Carson, Calif. • The best ever showed he was on Sunday. He showed it over and over and over again. Eventually, when Landon Donovan was subbed off to the roar of 27,000 hometown fans, the 32-year-old American soccer icon zipped up a blue L.A. Galaxy jacket and stretched on the sideline, taking a glance at the scoreboard at StubHub Center.
It read 5-0. It meant Donovan's final night of lacing up the cleats against Real Salt Lake, of making darting runs at defense, of punishing the opposition. It showed that's still a very vivid possibility. Real Salt Lake was reminded of that, now only too well. Major League Soccer's all-time leading scorer, who also leads the United States men's national team in all-time goals scored, will retire after the Galaxy's run ends — whenever that comes.
"Well," RSL captain Kyle Beckerman said, "I guess he's not done playing. He didn't want tonight to be the end."
A proper summary from a lifelong friend of Landon Donovan. His hat trick and assist against RSL on Sunday night didn't just showcase how much he has left in the tank — it was a message to the four MLS clubs now in pursuit of hoisting the MLS Cup.
"It's going to take a special team to beat them," RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando said.
Entering Sunday, Donovan had 10 career goals and 10 career assists across all competitions against RSL. He had one previous playoff goal and one previous playoff assist. That changed in a dominant outing as RSL coach Jeff Cassar put succinctly: "Landon was everywhere."
He put L.A. up early, eventually making it 3-0 and then 5-0.
Donovan turned it on, knowing full-well the storied career could have ended in front of friends and family and fans clad in white, yellow and blue. Instead, his performance — a final goodbye to RSL — won't soon be forgotten.
"He's got some fire in his belly, for sure," Rimando said. "He's a player that's special, and has been special for quite some time. I think tonight you could see that he wants it — bad."
ckamrani@sltrib.com Twitter: @chriskamrani
Los Angeles Galaxy's Landon Donovan, right, celebrates scoring a goal in front of Real Salt Lake's Nat Borchers during the first half of an MLS soccer Western Conference playoff series game, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2014, in Carson, Calif., Sunday, Nov. 9, 2014. (AP Photo/Danny Moloshok)
Los Angeles Galaxy's Landon Donovan, right, scores a goal past Real Salt Lake's Tony Beltran, left, during the second half of their second leg MLS soccer Western Conference playoff series game, in Carson, Calif., Sunday, Nov. 9, 2014. (AP Photo/Danny Moloshok)
Los Angeles Galaxy's Landon Donovan celebrates scoring a goal against Real Salt Lake during the second half of an MLS soccer Western Conference playoff series game, in Carson, Calif., Sunday, Nov. 9, 2014. (AP Photo/Danny Moloshok)
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