LA Galaxy captain returned early from injury to face Italian champions.
Robbie Keane made a more then prompt return to fitness after a torn hip flexor to boost LA Galaxy to a 3-1 win over Italian champions in the International Champions cup. In front of 40,681 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles Keane came on for 45 minutes with the scores level at 1-1 to change the game, receiving the ball after Marcelo Sarvas had nicked the ball away from Arturo Vidal and sliding a pass across the box for the onrushing Donovan to tap home.
He then had a goal of his own in the 88th minute to put the result beyond doubt, racing onto a loose backpass by Andrea Pirlo to dink the ball past Maro Storari into the bottom corner. Galaxy’s win is their first against a major European club, but although satisfied with the win, Keane remained realistic as to its significance.
“For me, it was about 45 minutes, getting the fitness in. And trying to be as sharp as I can,” said Keane, who tore his left hip flexor in the Galaxy’s July 13 loss at Portland and missed two league games as well as Thursday’s 3-1 loss to Real Madrid. “For me, the most important game is next Sunday against Dallas. That’s the game you have to play in.”
“(The game) came at a good time for me to be honest with you, because I’ve been out injured now for weeks, so it was good to get 45 minutes and face more minutes on Wednesday. I look forward to Wednesday.”
COMMENTS