Jun 28, 2014; Palo Alto, CA, USA; San Jose Earthquakes forward Alan Gordon (16) with ball at midfield during the second half against the Los Angeles Galaxy at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports
The Bash Brothers era is history. Alan Gordon, Long Beach born and raised, is coming home. This week, Los Angeles Galaxy manager Bruce Arena announced that the former San Jose Earthquakes target forward was acquired by the Galaxy in exchange for allocation money, most likely to offset the costs of bringing in Matias Perez Garcia and a subsequent sea change in playing the game.
A logical option for Arena is to loan Gordon to LA Galaxy II to get back into scoring form and fitness so that his role as a poacher can brings shades of his breakthrough year in 2012, where he scored 13 goals and seven assists en route to a Supporters Shield for the Quakes.
“Alan is a proven MLS player who adds another scoring threat to our roster going forward,” Arena said of the signing. “We are pleased to welcome him back as a member of the Galaxy.”
“I’m thrilled to be back. It’s been a few years and obviously this is the team to be on. I’m thrilled to be back in Southern California and with an elite organization,” said Gordon to LAGalaxy.com’s Adam Serrano. “This has always been my first club. I was here for a lot of years and it does feel like home.”
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Gordon knows it won’t be easy to win back the support of the Los Angeles faithful, as he did shine bright when he scored on the Galaxy and celebrated excessively just to complicate matters. And there’s where the old adage “water under the bridge” comes into play.
““I guess I should have kept my shirt on,” Gordon admitted. “It’s all part of it. I’ve been getting heat here since I started. Hopefully I can have some good moments and win back the crowd.
“I’m a little bit more polished, I’m more experienced and I think that I’m a better goal scorer than I was. When I was here first, I was young, but I think that my travels helped me grow a lot. I think that I’ve improved everywhere. I think that I’ve polished up my finishing and I feel that every part that I’m better.”
Truth be told, Gordon has achieved some honors with Los Angeles, winning an MLS Cup in 2005, a U.S. Open Cup that same year, and two MLS Western Conference Championships. In addition, Gordon was on the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup winning USA Men’s National Team and also won an A-League title with the Portland Timbers in 2004. Thus, the Galaxy receive experience and a proven winner in Gordon, but his form must improve in order for him to be a relevant force on this team.
But most importantly, Gordon must win back the hearts of the fans that he alienated while playing for the Quakes. Don’t expect him to have his named called in future Bold Predictions involving the Galaxy, as his form needs to be reexamined by getting minutes under his belt as a member of LA Galaxy II on loan. There, he can be a mentor to the younger members of the team and instill a collective toughness that has been lacking at times in their inaugural season in USL PRO.
If that can be done, there is no reason why Alan Gordon can’t finish his playing career on a positive note as a member of the one club that gave him his first break more than a decade ago.