As we know, Saturday’s MLS Cup final between the Los Angeles Galaxy and the Houston Dynamo could be Landon Donovan’s last competitive game as a professional soccer player. As the reality of that possibility sinks in, the media, fellow professionals and even the MLS Commissioner himself have publicly lobbied the 30-year-old American international to keep on playing.

"Landon's a great player. He's a great talent. He's a special talent on this team and a special talent in this country," Donovan’s LA Galaxy teammate David Beckham said. "He's still young. I personally hope that he doesn't stop playing because I believe he still has a few good years left in him.

“Whether he needs a break or to step away from the game for a while and then come back, 30 years old is still young,” the 37-year-old added. “You know I hope he continues, so let's hope this is not his last game. And let's hope when he spoke about how he didn't have the hunger like he used to, let's hope it was just a moment that he had."

Ahead of Saturday’s final, MLS Commissioner Don Garber told reporters: "We certainly hope that he's here until he's 37 years old like David is," he said, emphasizing “how important (Donovan) was in helping to build Major League Soccer and build soccer in America.”