Photo by ISIPhotos.com
By DAN KARELL
While one famous international forward is leaving the game at the end of this season, another one is determined to keep playing for much longer.
Los Angeles Galaxy forward Robbie Keane, speaking to BBC Sport ahead of Ireland’s World Cup Qualifier against Sweden on Friday, stated his intent to continue to play soccer as long as he can. Keane, 32, entered professional soccer with Wolverhampton around the same time that Michael Owen did with Liverpool, in the late 1990s.
“I dread the day I have to finish playing because it’s my life, this is what I love doing,” Keane said to BBC Sport. “I wake up every morning and look forward to going to training and playing games.”
Since joining Los Angeles in the summer of 2011, Keane has played 34 matches, scoring 19 goals in the process in league play.
Here are some other MLS stories to catch you up on all the latest:
STEVENAGE SACK SMITH AFTER DISMAL RUN
Former MLS Cup winning manager Gary Smith has been sacked by League One club Stevenage, following a very poor run of form which saw the side lose 14 of their last 18 matches.
Smith, who was appointed as Stevenage manager in January of 2012, is remembered as the first Englishman to coach an MLS Cup winning side, leading the Colorado Rapids to the title in 2010. He was let go from the Rapids at the end of the 2011 season, due to differences with other members of the front office.
In Stevenage’s first 14 games, they had only lost one, but the past 18 have been another story, and Saturday’s 2-0 loss to Bury was the final straw, putting Smith out of a job.
UNION DEFENDER SOUMARE WANTS OUT
In the same week that Portland Timbers defender Hanyer Mosquera left the team to return to Colombia for an indefinite period, Philadelphia Union defender Bakary Soumare has made public his desire to leave PPL Park.
The 27-year-old has had to sit second-fiddle this season to Jeff Parke and Amobi Okugo in the first three matches this season, and wanting playing time, Soumare has approached coach John Hackworth with a transfer request.
The Mali international joined Philadelphia in June of 2012, but only played one match for the club last season due to a knee-injury that he had suffered before the trade. The Virginia University product was the second-overall pick in the 2007 draft, going on becoming one of the top defenders for the Chicago Fire.
SALGADO HITS ANOTHER RUT IN THE ROAD TO RECOVERY
After foot surgery in June 2012, Vancouver Whitecaps forward Omar Salgado is still working his way back onto the pitch.
The 19-year-old American first came back in October of last year, but he re-injured the broken bone in his right foot, causing him to miss the rest of the season. Since then, Salgado has been rehabbing and trying to work back to fitness, but suffered another setback on Saturday in a friendly against local University of Victoria.
The former first-overall-pick in the 2009 MLS draft originally injured his foot on June 7 of last year, during a friendly with the U.S. U-20’s against Uruguay. Originally planning on returning to the field this Saturday, Salgado will now have to move his plans back a few weeks.
QUICK KICKS
Blas Perez (Panama), Raul Fernandez (Peru), Je-Vaughn Wilson (Jamaica) and Kellyn Acosta (U.S. U-18) have all been called up for their national teams, and will be unavailable for FC Dallas’ match against New England on Saturday. (REPORT)
Chivas USA has re-signed goalkeeper Tim Melia to a contract extension. (REPORT)
Toronto FC midfielder Hogan Ephraim, on loan from Premier League club Queens Park Rangers until the end of the season, has praised the league as being “top class”. (REPORT)
Diego Restrepo, who spent time in camp with D.C. United and the Philadelphia Union this winter, has signed with the Tampa Bay Rowdies.
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What do you think of these reports? See Keane finishing his career with Los Angeles? Where do you feel Soumare will end up?
Share your thoughts below.