I got an email the other day from the L.A. Galaxy media department.

“Postgame notes: L.A. Galaxy 2, Chicago Fire 0 – March 6, 2015”

The Galaxy season opener, and a victory for the defending Major League Soccer champions.

And it was then that I realized …

I am far more interested in Landon Donovan than I am about the Galaxy.

To the point that I don’t really care what the Galaxy does, now that he has retired. Win 2-0, lose 2-0, draw 2-2 … any of that is fine.

I am a fan of Landon Donovan, Galaxy player for a decade. Not really of the team.

It was one of those moments when you don’t realize what you believe until you are confronted by some evidence.

“Galaxy win … without Landon. I don’t care.”

Donovan retired at the end of the 2014 season, after he played for his sixth MLS championship winner. A record. Just as his MLS goals and assists also are records.

I first saw him play when he was 16. Last week, he turned 33.

I followed his career professionally and personally into 2008 and later, after the moves to Hong Kong and Abu Dhabi (mine), from a distance.  And he was the prism through which I viewed the league. “Is this good for Landon?”

I have been aware of the Galaxy from their debut, back in 1996. They were the local team. I saw them from time to time, as a working reporter.

I remember that Cobi Jones played for them in those early days. Paul Caligiuri did, too. But I wasn’t paying rapt attention. Not until Landon came back from Bayer Leverkusen to join the Galaxy in the summer of 2005.

I like coach Bruce Arena well enough. Baggio Husidic has a fun name. So does Gyasi Zardes. Robbie Keane is a good player. I like Omar Gonzalez as a national team player.

But I am more interested in what Landon is doing than what the Galaxy is doing.

And what is he doing?

Not much evidence on the web, which is probably fine with him, but he posted a Facebook message a month ago, and the content does not surprise me at all.

Remember, he has always been interested in the wider world. I speculated that he would end his soccer career and then more or less “walk the Earth”.

He has been traveling, to India and the Maldives. He visited orphanages in Peru and Ecuador. He announced his engagement to girlfriend Hannah.

He also wrote:

“There are many more trips to come and I can’t wait! I’ve also had more time with my family and close friends over the last 2 months than I had in the previous 16 years combined.