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A Robbie Keane appreciation thread on St. Patrick’s Day

Let’s remember the fun, the fire, the goals.

By Alicia Rodriguez
Orlando City SC v Los Angeles Galaxy Photo by Shaun Clark/Getty Images

Robert David Keane was born on July 8, 1980 in Tallaght, Ireland. Eventually he would go on to be known as Robbie Keane, a striker who carved out a terrific career, becoming the all-time scorer for Republic of Ireland, playing in Serie A, the Premier League, the Scottish Premiership, the India Super League and yes, Major League Soccer.

While Keane played for a number of illustrious clubs in his career, he found by far the most success, personally and with a club, at the LA Galaxy, from 2011-16. Joining midseason in 2011, he won a Supporters’ Shield-MLS Cup double in his first half-season in MLS. While Landon Donovan may be the icon of all icons in Galaxy (and MLS) history, you could make a compelling case Keane was the heartbeat of the Galaxy’s most recent glory days. Look at this stretch of club accomplishments:

  • 2011 Supporters’ Shield
  • 2011 MLS Cup
  • 2012 MLS Cup
  • 2014 MLS Cup

Now check out what Keane racked up himself in his Galaxy career:

  • MLS Best XI: 2012
  • Galaxy MVP: 2012
  • MLS Best XI: 2013
  • Galaxy MVP: 2013
  • MLS MVP: 2014
  • MLS Cup MVP: 2014
  • MLS Best XI: 2014
  • Galaxy MVP: 2014
  • MLS All-Star: 2015
  • MLS Best XI: 2015
  • Galaxy MVP: 2015

In five full seasons in MLS, Keane scored at least 10 goals each season. In 125 MLS regular-season games, he scored 83 goals, 14th all-time in MLS history. He is the second scorer all-time in Galaxy history, only to Donovan, who tallied 113 regular-season goals with the club. Across all competitions, Keane scored 104 goals in 165 games, a remarkable rate.

Here’s a selection of some of the best Keano goals with the Galaxy:

Or, if you prefer, every goal he scored for LA in league play:

And he’s still inspiring the next generation, as Efrain Alvarez did Keane’s trademark somersault and finger guns goal celebration when he was in the academy a few years ago.

Keano is the only Irishman to play for the Galaxy to date, and he’s a legend, no question about it. In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, raise a pint, watch some highlights and remember fondly the heyday of Robbie Keane, LA Galaxy striker.

Today’s question: It’s an easy one — what is your favorite Robbie Keane memory? Let’s chat in the comments below.

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