Zlatan Ibrahimovic is perhaps best known for two things: his scoring ability and his big mouth. Unsurprisingly, the two go hand in hand. Though he has a habit of making audacious, eye-roll-inducing claims about his talent, he's quick to back up his words with goals of both great beauty and frequency.
Last night against Orlando City, the big Swede showed yet again why he should be both revered and feared as he scored a hat-trick in his side’s 4-3 win. For his first of the match, Mexican winger Giovani dos Santos found the head of the towering Swede in the six-yard box, and he made no mistake by nodding it in to the corner.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s 13th goal of the season. pic.twitter.com/qR2jfJDGwn
— Sports Notes (@SportsNotes23) July 30, 2018
The second was textbook Ibrahimovic from start to finish. He displayed some lovely target forward play by holding off an Orlando center back and flicked it onto fellow Scandinavian Ola Kamara. Ibra then rolled off to continue into the 18, Kamara whipped in a ball to the back post and there was No. 9 for an acrobatic diving header.
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A flying Zlatan finishes off a perfect @OlaKamara cross for his second! #LAvORL pic.twitter.com/hF7sI2lfUg— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) July 30, 2018
He completed the hat-trick by making Orlando pay for a poor clearance in the back, taking it off the chest and powering a low volley home. To celebrate, of course, he took off his shirt.
Score the hat trick, throw the shirt.
— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) July 30, 2018
It’s been quite a season so far for the Galaxy’s celeb signing, and if he continues this run of form, his team could make a deep run in the playoffs (that is, if his head doesn’t inflate too much and explode come October).