Robbie Keane provides reliability and precision as Galaxy travel to Portland
It does not take long to figure out how Robbie Keane engages in a game. He makes it evident from the moment he steps on the field. It is apparent in his body language, his effort and his toil from the first to the last minute.
There are no questions about his investment in the task at hand. The former Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur forward demands a certain level of competency from his teammates and from his colleagues on the field. Any shortcomings -- a misplayed pass here, a poor refereeing decision there -- receive instant and vociferous remonstrations.
Those measures appeared often in the Galaxy’s season-opening 2-0 victory over Chicago last Friday. Keane spent much of the evening lamenting the quality of service afforded to him and urging his teammates to improve correspondingly. His continued pleading and prodding grates opposing players and supporters, but it also underscores his yearning to procure the desired results by any means necessary.
It took Keane most of the night, but the 34-year-old managed to make his impact against the Fire inside the final 10 minutes. He found himself on the end of a knockdown by Baggio Husidic. He smashed his chance past Sean Johnson and used the opportunity to release his frustrations.
Keane paid an undisclosed fine to the league office for his resulting off-color celebration, but he won’t linger much on that rebuke as he prepares for his next challenge in Portland on Sunday night (7:00p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports Go). There is another task ahead. And he plans to confront it with his usual vigor.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Keane told local reporters earlier this week. “It’s always a tough place to go. Great fans, there’s always a good atmosphere there. I’m sure it’ll be raining during the game, like it is always every year we’re there. But it’s a good atmosphere. I really enjoy the atmosphere there.”
Most players revel in the opportunity to play in front of the Timbers Army, but this sort of reaction isn’t out of the ordinary for the Ireland captain. Few Designated Players embrace the mundane, week-to-week tasks in similar fashion. Keane might enjoy the trip to Portland a bit more than other excursions, but the setting does not influence his desire or his pursuit one bit.
Keane remains the consistent protagonist for a Galaxy side reliant on his production in front of goal. His return of 54 goals in 85 league matches reflects his ability to consistently find his way onto the end of things and round off the chances provided to him with the necessary touch. He does not just show up every couple of games. His ratio highlights his ability to maintain his standards game after game. It also explains why the Galaxy is so keen on extending his stay by agreeing to terms on a new contract in the weeks and the months ahead.
At this stage of his career, Keane focuses as much on his all-around play as he does on that critical final touch. He drops off the line willingly to connect with his teammates and facilitate the buildup. His combination work with Landon Donovan -- both in possession and on the counter -- propelled the Galaxy forward the past few years. His continued willingness to join the play in deeper positions and look to send Gyasi Zardes through the line retains that element in these revised circumstances.
Opposing teams like the Timbers struggle to contain Keane given his penchant for placing himself in difficult areas. Portland coach Caleb Porter aided his side’s defensive shape in the 0-0 draw against Real Salt Lake last weekend by naming holding players George Fochive and Jack Jewsbury in his midfield three. The duo -- if the alignment remains the same, of course -- must communicate constantly with central defenders Nat Borchers and Liam Ridgewell to condense and eliminate the space in front of the line to restrict the opportunities afforded to Keane and his Galaxy teammates.
Those efforts -- plus the Timbers’ desire to operate in possession and wrest control of the game away from the visitors -- might make life more difficult for Keane. It is the burden he bears as a marked man. He bucks against it. He demands accountability from his teammates and from himself from the moment he steps on the field. It is the sort of commitment he insists upon across the board as he continues to rise to the occasion week after week. And it shows with every finger point, every scream and every goal along the way.
