CARSON, Calif. -- It might have been a rather simple hat trick, but with three goals in the LA Galaxy's 4-0 Fourth of July romp over visiting Toronto FC, Robbie Keane signaled that he is back. For real.
The Irish striker, last year's MLS MVP, scored Saturday night on an early penalty kick, a tap-in just before halftime, and into an empty net after picking off a back pass in the 59th minute to give LA (8-6-7, 31pts) a three-goal edge, essentially putting the game out of reach.
“No such thing as an easy hat trick -- I wish there was. If that was the case, I would score a hat trick every week,” said Keane, who has six MLS goals this season and nine in all, including a hat trick in the June 17 US Open Cup rout of amateurs PSA Elite. “Look, you have to finish them, you have to be in the right place in the right time.
“I'm an opportunist. I like to be ready, always waiting for someone to make a mistake, to always expect the unexpected.”
It was the third straight blowout win at home in league play for the Galaxy, who have scored 15 goals in their past five MLS encounters after scoring 16 in their first 17 this season.
During an early-season injury crisis, LA struggled to field a consistent front six, and it played havoc with their attack. They've become healthier over the past month or so, and Keane's return has been instrumental. The Galaxy captain on Saturday went the full 90 for the fifth time in eight appearances since returning from injury on May 22.
“He's getting sharper each and every game,” Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said. “It's been awhile. Missing a couple months is never easy, and it takes some games. Robbie's needed about a month, month and a half, to get going again. I think he's only going to get better.”
Keane played with good energy and was all over the attacking third, as he's wont to do, coming deep into midfield or wide on the flanks to get the ball and create much of LA's attack.
Keane said skipping the midweek trip to San Jose, for the Galaxy's fifth-round US Open Cup triumph, was vital.
“I think it was important that some of the players stayed back, because the last [MLS] game against San Jose [last weekend], we looked a little [exhausted] in the second half. I think you could see the difference in the players that stayed back, in the way we performed," Keane said. "That was a great performance. Certainly, the first half was a good performance, the way we passed, the way we moved. The players looked very sharp. I certainly felt a lot better than I did [previously].
“I knew it was only a matter of time before I really came back to myself. There were signs in the last few weeks. When you're out for so long, it can be difficult to get back into the swing of things, but I worked hard in the gym and continue to work hard in the training field, and when you do that, it pays off, and you seen that tonight.”
Keane got something of an assist on LA's final goal, too, Sebastian Lletget's stoppage-time screamer over Toronto goalkeeper Chris Konopka's shoulder into the upper-right corner.
“What I was thinking,” Lletget said, “was if I miss this, Robbie's going to be screaming in my face. So it was like an extra focus: 'I have to score this or I'm going to get obliterated.'”
Scott French covers the LA Galaxy for MLSsoccer.com.
