CARSON, Calif. – Alan Gordon is back for another year, and the LA Galaxy couldn’t be happier.
The club announced on Monday that it has re-signed the 34-year-old free agent forward to a new contract that will keep him at StubHub Center for the 2016 season. Gordon returns to the Galaxy after garnering plenty of interest on the free agent market after scoring 10 goals in 36 appearances across all competitions a year ago.
“We’re very pleased. Alan has had a great history with the Galaxy and plays an important role for us on the field and off. We think to have him back with us again at the Galaxy is only going to be a benefit to our team,” Galaxy Head Coach and General Manager Bruce Arena told LAGalaxy.com. “Alan took advantage of the free agency opportunities to gauge his value around the league and decided that he wanted to remain with the Galaxy, so we’re really happy to have him back with him.”
Since arriving at the Galaxy from the San Jose Earthquakes, Gordon has proved to be one of the most valuable offensive weapons off the bench in Major League Soccer. Gordon’s 10-goal campaign in 2015 helped the veteran forward return to the U.S. National Team fold for the first time in years, as twice U.S. boss Jurgen Klinsmann called up the 34-year-old twice over the course of the year.
In 2016, Gordon’s role will not change tactically, but much more will be expected of him in the locker room.
“Hopefully, he’ll continue to be productive, and he’ll be generally used in a reserve capacity, but we know when called upon, Alan can be a full-time player as well,” said Arena. “I think last year our team wasn’t competitive enough. That’s something that Alan thrives on. Having a player like him around every day on the field is important.”
The re-signing of Gordon is only one piece in the puzzle for Arena, however, as the Galaxy boss is eager to restore that sense of competition and fight for a team that lacked that quality at times last season.
“Good experienced veterans are important to have on your team. I think the re-signing of Gordon and the signing of Jeff Larentowicz is going to make our team more consistent in 2016,” said Arena. “Last year, we had too many games where our team was inconsistent and not as competitive as I’d like to see.”
Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog at LAGalaxy.com/Insider and contact him at LAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com
