LA Galaxy forward, Robbie Keane, has recently made his return to the club and the first team in their match against the Vancouver Whitecaps on the Fourth of July. He had spent most of the month of June in France for the European Championship with his native country of The Republic of Ireland. Upon his return to the USA and LA, his impact for the team was immediately felt.
Galaxy lacking scoring threats in Keane's absence
Keane had missed five total MLS games from May 28th to June 25th due to a combination of injuries and international play. The team's scoring threat was lacking without Keane in the starting XI and even though they have Giovani dos Santos and Steven Gerrard, Robbie's presence and brilliance was missing on the pitch. It was a welcome sight for fans and teammates alike when he made his return on July 4th.
It didn't take long for Keane's brilliance to manifest itself against Vancouver as he scored a magnificent goal in the 12th minute of the game. He took a pass from Gerrard, turned the ball onto his powerful right foot, and buried a breathtaking shot into the upper 90 of the goal. The Whitecaps' goalkeeper, David Ousted, had no chance at even getting a finger on the incredible strike from Keano.
That play was the epitome of what Robbie Keane brings to the table for the Galaxy night in and night out. He is a constant goal scoring threat for the team and his presence on the field makes all the difference. Los Angeles had not won a game in their last seven matches before Keane returned and led them to a 2-0 win over Vancouver. He scored his fifth goal of the MLS season in that game.
Keane still has talent
Even though Keane is now 36-years old (birthday on July 8th), he still has the sheer talent and skill is still as great as ever before. He may be approaching the later stages of his career but you wouldn't notice based on his performances for LA. He still has a spring in his step and power in his shots. If anything, his age has made him better.
Even though there are bigger names on the Galaxy such as Giovani dos Santos, Steven Gerrard, Gyasi Zardes, Ashley Cole, or even Nigel de Jong, no player is more important to the team than Keane. The example of that was clear upon his return to the first team and Starting XI. Without him, this is just a team full of big name player that could not find results against some lesser opponents, but with him, they are a team that can contend for an MLS title.
The LA Galaxy will continue to rely on Robbie Keane to produce as he has for them since 2011. He has record five goals and one assist in seven MLS regular season games this year. With still more than half of the season left, Keane will be called upon by Los Angeles to score gaols and create for others as their main striker up top.