With big names leaving and a cross-city rival preparing to take the stage, the time could be ripe for MLS’s most successful team to reinvent itself
While Major League Soccer doesn’t trade in pure transfer market currency like most other leagues, the Designated Player system burdens a player with the same pressure as a hefty price tag. With only three DP spots handed to each team there is a clearly defined expectation placed on them. They are signed to be better than the rest. Robbie Keane handled that pressure better than the rest.
The Irishman may well go down as the greatest DP in MLS history with eulogies of his career Stateside flowing after it was announced he is to leave the LA Galaxy when his contract expires next month. He could choose to stay in MLS, with the Vancouver Whitecaps rumoured to be keen on taking the striker next season, but Keane’s moving on comes at a critical time for the LA Galaxy as an organisation.
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