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ESPN staff 8y

Landon Donovan on LA Galaxy goal: I've got a few years left before AARP

Landon Donovan said he's not quite ready to be counted out and upon his return to LA Galaxy action had a rebuttal for Sporting KC fans who taunted him during the Galaxy's 2-2 draw on Sunday.

Donovan scored his first goal since coming out of retirement two minutes after entering as a second-half substitute.

The 34-year-old came on in the 74th minute and scored with his left foot after a give-and-go with Robbie Rogers. It was his first regular-season goal in Major League Soccer since Sept. 28, 2014.

Sporting KC fans chanted "AARP" after his game-tying goal, but Donovan only said: "I would love to get the benefits of AARP, but maybe I got a few years left till we get those."

Donovan is widely considered the most accomplished player in American soccer history and the most successful player in the history of MLS, which named its MVP award after him.

His return is a difference-maker for the club, said coach Bruce Arena who credited Donovan for pulling the team together.

"Landon's experience was beneficial at the end of that game," Arena told reporters. "He gave us 20 good minutes. We went from 10 to 20 in a week. We're going to try to go 20 to 30 and keep building.

"But you see just his composure, allowing us to keep the ball when we weren't able to do for about 80 minutes, so that part was good."

Arena admitted that Donovan's presence was a boost for fans, but was gracious in crediting Kansas City for creating a strong fan base and pressuring.

"Yes, but give credit to your organization here. They built a fabulous facility, they built a very good team and are strongly immersed in the community. This is the way you build a franchise in our League," he said.

"I'd like to give Landon a lot of credit for the crowd today, but I actually think the Sporting organization and team deserve a lot of credit for what they've done here."

Los Angeles (11-4-15) moved into second place in the Western Conference standings -- four points behind FC Dallas.

Sporting KC (11-12-7) is five points ahead of Seattle for the sixth and final playoff spot.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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