Nobody expected a 36-year-old Landon Donovan (who’d really been out of the game for a few years) to tear it up with Club Leon following his shock return to soccer, but we certainly expected more than just four league appearances totaling 37 minutes after joining back on Jan. 12.
Minutes have been hard to come by for Donovan as manager Gustavo Diaz monitors his progress. However, with a match against Tigres looming next Saturday, Donovan might’ve forced himself into the conversation with this instinctive finish against the San Jose Earthquakes.
It’s not necessarily his first goal for the club since it was just a friendly between Leon and Donovan’s first MLS side (although he did also “score” for Leon in a penalty shootout defeat to Atletico Zacatepec in the Copa MX). But let’s hope he gets some meaningful minutes next weekend, because we need this guy fit and firing by the time the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup rolls around.