“There is no chance [Major League Soccer] will survive. Absolutely no chance whatsoever.”

“Wise” words from Nye Lavalle, a sports marketing executive in The Sporting News, June 27, 1994.

Oh, how wrong he was.

However, many people agreed with the view.

The future of American soccer looked grim, as with four major sports – football, baseball, basketball, and hockey – already established, it seemed almost impossible for a foreign sport like soccer to penetrate the core four.

One of the most common complaints were that it was simply boring, with people saying that they don’t want to watch a game that ends 0-0 after hour and a half of just twenty-two men chasing the ball around. Such misinformed people are common, and they usually do not give the sport a chance just from the prejudice that they have heard or one boring game they watched. Yes, it does not have consistent scoring like basketball does. Yes, it does not have barbaric violence like American football or ice hockey do. Yes, it does not have a deep root in this country like baseball does. However, it is the most popular sport in the world by far for a reason.

Another reason why it is not as popular as other American sports is that the superstars like Messi and Ronaldo are not playing in their backyards. People can go to their local team’s stadium and see Mike Trout hit a home run or LeBron James dunk, but most players in the MLS are home-grown players or washed-up stars. It is much harder to access the best players in the world.

When I first came to America, I was told that the Americans don’t like soccer. As an avid fan of the sport, I was baffled by its lack of popularity. To me, it was the only sport I really grew up with, and by far the most exciting.

However, from six years to today, I have witnessed a change. Through two World Cups, I saw this country unite through this sport that it did not want before, and have incredible success as an underdog. The chant “I Believe That We Will Win” could be heard everywhere. I could hear kids who never watched soccer before get excited over Tim Howard’s heroics and exciting talent that is Julian Green.

I saw many American players fly over to Europe and compete with some of the best players in the world. Tim Howard, Brad Guzan, Fabian Johnson, John Brooks, Clint Dempsey, Jermaine Jones, Julian Green, Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore just to name a few. Even someone like Josh Gatt who’s playing in Norway is experiencing the atmosphere of the Champions League and successfully competing with the likes of Messi and Ronaldo.

I saw the Major League Soccer rise to relevance. Like the quote above, it has fought against all odds to overtake the NHL as the fourth-most popular sport and closing in on the MLB and the NBA. Lasting over eleven years, it has produced the best American soccer talents that we have seen. The fan bases, especially in the cities like Seattle or Portland, are at par with those of European clubs. It is on ESPN every week. It has truly come very, very far.

Who was in the middle of all this?

Landon Donovan, The greatest American to ever play the game.

157 games. Most goals and assists in the history of the US Men’s National Team.

As of the publication of this article, he also holds the record for the most goal in the MLS with 144 goals and second with 119 assists.

They do not matter.

Forget the stats. Forget that he has scored the most goals in red, white, and blue. Forget that he has the most assists in the history. Forget all that.

The impact he has had on American soccer transcends what he did on the pitch.

How could we forget his final goal as the member of the national team against Mexico to send the U.S. to the 2014 World Cup? How could we forget the goal against the archrival Mexico in the 2002 World Cup to send the team to the quarter final? How could we forget that last minute goal against Algeria to advance the United States to the Round of 16 in 2010 World Cup?

He was a pioneer. He truly started a migration of a plethora of American players to the European league. His stints in Everton and Bayern Munich established the way for the U.S. products to enter the best leagues in the world. He was the ambassador of U.S. soccer in Europe.

Most importantly, he stayed home. Despite being the best player in the history of American soccer, he played in the MLS for the majority of his career. Even though he clearly could have competed with the best, he kept his country, his league, his city in his heart. He was the cornerstone for the prosperity of the league.

Clearly Landon has not been the best player for the Red, White, and Blue. Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley cemented themselves as the leaders of the pack, playing in Barclays Premier League and Serie A, respectively. They were respected members of their teams and received playing times regularly.

They came home. Just like Donovan.

Without Landon Donovan, David Beckham might never have come to America to start the new trend. The English midfielder is credited for having started a new wave of immigration to the United States – footballers. The MLS was not seen as an incompetent, inferior league. It was seen as a rising, expanding league that many former stars such as Thierry Henry and Kaká wanted to be the part of. The presence of the best player of the country in his domestic league drew the attraction from many, many soccer-related personnel, and now is considered to be on its way to the stardom.

I’m not trying to undermine Donovan’s skill as a player. He was incredibly gifted and deserves to be considered as a world class player. Without his skillset, everything I have mentioned above could not have been possible.

So kudos to you, Landon. For everything you have done for the country and the sport that you love so dearly. You have come so far, so fast. It’s time for a breather. I hope your retirement is enjoyable, and let your impact on this country’s fastest growing sport be never forgotten. Cheers, mate.