In the 77th minute of the match vs. Sporting Kansas City with LA down 2-1, Landon Donovan’s first touch as a substitute was a simple layoff for Robbie Rogers. Donovan then began to jog forward, lulling Soni Mustivar into a false sense of security before altering course and bearing on goal in a full sprint, accepting a cutback from Rogers and placing a left footed shot around Kevin Ellis and into Tim Meila’s side netting with breathtaking ease.
And just like that, any hope from the rest of the league that Donovan’s return to LA was merely a gimmick were dashed in one lightning-quick sequence.