Landon Donavan: The LegenD

#ThanksLD has been an underlining topic American soccer fans have been discussing all year. Fourteen seasons later the U.S. fan favorite has played his final match. Arguably the greatest American soccer player to ever have graced the pitch played for his sixth MLS cup. In a press conference Friday December 5th Donovan was asked about his past week and how he felt about playing in his last game.

“This week has been a little bit different that the past few because I personally didn't know [heading into the second legs of playoff series against Real Salt Lake and the Seattle Sounders] what was coming next,” Donovan said at a press conference involving both teams at StubHub. “Now I know.”

“I've been very excited every day to wake up and go to training. Candidly, I don’t want it to end right now. It's been a lot of fun. And I'm going to have that attitude Sunday. I personally want it to be as enjoyable as possible, and that would be winning.”

“Now, like everybody, I just want to play, and we want to win a championship,” he said. “And after that I’ll think about the rest. But I gave myself a few days earlier in the week to understand the finality of it. Now it's a game, and we're at home playing for a championship. We're all so programmed now to just play the next game, and that's where my mindset is right now.”

A game that seemed preordained came to pass. After one hundred and twenty minutes the MLS Cup final was decided with a 2 to 1 final score lead by both regular season and finals MVP Robbie Keane. Lets take a look at the 2014 MLS Cup finals.

“I'm in a little bit of a daze, to be honest,” Donovan said afterward. “I don't know. There's a lot going on. There's a lot of obvious excitement. Some sadness. There's uncertainty. And just pure joy for this team and for what we did.”

“It just feels a bit strange, I guess is the best way to put it. But all in all, I'm really proud of what this team accomplished this year, and it's so nice to be in that locker room and see so many happy faces, and for me that's as enjoyable as anything now, as you get older.”

“There were moments [this season] where I didn't want it to end like it was going to [with the Galaxy not in the title game],” he said. “It would've been sadder for it to end like that. For me, it's perfect.”

 “As much excitement as there is about the game, there's excitement that tomorrow I don't have to train anymore,” he said. “I don't have to do a lot of the things that were the not-fun parts of the job. Along with that, I don't get experiences like today any more, either. So there's a lot of good, there's going to be some bad. But it feels good to go out this way.”

A true storybook end for the LegenD himself as Donovan rides off into the sunset a champion yet again. As we bid farewell to the six time MLS cup champion and the all time leader in goals and assist I would like to finish with a few thoughts of my own.

Landon Donovan as a fan of the game and as a fan of yours I just want to say thank you for what you have done for the MLS, LA Galaxy and soccer. You’ve inspired many and really made a deep impact on the growth of this game not just here in the U.S.A. but around the world. May your name and legacy be carried with great honor and respect now and forever. THANKS LD! You will be missed and always remembered as the LegenD you are.

-Eddie Schlierman