Landon Donovan played in eight matches for Club León last season. Photo : Hector Vivas ( Getty )

Landon Donovan’s latest attempt to retire from soccer is apparently over. Sports Illustrated’s Grant Wahl reports that Donovan will join the San Diego Sockers of the Major Arena Soccer League.


As successful as he has been as a player, this is the third time Donovan has failed to retire from soccer. What gives? A brief timeline:


Donovan’s retirements are getting shorter, but his un-retirements are getting longer. At this rate, he’ll spend a season and a half with the Sockers before retiring, then un-retiring a few months later for to play striker for… um, let’s say, VVV-Venlo.

The man just cannot stay retired. He recently attempted to bring an MLS team to San Diego, but his group’s stadium bid was roundly defeated in the election last year. “I can’t speak for our owners, but I think it would be devastating for this city to not have a Major League Soccer team,” Donovan told Goal.com.

Perhaps the city can cry its MLS tears into an indoor soccer arena. The Major Arena Soccer League, you will be happy to learn, has 16 teams. One of them, the Harrisburg Heat, literally plays at the Pennsylvania Farm Show. Another is called Utica City FC; they were the Syracuse Silver Knights before this season. And, oh yes, longtime indoor soccer fans: The Milwaukee Wave are in this league, too.

Unfortunately, you won’t get to see Donovan play at the farm show. Teams play 22 games a year, but only play teams in their own conference. And here’s something that seems unfair: The Sockers are 10-1 and in first place in the league. And now they get to add Landon Donovan?! I know people are eager to end the Baltimore Blast’s three-year reign as MASL champions, but a little competitive balance would be nice.