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Donovan breaks MLS all-time assist record on Keane wonder strike

LandonDonovanLAGalaxy2-MontrealImpact2014MLS (USATODAYSports)

Photo by Eric Bolte/USA TODAY Sports

By DAN KARELL

Landon Donovan now owns yet another individual Major League Soccer record.

The Los Angeles Galaxy star, who plans to retire from soccer at the end of this season, recorded his record-breaking 136th MLS assist in the 25th minute during the Galaxy’s match against Toronto FC on Saturday evening. On the play, Donovan fed A.J. DeLaGarza on the right wing, and DeLaGarza’s cross to the middle was slammed home in stunning fashion by MVP candidate Robbie Keane.

The assist gives Donovan sole possession of the all-time MLS assist record, now with one more than former New England Revolution midfielder Steve Ralston. Donovan broke the MLS all-time goals record last May when he scored his 135th goal against the Philadelphia Union, just a few days after being cut from the U.S. Men’s National Team World Cup squad.

Donovan now has 144 goals and 136 assists in his illustrious 14-year MLS career.

Here’s a video of the assist on Keane’s impressive goal: (video is after the jump)

 

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What do you think of Donovan breaking the MLS assist record? Do you see him adding a few more to his tally before the season concludes? How good are the Galaxy’s chances right now to make it to the MLS Cup final?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

    • had to look this one up too. Assists are kinda a grey area in football statistics and open to interpretation as they are not part of the original rules of the game. basically its either 1. passing the ball to the goal scorer 2. making a decisive pass to player who assisted the goalscorer 3. taking a shot that was rebounded and scored 4. winning a pk that is converted by someone else

      leagues can differ but i believe this is what MLS and international games go off..

      I’m sure Landon has the most assists of all categories in league history as well as total!

      Reply
  1. Obscenity martins is hanging with keane goal for goal. Both are amazing but the mvp is down to these two. It’s not an easy pick. He just put up more goals against Colorado.

    Reply
  2. All you homer haters…get over yourselves!!! As if no other team has homer announcers…riiiiiight. Joe Tutino is a ’96 original and is rightfully calling games on local TV again after having some garbage announcers in recent years. He is one of the best announcers and probably runs laps around over local broadcasters….he is definitely a big part of the Galaxy family like Jones, Cienfuegos, Hartman, Beckham, Donovan, etc…

    A little homerism doesn’t hurt.

    lindalien probably wants a British snob who doesn’t know crap about MLS…what a pompous arse.

    Oh…and hell yeah….congrats to Donovan and

    Robbie….MVP
    Robbie…MVP
    Robbie…MVP
    Thank you…You’re Welcome

    Goodnight now.

    Reply
    • i don’t know, i’d say a little homerism does hurt, as it can be a turnoff to neutral fans just tuning in. do other leagues do this? if so, i haven’t noticed, but it’s always been noticeable to me with mls.

      (i don’t think this announcer’s “robbie keane mvp” statement was out of line, really. just addressing the wider topic.)

      Reply
      • if that’s true (it’s not), that’s really disappointing that mls is that bad at attracting new viewers.

        i’m one of likely a fair number of soccer fans who will watch whatever game is on if it’s soccer. and no, i don’t really have strong feelings about the galaxy either way, although i do tend to hate whatever team the announcers are openly rooting for (hence my undying hatred of man u).

      • Nate Dollars – I’m usually in total agreement with your comments, but I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about here. This is a local broadcast for greater LA. You think the Galaxy, who sold the rights to TWC, care about even-handed reporting??? Of course not, they want homers — it’s what makes local coverage great. And yes, I’m sure that local soccer coverage throughout the world is incredibly biased.

      • I hate hearing Joe Buck calling St. Louis baseball games on national TV – he obviously has a rooting interest in the Cardinals

  3. Donovan now has 280 goals and assists combined. That’s 45 more than the next closest player (Jaime Moreno) and 99 more than the next closest active player (Duane DeRosario). Pretty amazing stuff.

    And in response to those of you above complaining about secondary assists, MLS has always counted them, so Ralston’s record included them as well.

    Reply
      • Wait, I thought they didn’t do that anymore? Could have sworn when Ralston broke Valderamma’s record they said it was so amazing because they used to count second assists. This seems like the first “assist” I’ve read about in a while that was a hockey assist, did the writer get it wrong?

      • I was looking for that assist and I can’t see jack lol!!
        Why americans want to make a hero out of Donovan? What did accomplish to make him so great in the world of soccer? Winning MLS ? Goal cup? or playing for 2 week for Everton? lol!!! in Klismann we trust!!!

      • Actually, yes, he did win the Goal Cup.

        But it’s spelled Goal! Cup.

        And in fact, he was the “MPV” of the Goal! Cup.

        Then he was the MPV of the Goal! Cup II: Living the Dream, followed by the Goal! Cup III: Taking on the World.

        It was in all the papers.

  4. Gotta love how they give Keane the MVP because of this goal. Homer announcers.

    Obviously he is in the race and deservedly so, but that’s just piss poor announcing, or at the very least bad phrasing. Smug jags.

    Reply
    • I’d have to say Keane has to be leading the MVP race. Maybe if BWP breaks the record he’s in the conversation. Then perhaps if Seattle win SS and Martins really carries them he could get it. If you voted today it’d have to go to Keane tho.

      Reply
      • So one of those guys knows nothing and the other is Cobi Jones who is a homer but knows a little something. They were talking about MVP of the league and yes, Keane is hands down MVP.

      • Joe Tutino knows nothing? whatever you say Limey

        anyway, whoever wins, it’s cool to have so many players in MLS from different teams in on the discussion, good for MLS

      • “it’s cool to have so many players in…from different teams in the discussion”

        Right on.

    • Meh, homer announcers or not, is there any doubt Keane is the most valuable player this season? Seattle fans will predictably disagree, but for everyone else, it’s obvious.

      Reply
      • Same here! Keane is not my MVP.

        1. Nguyen
        2. BWP
        3. Martins
        4. Keane
        5. Henry

        Honorable Mention: Donovan

      • I would take BWP off that list. He’s only there because of the Henry bump. Look at any other forward that has played with TH14. They all have a career year with him and then disappear w/o him.

        You need to be the MVP of your own team before you can become MVP of the league.

    • Not many things bother me more than that in watching soccer. LA’s announcers are terrible. Almost as terrible as Portalnd’s.

      Reply
      • As a PTFC fan, I endorse this comment.

        Back when we had John Strong and Robby Earle, we had a great booth team. Ever since it has been just meaningless banter and over the top homerism coming from the announcing booth during TV games.

      • I agree about Portlands current announcers. They’re SJ earthquakes bad. They used to have good ones who are now with nbc sports.

    • What’s all this hating on homerism? It’s a local broadcast and the most fun part of a local broadcast is that they the announcers are fans of the team (or even former players).

      Reply
      • Homerism only sucks when they kinda pretend to not be. If they go all out and embrace it its fine.(I get to enjoy disagreeing with them.)

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