DUBLIN – There may not have been a horde of screaming groupies to welcome the LA Galaxy yesterday, but their reputation in Europe is undoubtedly on the rise.
Led by captain Robbie Keane, the MLS Cup champions completed a training session through the morning rain in the Dublin suburb of Malahide on Friday, with a handful of Irish press and local groundsmen looking on.
Most of the focus was on Keane – who is a national hero here due to his status as the Republic of Ireland’s all-time leading goalscorer – but mentions of head coach Bruce Arena and several US internationals could also be heard.
It is a mark of Galaxy’s recent success in MLS that they are now recognizable figures in the Irish capital. But that is something that doesn’t surprise Keane at all, as he has seen the club’s global reach continue to grow.
“I think that Galaxy is now a brand that’s fairly well known worldwide. Of course, when you come on these trips, it’s just like other clubs such as Manchester United who go to Asia and the USA to build their profile,” Keane told the Irish press yesterday.
“It [MLS] is a place where everybody wants to be now. You can see that with the players who are going there now and see how high a profile the league has now and how good it is. It just goes to show with these big players coming over now, it’s where people want to be.”
There was no need for Keane to mention names like Kaka, Frank Lampard, or Steven Gerrard, because soccer fans (and the media) in Ireland are now up to date with the big stars pitching up in MLS.
It is also why Keane has been sought out by international teammates and former clubmates for advice on joining MLS. And the 34-year-old is always quick to praise a league where he wants to play for another few years at least.
The commitment that Keane has shown to MLS – both on and off the field – definitely compliments his impact with the Galaxy and it is why Arena hailed him as the league’s most valuable player of all time.
“He’s the most valuable player. He’s won the most championships. There is a legacy of some great players when you think about [David] Beckham and Thierry Henry, there have been many others. The early days there was Roberto Donadoni, Marco Etcheverry and Jaime Moreno, who were outstanding,” said Arena.
“There have been a lot of top players in our league, but probably few that have achieved the success that Robbie has, both personally and with his goals. His professionalism day in, day out. His leadership of the team, his influence on our younger players, important qualities he brings to the club.
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“He’s the most valuable player in our league right now and continues to maintain his international career with Ireland, which we think is great. He has certainly been a great addition, not only to LA Galaxy, but to Major League Soccer in the United States.”
Arena admitted that he would use the time in Europe to meet up with one of the Galaxy’s other DP players, Steven Gerrard, with a trip to England organized for next week after playing Hammarby in Sweden.
The Galaxy head coach may have made up his mind by then on signing trialist striker Edson Buddle, who was training with the team yesterday. But it’s clear that his main man for the 2015 campaign will once again be Keane.
