Landon Donovan’s return is bad for MLS
It was revealed Thursday that former LA Galaxy striker Landon Donovan is considering coming out of retirement. Here’s why that’s a bad idea.
The news broke Thursday morning when Blake Thomsen of The Cauldron first reported that Donovan’s 21-month retirement from MLS was coming to an end. The news was later confirmed by ESPN FC, the Los Angeles Times and Sports Illustrated. According to all reports, Donovan is expected to join the Galaxy immediately, and could be activated for the team’s next match on Sunday against Orlando City SC.
Donovan would hardly be the first athlete to resume his career after announcing a retirement — NFL quarterback Brett Farve returned twice before finally calling it quits in 2011; Mario Lemieux returned to the NHL for three seasons after his retirement, and of course Michael Jordan retired from the NBA twice before playing his final game for the Washington Wizards at age 40.
There are a multitude of reasons why this move is a negative one for MLS, and for Donovan himself. Here are just a few.
Fitness
The simplest and most obvious question fans and analysts will ask over the next few days is about Donovan’s fitness. After capturing the 2014 MLS Cup, he walked away from the game and hasn’t played in a competitive match since. His focus shifted solely towards his managerial and ownership aspirations.
Donovan walked away from the game six months after being cut from the U.S. Men’s National Team, at the time citing burnout as the primary reason. At age 34, few would question the sentiment that the two-time MVP’s best days are behind him.
For evidence that it takes a long time for a player to get back up to speed after time away from the game, you need look no further than the Galaxy’s most fiercest rival, the San Jose Earthquakes. Forward Henok Goitom, of Serie A and La Liga fame, was recently acquired by the team.
The 31-year-old needed nearly a full month before he was ruled fit for match play. And that was after he’d spent only a few months away from the game. Donovan is three years older than Goitom and he hasn’t played for two years.
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