CARSON, Calif. – As Landon Donovan walked out onto the field before the start of the LA Galaxy’s Western Conference Semifinal second leg with Real Salt Lake, he issued a small request to center back Omar Gonzalez.
“I don’t want this to be my last game,” Gonzalez recalled before providing a brief response.
“I told him that it’s not going to be.”
After the words were exchanged, the Galaxy came out with the confidence of a team hell-bent on an MLS Cup title, burying Salt Lake 5-0 to advance to the Western Conference Finals.
And it was none other than Donovan who carried the load, as he tallied his first career playoff hat-trick and the third in league history to give LA the convincing win and his extend his career for at least another series.
For the 32-year-old, who had not scored in nearly a month, it was vital that he rise to the occasion.
“Last night, and today I was thinking a lot of this through. And the reality was that we could have been standing here, and this could have been the last game ever,” Donovan said. “There are a lot of things that were out of my control tonight, and one of the things that was in my control was how I played. So I wanted to make sure that when I went home tonight and looked in the mirror that I knew I gave everything regardless of the result.”
The Galaxy attack which was mired in a three goal in four-game slump certainly needed Donovan’s assistance and he provided it almost immediately. Blazing down the left side, Donovan’s speed proved to be too much to handle for the Salt Lake defense, who he exploited after just 10 minutes to give LA the lead.
And he didn’t let up there.
Donovan played a role in all but one of the Galaxy’s remaining four goals, assisting on one and scoring two more times in the victory. Although all of three of his finishes were impressive, Donovan saved the best for last as he completed his perfect hat-trick with a brilliant one-touch finish off a Robbie Keane assist to cap off a record setting night.
Not only did Donovan add three more goals to his MLS postseason high mark of 25, but he also gave the Galaxy their first-ever playoff hat-trick in club history. Donovan wasn’t finished there however, as his assist on Keane’s lone tally put him within one of Mauricio Cienfuegos’ all-time MLS Cup playoffs record of 14 assists.
“Unbelievable performance,” said Keane who notched three assists for himself in the victory. “Unbelievable. Perfectly capped off a great hat-trick.”
Added defender Robbie Rogers, “He was amazing. I’m really happy for him and it’s pretty spectacular that a player of that quality can have a game like that and he’s going to be done in a month. I’d like to have a game like that. He’s a special player and you can’t replace him.”
Despite the chants of “One More Year” directed at Donovan from the StubHub Center faithful, Galaxy boss Bruce Arena says that there won’t be any change of heart from his star midfielder.
“I think it’s the right time for him to retire. He’s ready to go,” said Arena. “He’s given it everything he has. He wants to finish this year on a high note and then get on with other things in his life.”
Even as he approaches his career’s final act, Donovan has maintained the youthful exuberance of the blonde haired youngster who burst onto the American soccer scene more than a decade ago.
“I had fun, and I wanted to have fun tonight,” said Donovan. “If this was going to be the last game, I told my girlfriend today that I wanted to have fun and I want to enjoy it. If we lose, we lose, but I want to make sure I enjoy it. More often than not, when I enjoy the game, I play well.”
Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog at LAGalaxy.com/insider and contact him at LAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com
