Ibrahimovic fulfils his ‘destiny’ with double on Galaxy debut
He came, he scored and, predictably, he conquered. Had Zlatan Ibrahimovic scripted it himself, the debut could not have been as outrageous as the one which unfolded in real life last night with two goals in an extraordinary 20-minue cameo for LA Galaxy.
It took the game’s ultimate showman just six minutes to underline what the fuss is all about after huge cheers marked his introduction as a 71stminute substitute with his side trailing city rivals Los Angeles 3-2.
Pouncing on a loose ball 38 yards out, he took one look at goal, where the keeper had strayed off his line, and fired a first-time swerving volley into the net for an equaliser that sent the crowd predictably wild.
It was Ibrahimovic’s first shot of the night and, as a way of introducing himself to a new club and country, was surely without equal.
But this was just the start of it. Having come back from three goals down, LA Galaxy pushed for the winner. With stoppage time ticking down, Ibrahimovic launched himself at an Ashley Cole cross from the left and, finding a space between two defenders and the goalkeeper, headed home. Cue delirium across the stadium.
TV replays later suggested he might have strayed offside but this was not a night for technicalities like worrying about the rules.
The extraordinary two-goal display lived up to the billing Ibrahimovic gave himself by posting a full-page ad in the Los Angeles Times last week. It said simply “Los Angeles, you’re welcome” while the sports page boasted a huge picture over the headline “He’s hard to ignore”. Indeed he was.
“I heard the fans chanting ‘we want Zlatan’ and I gave them Zlatan,” he said. “When I scored the first goal, I thought, ‘OK, good. My knee is OK’.”
That was a reference to the injury that overshadowed his career at Manchester United, for whom he managed just seven appearances this season.
But his Old Trafford disappointment was long forgotten last night as the Swede underlined what he is capable of. The 36-year-old, who has signed a twoyear contract reported to be worth $3million (£2.15million), arrived in the United States only on Thursday night, training with his new team-mates for the first time on Friday. “Things go like they are not supposed to go, but the destiny said I will come here,” he said. “Los Angeles called and I answered.”
His debut predictably sent social media into meltdown, with the cyber noise likely to continue all summer. Ibrahimovic still has not dismissed coming out of international retirement to play for Sweden in the World Cup – on this evidence nothing should be ruled out.