"It was great," Keat said. "To go out and do it against a team that is obviously one of the best in the world was amazing. I was so excited."
Keat, who starred on the Dartmouth men's soccer team from 2006 to 2010, was selected third overall by the Galaxy in Major League Soccer's supplemental draft in January. Although the midfielder was excited about being drafted, Keat knew that he would have a tough road ahead when he sustained a fractured heel at a combine during preseason training.
"I was injured before I got drafted, but they had faith in me and worked with me through the first couple of months to make sure my heel was fine," Keat said. "I had a pretty hard time coming into the new team being injured. No one wants to be that guy. It was a long way back, but it is finally paying off."
With some hard work and rehabilitation of his heel, the Wellington, New Zealand native made his comeback on a big stage, competing in front of over 56,000 spectators at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The former first team All-Ivy midfielder played with and against some of the world's best, including David Beckham, Landon Donovan, Juninho, Cristiano Ronaldo and Iker Casillas.
After Ronaldo scored the third of four Madrid goals, Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena put Keat into the game to replace Juninho in the 71st minute of the game. Despite the intimidating surroundings, Keat was able to maintain a cool head.
"It was different than my experience at Dartmouth," Keat said. "My time at Dartmouth still helped me prepare for it. We had great coaches and great facilities, and I worked hard during my four years. I've had the chance to play in front of big crowds like this before, so I had confidence in my abilities. I just tried to stay relaxed and confident, and I ended up doing well."
Although Keat is extremely talented as a midfielder, it might be some time before he can move up through the ranks and become a regular on the field. Despite the tough competition, Keat remains confident and positive about the outlook.
"I've been training, but it's hard to get game time. I have confidence in my ability to contribute to our team here," Keat said. "Although I don't necessarily play in every game, I feel like we have a strong squad with a good environment, and I think I can really contribute something to that."
Not only is Keat recovering from his injury and attempting to make the transition from college level to professional level soccer, he is also adapting to his new life in Los Angeles.
"It's been fantastic," Keat said. "It's hard to complain. The weather is great every day for training. We have a great team environment, and it's great to get up excited to go to work hard every day."
The former Big Green athlete currently lives with several other rookie members of the Galaxy. Former New Zealand teammates Andy Boyens and Simon Elliott also currently live in Los Angeles, serving as reminders of home for Keat. Although they play for the Galaxy's MLS rival Chivas USA, the two teams share the same practice facility, and the players periodically see each other.
"[Boyens and Elliott] are really experienced players, and they've been able to help me out a little bit," Keat said.
Keat, The former captain of the 2007 Under-20 New Zealand World Cup team, has also met some other familiar faces in the Los Angeles area.
"I actually also run into a lot of Dartmouth people around here," Keat said. "I love seeing them because I think it's so important to keep those bonds."
The Galaxy resumed its MLS regular season schedule with a 4-0 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday. The team will next travel to Portland, Ore. to take on the Timbers tomorrow at 7:30 p.m.
