CARSON, Calif. – Robbie Keane’s banner season has put him in the thick of the MLS MVP debate but according to LA Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena, there’s no question that the Irishman has been the league’s top player this season.
Keane is having a career year with the LA Galaxy with 17 goals (third in MLS) and 14 assists (tied for second) in 27 games played for the Galaxy this regular season. The goal totals are not only Keane’s highest since he joined the Galaxy, but also his best mark since he scored 18 league goals while splitting time with Tottenham Hotspur and Celtic during the 2010/11 campaign.
With Keane enjoying a banner season, Arena believes that the answer for who is the MVP is a simple one.
“Robbie has over the last three and a half years been consistently among the best players in the league. This year without being disrespectful to any of the players that would be considered, I think that it is Robbie in a landslide to be honest with you,” said Arena. “His numbers show that, his team’s performance shows that and since Robbie has been here, we’ve been consistently a winner and won a Supporters’ Shield and two MLS Cups. It’s no accident that Robbie has been here for all that and the value that he has for our team.”
During the Galaxy’s impressive 11-2-3 run since the World Cup break, Keane has been LA’s most important asset by notching 10 goals and 10 assists in that time.
Not only has Keane’s form helped the Galaxy, but if he grabs another assist, he’ll have an opportunity to write his name in the league record books and become just the third MLS player to score 15 goals and 15 assists in a single season.
“Anyone with a brain in a game, it’s hard to say that Robbie wouldn’t be your first choice,” said Arena. “He’s having a remarkable season and a remarkable career in this league.”
Keane is not the only Galaxy player who has been linked with the MVP, however, as Landon Donovan’s mercurial showing since announcing his intention to retire at the end of the year has shot his name into the thick of the conversation.
In 27 appearances in 2014, Donovan has a league-leading 18 assists— 14 in his last 12 games—while also racking up 10 goals for the Galaxy. The 32-year-old has also solidified his place as the league’s greatest ever player by setting a new MLS all-time regular season goals record and pulling level with Steve Ralston’s all-time assist mark.
Does that mean that Donovan stacks up to Keane in the MVP race?
Arena says no.
“Over the last six to eight weeks, he’s been very good, but when you look at the entire season, Robbie has been pretty consistent,” the Galaxy head coach said. “You can’t argue with Landon’s quality in recent times but Robbie’s been consistently good and that’s an important part of being [MVP].
“Statistics don’t tell a whole lot, but one thing that does is: who wins games, who scores goals, and who stops goals,” he continued. “Those are statistics that you can’t argue.”
Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog at LAGalaxy.com/Insider and contact him at LAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com.