TUKWILA, Wash. - Former Major League Soccer and United States national team great Landon Donovan made national headlines on Thursday when the LA Galaxy announced he’s returning to the game nearly two years after his widely celebrated retirement.
Donovan is MLS and U.S.' all-time leading goalscorer and one of the most decorated American players ever. He won six MLS Cups in his 14-year stint in the league, including five with LA where he spent the last 10 years of his career.
Donovan's return will undoubtedly be the storyline for the final six weeks of the season and heading into the postseason, with LA currently in second place in the Western Conference. The Sounders will play at the Galaxy on Sept. 25.
"This is arguably the best player ever to don a U.S. jersey," said Sounders forward Herculez Gomez, who played with Donovan on the Galaxy and the USMNT. "He was a welcoming figure, that's always been his M.O. He's just a nice guy. He's somebody you don't mind having in the locker room, and that's a rarity when somebody is that big and has that much going for them and is still welcoming and humble."
With his return though, the Sounders' match at StubHub Center later this month just became that much more difficult.
"He's a huge name in soccer for our country," Gomez said. "It's exciting when something like this happens, but it's still a Western Conference foe, so I'm not looking forward to him being on top of his game. He's a great player, and I'm sure that if he's coming back its because he feels like he still has something to offer."
Donovan scored twice and had eight assists against the Sounders during his career. Despite stating in a Facebook post on Thursday that he expects his contributions to be limited and to allow head coach Bruce Arena to utilize him as he sees fit, Donovan still brings a presence and bravado for which opponents will need to plan.
"[His return] is obviously a big story," Sounders interim head coach Brian Schmetzer said. "Landon is certainly a tremendous player and we'll prepare for him when the time comes."
