Trust’ in the stands, Donovan – who had a relatively quiet game – only dared to believe in the perfect finish with just nine minutes left, after Keane punished slack defending.

“When we scored the second goal, I began to think that we were going to win another championship,” said the Californian, who ventured that Revolution, who have now lost all five MLS Cup finals, were better for much of the game.

Filling the void

A man who spent time on loan at Bayern Munich (2009) and Everton (2010 & 2012) in his career also admitted that he will struggle to replace the drama of his old career as he looks to pastures new.

“There is no experience like what just happened,” he said. “If you work a desk job or a nine-to-five job there is no real experience where you get to feel that.

“I can’t imagine anything coming close to that in my life going forward so I am going to miss that greatly. That is hard.

“I think that is why a lot of athletes struggle after they retire, you can’t get that back. I have to be aware of that and find other things that I am passionate about.”

Donovan’s MLS debut came in 2001, for San Jose Earthquakes, and he promptly won the championship in his first season – before winning a second in 2003.

The triumphs were achieved while on loan from Bayer Leverkusen, the German side he left in 2005 to join Galaxy.

The highest World Cup goalscorer in United States history would promptly win a title that season as well, adding further silverware in 2011, 2012 and then this year as well.

As he admitted this week, he started out in an MLS league that was vastly different to today’s offering – which has been graced by Thierry Henry, David Beckham and Keane in recent years, while players such as Frank Lampard and World Cup winner Kaka are arriving next year.

Where once matches were played in stadiums owned by gridiron teams and which were seldom filled, now large crowds in new purpose-built football arenas are the norm.

“I’m excited, I’m pretty exhausted to be honest,” said Donovan while he celebrated on the pitch one last time. “I’m so proud, so happy for our guys. As you get older, you realise how difficult this is, so to have this moment is really special for us.

“Tomorrow, I can think of other things – at the moment, I am happy and in the moment of winning this cup,” he added later.

Robbie Rogers’ joy

Sunday’s match also completed a remarkable journey for Galaxy’s Robbie Rogers.

In February 2013, the defender came out as gay and duly quit football at the same time.

Three months later, he became the first openly gay man to play in an American sports league after joining Galaxy.

Now he has a second MLS trophy in the bag, having failed to fully celebrate his first title with the Columbus Crew.

“I couldn’t even enjoy it – I remember just being alright it,” he told the official MLS website.

“I’m such a different person (now),” the 27-year-old told reporters. “I can’t explain it. It’s been a difficult but amazing journey.”

In no small part thanks to Donovan himself.

“For me personally, Landon was one of the guys that helped me get back into the game,” Rogers said. “He’s been a supporter of mine throughout my career and I’ve always looked up to him.

“To let him go on this vacation, start the adventure of his new life and figure out what he wants to do, I’m just so happy he can leave the Galaxy with his head held extremely high.

‘Greatest player in U.S. soccer history’

“He’s the best player for U.S. soccer ever and in this league, and has done so much. To get him the extra silverware, I’m just very proud of the team and I’m happy I was able to share it with him.”

With 144 goals and a record 136 assists in the MLS, as well as an unsurpassed 57 strikes for the national team, Donovan leaves with a widespread reputation as the finest American player in history.

One that was endorsed by Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena, the man who led the United States to the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup, when Donovan won the ‘Best Young Player’ award.

He would also play at the World Cup in 2006 and 2010, when he scored a dramatic goal that enabled the U.S. to top their group, and won four CONCACAF Gold Cups (2002, 2005, 2007, 2013).

“Don’t we all wish to be able to leave what we do like the way Landon did today as a winner? Can you write that any better, that script?” Arena asked.

“I’m happy for him. He’s spent, he’s done, and my hat is off to him. It’s been remarkable.”

Yet Arena’s comments before the match better capture the underlying reasons for the enduring popularity of the departing Donovan.

“I would think his legacy is that he left the game as the greatest player in the history of US Soccer, and he’s a damn good person. That’s a pretty good legacy.”