CARSON, Calif. – Five years ago today, the LA Galaxy signed Irish international Robbie Keane from Tottenham Hotspur, and MLS has never been the same since.
Back in 2011, the signing was considered a potentially valuable addition to an LA Galaxy attack that had been struggling to score goals. Keane’s signing was welcomed with fanfare -- and a few raised pints of Guinness at his press conference -- but few could have imagined the impact that Keane would bring to StubHub Center in the years to come.
Since moving to America, Keane has dominated Major League Soccer in a manner never before seen in the league. In his five years in Los Angeles, the 36-year-old has won three MLS Cup titles, a Supporters’ Shield, and the league’s Most Valuable Player award—all the while, terrorizing opposing defenses with his intelligent movement and stunning goals.
Simply put, Keane is the greatest signing in Major League Soccer history and the stats back up the Irishman’s unparalleled dominance.
Over the course of five years, Keane has scored 101 goals across all competitions, including 27 game-winners, none bigger than his legendary strike that sealed the 2014 MLS Cup title. Keane’s dramatic MLS Cup winner was the Irishman’s second tally in an MLS Cup final since making the move to StubHub Center.
And when Keane scores, a Galaxy victory almost inevitably follows with Los Angeles holding an impressive 54-8-9 record once their Irish captain finds the back of the net.
Keane’s impact can also be felt away from the field, with the Irishman playing a role in the recruitment process for both Giovani dos Santos and Steven Gerrard who joined the Galaxy in 2015 as well as helping Gyasi Zardes develop into one of the best American strikers in MLS.
This season, at the age of 36, the veteran striker has shown no signs of slowing down with seven goals and two assists, despite playing only 12 games after missing substantial time to play at Euro 2016 with the Republic of Ireland. As the 2016 campaign winds down, the Galaxy will again look towards Keane as they push toward an unprecedented sixth MLS Cup.
As great as Keane’s time has been for the club, don’t expect the Irishman to stop and rest on his laurels. He’ll continue to work to score more goals for the LA Galaxy and put smiles on the faces of Galaxy fans from his boyhood home of Tallaght to his adopted home of Los Angeles.
Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog atwww.LAGalaxy.com/Insiderand contact him atLAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com.
