Landon Donovan nets his perfect ending with Galaxy

CARSON, Calif. – Landon Donovan is not really a Hollywood kind of guy but when the end of his soccer career finally arrived on Sunday he wanted a Hollywood ending. And, for the most part, he got one.

Donovan didn't score the winning goal, make the winning assist or even play particularly well as the Los Angeles Galaxy beat the New England Revolution 2-1 in extra time to clinch the MLS Cup final, but perhaps America's greatest ever soccer player got to go out a champion, and that was just fine.

"There is no experience like what just happened," Donovan said. "If you work a desk job or a 9 to 5 job there is no experience where you get to feel that. I can't imagine anything will replace it."

At 32, Donovan could have chosen to squeeze more sap out of his legs and extended his career by at least a year or two. After all, his teammate Robbie Keane, whose 111th minute goal sealed the contest at the StubHub Center in Carson, is 34, and the league's MVP and most dominant threat.

Yet this was time to go, a feeling that struck Donovan following his snub from the World Cup squad in the summer and has barely wavered since. Even in the emotion of the joyful chaos that followed the final whistle there was no suggestion of coming back, however much the Galaxy's supporters might wish him to.

"Could I play longer physically?" he said. "Yeah, probably, but this just feels right for me."

This wasn't the most technically attractive of finals but it provided solid drama and was fiercely contested throughout. Gyasi Zardes got the opener for Los Angeles and the home side looked to have a grip on the trophy after 52 minutes, before a defensive lapse with 11 minutes of regulation remaining allowed Chris Tierney to equalize for the Revolution and send the contest into extra time.

When it mattered most it was Keane who held true for the Galaxy. The Republic of Ireland forward has now won three titles since coming to Los Angeles in late 2011 and there is an argument to be made that the league has never had a more productive or important foreign import., David Beckham and Thierry Henry included.

"It wasn't our best game but that doesn't matter now, " Keane said. "We are champions again."

The Galaxy are indeed, and from Keane to Donovan to head coach Bruce Arena were swift to point out that their success, whether you want to call it a dynasty or not, is done in a league designed to maximize parity.

Arena used the notion that MLS would probably rather other teams share in the spoils as an us-against-the-world locker room motivator, a ploy that certainly didn't do any harm.

"It is impressive stuff," said Arena, when asked about his team's third title in four seasons. "In a league like ours that probably doesn't want that to be the case and would be happy moving the trophy from one franchise to another each year, this is kind of a dynasty."

Soccer is clearly not at the level of exposure enjoyed by American sports' Big Three but Donovan's exploits speak for themselves in elite athletic company. His numbers, leading the league's all-time marks in goals and assists speak of longevity, but in terms of tangible team hardware he has six titles – level with Michael Jordan, and one clear of Kobe Bryant and Derek Jeter.

When such comparisons were suggested to him, he didn't shy away from them. We probably won't hear much from Donovan for a while as he travels and studies and does whatever he likes with his retirement, and this wasn't the time for humility. Frankly, there was no reason for it to be.

"I am very proud to be in that company, it is not easy," Donovan added. "I've always tried to be a winner and that's one thing that people don't really appreciate enough, guys who are real winners. To me that's more important than the individual stuff like goals and assists and awards."

New England was a game underdog, led by the industry of Jermaine Jones and the imagination of Lee Nguyen and felt unfortunate to have had a penalty kick appeal turned down just moments before Zardes scores the opener.

However, the championship probably went to the right team and Donovan, all things considered, deserved to depart as a victor, having divided opinion for much of his career but undoubtedly been a positive force in a sport he started playing as a two-year-old.

Now, it ends.

"The feeling at the final whistle is so mixed up," Donovan said. "Wrapped up with so many different emotions."

He has a long time to figure it out. American soccer has a long time to miss him.