CARSON, Calif. – Simply put, Alan Gordon is an old-fashion athlete.
He’s not always the most stylish player, but when someone needs to do the heavy lifting, Gordon is right there to put in the hard work.
Through 200 career MLS appearances, Gordon’s throwback style has served him well, and the 33-year-old put forward another industrious performance on Sunday at StubHub Center, scoring the game-winning goal in the Galaxy’s 1-0 defeat of their archrival Seattle Sounders FC.
Filling in for the injured Robbie Keane (groin), Gordon’s grit and energy helped the Galaxy overcome a cagey Seattle side that sought to brutalize the striker throughout the 90 minutes.
“We talked all week about bringing the energy, bringing the fight. We didn’t do that first. That was my focus and my goal. It wasn’t pretty all the time, but we made a difference and we won our battles,” Gordon said. “I was getting in the mix. Anything I could do to scrap and make it a little dirty and get us the win.
“I was excited [to start]. I knew this was a big game for us, and that’s why Bruce brought me here. When guys are out and I’m called upon, it’s my job to come in a do a good job.”
W Gordon leapt up for a header, the Sounders were there to bash him around as they looked to limit his ability to hold up play for the Galaxy’s other attackers.
Gordon’s physicality paid off in the 23rd minute when a Juninho free kick was expertly headed forward by Omar Gonzalez, allowing the veteran striker to easily nod the ball into the Sounders net. The goal ended the Galaxy’s scoreless run at 290 minutes which was the team’s longest goal drought since the 2012 season.
After the victory Galaxy boss Bruce Arena offered his burly target forward striker the perfect compliment.
“Alan Gordon was a real man today,” Arena said. “Obviously the winning goal and he played strong the entire 90 minutes. I think he played quite well. You got to win these kinds of games. It won’t go down as a classic by any means, but you have to grind it out and we got a critical three points.”
Even the forward’s response to Arena’s compliment was peak “Gordo.”
“I like to be called a man,” he said with a smirk.
While Gordon offered a little levity after Arena’s statement, the forward could not hold back his emotion when reflecting upon his MLS journey that has seen him evolve from squad player to champion.
“For most guys maybe 200 [appearances] isn’t a big deal,” Gordon said. “But for me a guy not even expecting to play a game in this league, it’s pretty special for me to make it this far.”
Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog at www.LAGalaxy.com/insider and contact him at LAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com.
