EDITORIAL – So, Major League Soccer’s still shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In an effort to produce some evergreen content, Last Word on Soccer will be taking a look at several MLS teams and their Mount Rushmore, Decade Best XI, etc. Today I’ll be taking a look at the all-time LA Galaxy Mount Rushmore.
LA Galaxy Mount Rushmore: Impossible and Generational Decisions
First off, I have to lay down some ground rules. Selecting four most important players/coaches/people in the history of the LA Galaxy is impossible. They’re five-time MLS Cup Champions. They’ve won trophies and had huge stars in every era of MLS so far. One could decide to pick eight people and still leave somebody out. You may completely disagree with every selection and omission in this article
One’s bias in this thought experiment could be based on how far back they’ve been a fan and paid attention to MLS. Full disclosure, I was in elementary school in 1996. I grew up in a sports family and paid attention to the league since its inception.
I never saw Mauricio Cienfuegos play in person. My most vivid memories of Cobi Jones are of him with the United States National Team, not the Galaxy. I started seriously watching the Galaxy and MLS in the mid-2000s. I started watching the entire league religiously and writing about it for Last Word in 2014.
That said, my criteria for the LA Galaxy Mount Rushmore is multifaceted. Los Angeles sports are first about winning. Trophies matter. Los Angeles sports is also about looking cool while winning. There’s a branding aspect to it: You have to win, be entertaining, and look cool while doing it.
The Galaxy have been the flagship club of the league at times. Players impacting the Galaxy in a way that influences other teams or the league as a whole should also be considered. Ok, let’s get to the actual LA Galaxy Mount Rushmore:
Landon Donovan:
He’s the greatest USMNT player to date and the face of the national team for most of his international career. He’s the second highest scoring player in MLS history. He won three MLS Cups (scoring the game winner twice), two Supporters’ Shields, and a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup with the Gs. He was the 2009 MVP while with the club, a trophy that is now names after him.
Yes, he was a San Jose Earthquake first, but the prodigal son came home, won almost every individual and team award. He holds the club record for goals and appearances. There should be no argument against putting him on the Galaxy Mount Rushmore, unlike some others I’m about to mention.
Bruce Arena:
I believe coaches and technical staff should be under consideration for a club’s pantheon. Bruce Arena was the architect behind the greatest dynasty in MLS history. He brought three MLS Cups and two Supporters’ Shields to the Galaxy. In two seasons, the Beckham Experiment when from being potential disaster to making an MLS Cup Final.
Like other championship coaches in the Galaxy history, Arena’s had success elsewhere in MLS and at LA’s expense. While Arena’s D.C. United teams were the bane of the Gs in MLS 1.0, he was only there from 1996-98. He won the Cup and the Shield more times in LA than he did D.C. The Bruce Arena Era took the Galaxy from a team with success and history to the Super Club of the league.
Robbie Keane:
Robbie Keane is probably the best MLS player to play for the Galaxy in terms of his on field production. He’s up there as one of the best goalscorers in league history. He had 83 goals and 45 assists in 125 league games. On more than a few occasions, he single-handedly dragged a sluggish Galaxy team to a victory with grit, tenacity, and one good scoring chance.
Moreover, Keane made the players around him better (albeit by yelling at his teammates and being a grump). Gyasi Zardes got to 16 goals playing next to him and they both scored in MLS Cup 2014. Keane and Landon were a deadly combination whether Donovan was cutting inside from the wing or playing up top with Keane.
Keane is one of the best players in MLS history. He lifted MLS Cup as a captain. He won a season and MLS Cup MVP as well.
Cobi Jones:
Here’s where I’m probably getting some hate in the comments section and on Twitter. Not so much for picking Cobi Jones, but for the fact that this is my final pick and someone’s been omitted. Jones scored the first goal in LA Galaxy history, a win at the Rose Bowl against the MetroStars. He was the face of the club alongside Mauricio Cienfuegos in the MLS 1.0 Era.
He won MLS Cup and the Shield twice. He was also one of the first African American stars for the club, the league, and the U.S. Men’s National Team. That should not be discounted.
I might be splitting hairs here, but part of this selection is for what Jones has done since hanging up his boots. He served as a coach briefly and is currently a TV color commentator. Jones has been a fantastic ambassador for the game and club in the community.
Last Word: The Omissions
Now for the really controversial part. As previously stated, writing this article is an impossible task. OG fans from 1996 will probably bring up Cienfuegos and Carlos Ruiz. Both were fantastic, with Cuenfuegos being the maestro in the first third of the club’s existence. El Pescadito scored the famous goal to win MLS Cup 2005.
The Galaxy are firstly about winning trophies. My LA Galaxy Mount Rushmore members all won multiple cups, while these two won just the 2005 championship. I realize I’m splitting hairs, but that’s what one has to do here.
The other snubs are David Beckham, who got the first statue outside Dignity Health Sports Park, and possibly Zlatan Ibrahimovic. As I’ve written about before, Zlatan came with baggage and while he padded the his individual stats, he didn’t win anything for the team and one could argue he inhibited team success.
Now to David Beckham. His starts aren’t as impressive for an attacking player compared to others on this list. He played five and a half years in MLS, 18 goals and 40 assists in 98 games. He was around for two MLS Cups but also had periods where he seemed disinterested in MLS.
Ultimately, I’ve always felt that David’s biggest contribution was off the field and benefited the league, not just the Galaxy. Beckham’s spoken well of MLS and the Galaxy in retirement. Without him, Keane, Steven Gerrard, and Zlatan don’t come to LA. But also, Theirry Henry, David Villa, etc. maybe don’t come to MLS either. Beckham put MLS and more significantly the Galaxy on the map. His opinions gave both credibility.
One could argue he deserves to be on the league Mount Rushmore rather than the Galaxy’s.His most significant contribution was league wide, not club specific. In that regard, I’d say Beckham deserves a statue first outside the MLS Headquarters before his one at Dignity Health Sports Park.
That said, Donovan, Arena, Keane, Jones, Beckham, Ruiz, and Cienfuegos all deserve statues in Carson.
