Watch: Landon Donovan makes MLS return, United tie Red Bulls
CARSON, Calif. (AP) — Landon Donovan returned to the LA Galaxy as a second-half substitute Sunday night, ending his 21-month MLS retirement in their 4–2 victory over Orlando City.
Donovan, the top scorer in the history of MLS and the U.S. men’s national team, announced his comeback with the Galaxy three days earlier.
Wearing a No. 26 jersey instead of his usual No. 10, the 34-year-old got a lengthy standing ovation before entering in the 83rd minute of his first game since the 2014 MLS Cup final.
Giovani Dos Santos scored two goals and Alan Gordon added another during a first-half barrage for the Galaxy (11-4-14), who took sole possessions second place in the Western Conference with their second straight win. Captain Robbie Keane also scored as a second-half substitute.
• With nothing left to prove, Landon Donovan can now enjoy his MLS comeback
Kevin Molino scored on a rebound in the 20th minute for Orlando City (7-8-13).
Dos Santos, the Mexican star now wearing Donovan's No. 10, scored in the 35th minute on a sweet setup from Emmanuel Boateng. He banged in a penalty in the 44th minute after his incredible pass set up Gordon to be taken down in the box.
Brek Shea added a goal for Orlando City on the final kick of second-half injury time.
UNITED 2, RED BULLS 2
HARRISON, N.J. (AP) — Steve Birnbaum scored in the 89th minute, Lamar Neagle added another goal in stoppage time and D.C. United tied the New York Red Bulls 2–2 on Sunday in the Atlantic Cup.
Birnbaum sent a shot off a sliding defender but it bounced right back to him and he rolled it inside the far post. In the fifth minute of stoppage time, Neagle tapped home a ball that had bounced off the post.
It was the second time this season D.C. United (7-9-12) rallied from a 2–0 deficit to tie New York 2–2.
Gonzalo Veron opened the scoring in the 35th minute. After a United turnover in their own area, Sacha Kljestan dribbled it to the goal line and his deflected cross found the head of Veron. Bradley Wright-Phillips scored his 18th goal of the season in the 54th minute when he powered an open shot off goalkeeper Bill Hamid's left hand.
Hamid made five saves to keep D.C. United in it. He stretched to get a hand on Wright-Phillips’s strike from distance in the 75th and Hamid backpedaled to punch away Sal Zizzo’s deflected shot in the 92nd.
New York (12-9-8) extended its club record undefeated streak to 11 games.
