The LA Galaxy announced yesterday, Feb. 17th, that Landon Donovan will be returning during the final week of March. This is a lot later than many would have hoped for, but fans seem to just be happy their captain is coming back. Bruce Arena, LA Galaxy's head coach, had already announced Donovan's decision to return to play with the LA Galaxy, but there had not been a time frame until now.
After the MLS Cup final last year, all the attention was set to David Beckham who had announced his departure from the club. The media tended to overlook the fact that Landon Donovan had also said he was not sure if he would return. This was truly a shock, because Donovan is 30-years-young and United States' Men's National Team (USMNT) all-time leading goal scorer.
Donovan will return to training after the MLS season has began. Because of his late start he will miss the beginning of the season, obviously, and two CONCACAF Champions' League (CCL) matches. This may not be a big deal, because in the last two CCL matches the team mostly consisted of their reserve players. However, this also means he will not be able to play for the USMNT's World Cup qualifiers against Costa Rica and Mexico. The USMNT isn't playing too well lately, and Donovan may have been their saving grace.
The saying "better late than never" really suits the situation, because having Donovan take some extra time off instead of just retiring all together is better outcome. When he returns to LA Galaxy and, hopefully, the USMNT he will be out in full force.
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