Talking Sport
Nomadic US striker banging in the goals for Galway FC
Talking Sport with Stephen Glennon
Galway FC’s American striker Jake Keegan may joke that he comes from soccer royalty – his dad’s name is ‘Kevin Keegan’ – but if he keeps scoring goals for fun for his new club in its debut season in the League of Ireland First Division he may well receive a regal title in his own right.
To date, Keegan has netted 11 league goals – his latest in last weekend’s 3-0 victory over Finn Harps – while the stats show he has also had seven assists and that is impressive by any standards.
In addition, he has also found the net twice in Cup competitions, including a precious goal in Galway FC’s 3-1 FAI Cup win over Premier Division outfit UCD in June. He has certainly caught the eye of, and endeared himself to, supporters.
How, though, did Keegan end up in Galway? “I get asked that plenty,” laughs the 24-year-old. “I was in [Binghampton] University up until 2012 and I was drafted by a MLS team (Philadelphia Union) in America but instead of going on trial to them – for the lower draft picks it is going on trial really – I went over to Israel on trial with Maccabi Haifa.” So began his journey to Europe.
From an early age though, the Stormville New York native was recognised as a talent. He played his youth football with East Fishkill Thunder in the East Hudson Youth Soccer League for 12 years and was part of the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association’s Olympic Development Programme for five years.
In later years, he lined out with the Westchester Flames, netting 27 goals in the 28 games he played in between 2011 and 2012. Indeed, in 2011, he scored 16 goals in 16 games for the Flames, winning the USL PDL’s Golden Boot and was named on the All-League selection and Rookie of the Year.
With Keegan also breaking goal-scoring records with Binghampton University, he was selected in the third round of the 2013 Major League Soccer supplemental draft by Philadelphia Union but he turned it down for the opportunity to trial with Maccabi Haifa in January of last year.
Unfortunately, he was unable to secure a contract with the Israeli outfit. “They are a big club and I was only there for two and a half to three weeks but it was definitely the highest level I have ever trained at, for sure,” continues the affable American.
“I know they only signed Benayoun (former Liverpool and Chelsea star) in the past year but when I trained they still had players who had played in the Premier League in England. It was an unbelievable level to be honest with you. It was a different style of play. It was definitely an eye opener.”
In the following months, Keegan flitted between FC Lustenau in Austria, Jersey Express in the United States and Austria Lustenau back in Europe. Eventually, he signed for lower league German side FCA Darmstadt, scoring 10 goals in his first 10 games.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.
Inside Track with John McIntyre
THE dramatic finale at the Sportsground on Saturday ought to have made the RTE Six One News sporting headlines, but there wasn’t a mention of Connacht’s extraordinary late heroics against Gloucester which keeps the province’s hopes of reaching the European Champions Cup quarter-finals alive.
Instead, the rugby spotlight was on Munster’s away defeat to champions Saracens. Later during the sports segment on the Six One News, Connacht’s never-say-die comeback was relegated to the last match of the Champions Cup wrap up. RTE, in their wisdom, believed that Munster’s 15-6 loss and Leinster’s routing of a makeshift Northampton on the same day were somehow more meritorious.
If Leinster or Munster had achieved what Connacht did in the latest round of European pool matches, can you imagine how gushing RTE’s coverage would have been? When a Tipperary man with a strong GAA background starts taking offence over Connacht not getting the coverage they are entitled to, it does give an insight into why rugby in the West feels hard done by in terms of national acclaim.
For all that, last Saturday was another thumping experience on College Road. With their European Championship knock-out ambitions on the line, it was victory or bust for Caolin Blade and company. But when Connacht trailed by 24-13 with less than six minutes remaining, it was impossible to see how they could salvage a result.
A pragmatic Gloucester already had the four-try bonus point in the bag. They may have trailed 10-7 at the break having faced the elements, but tries from Mark Atkinson (two) and captain Lewis Ludlow turned the game on its head. Connacht were remaining competitive but the breaks were going the way of a team they had never previously beaten.
The home fans in the crowd of 6,800 were understandably resigned to the worst. The yellow carding of Ludlow for a deliberate knock on meant Gloucester were reduced to 14 for the closing minutes, but nobody at the Sportsground thought much of it. Connacht were 11 points behind with time running out. They needed a miracle.
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Inside Track with John McIntyre
MICHEÁL Donoghue faces the biggest challenge of his management career so far after Galway’s latest subdued display of 2019 at Pearse Stadium last Sunday. A lot of the same personnel are still there from the team’s magnificent All-Ireland triumph of two years, but the form of a number of influential players has nose-dived since last September’s championship loss to Limerick.
After a late collapse against Waterford in the National League quarter-final, Galway had some questions to answer ahead of their Leinster campaign and not withstanding their significant injury problems over the past few months, the Tribesmen’s stock has continued to decline judging by this month’s displays against both Carlow and Wexford.
Though it’s far from a full-blown crisis and we must keep a sense of perspective, there’s no point being wise after the event. On the evidence of what have seen to date this summer, Galway are dicing with an unexpected premature exit from the championship unless the squad can rediscover the hunger, intensity and quality which characterised many of their performances in 2017.
The continued absence of Joe Canning – and it is a mighty blow – can’t explain everything. Sure, Daithí Burke, Joseph Cooney, Jonathan Glynn, Adrian Tuohey and John Hanbury, an important introduction against Wexford, remain short of competitive action, but as a package, Galway should still be better than this.
Failing to find the net against either Carlow or Wexford, together with the lack of fluency and sharpness, has some local alarm bells ringing, leaving the team management with plenty to ponder on ahead of Sunday week’s big collision with Kilkenny. Lose that and Galway’s season will hang on getting a result at Parnell Park – an unforgiving venue at the best of times.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Talking Sport with Stephen Glennon
WHAT was meant to be a few minutes of soundbite ahead of St. Thomas’ All-Ireland senior club hurling semi-final clash against Cushendall on Saturday has metamorphosed into a full-scale Talking Sport interview. Simply, because, Claude Geoghegan is an interesting guy.
For the past decade, Geoghegan has been the man behind the scenes and in his own inimitable way he has contributed just as much to St. Thomas’s success story as anybody else in Kilchreest and Peterswell. Perhaps, even more so.
As club secretary, he presided over St. Thomas’ historic county and All-Ireland club victories in the 2012/2013 season while, in the past three years, he has served as selector under managers John Burke and Kevin Lally, winning a county senior crown with each in 2016 and 2018 respectively. It is a proud record.
“I have held a few positions alright over the best part of a decade now — four or five years as secretary — and this is my third year involved now with the senior team. It is a way of life, I suppose, more than anything else,” begins the 31-year-old.
“When you are from a rural locality, it is what you are brought up with. It is what you know. If I wasn’t involved in the club in some capacity, I would feel I had a bit too much spare time on my hands. I would feel a bit odd without it, being honest.”
A history teacher at Presentation College, Athenry, Geoghegan explains his family are steeped in GAA tradition. His father Seamus hurled with the club before managing the intermediate team, as it was back then, while his older brother James has also done his duty as club secretary.
“Also, when the club amalgamated in 1968, my father was on the U14 team that won the county championship that year. We actually haven’t won the ‘A’ championship at U14 since. We have won plenty, but not that.”
Indeed, three SHC county titles in the last seven years would suggest that St. Thomas’ is a very special club but Geoghegan argues they are no different to any of the other clubs around. “Every other club is putting in the time that we are putting in. We are not special in any way in comparison to anyone else but we are incredibly fortunate to have a special group of players who have come together at one time.”
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
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