We apologize Zlatan. For several moments there – specifically, the first 26 moments of Saturday's LA derby – we doubted you. It really wasn't fair, as you were sitting on the bench, patiently waiting and watching as Carlos Vela netted two amazing goals to put LAFC up and seemingly out of reach.
In the run up to the first-ever "El Tráfico" – tha name fans have given the MLS derby between LA Galaxy and LAFC – the media hype focused on the Galaxy's recent acquisition of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Certainly Zlatan did little to dissuade the attention, quipping at a press conference that it feels good to be better than the four billion, or so, other footballers in the world.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic arrived in Los Angeles last week and has wasted no time in reaching peak levels of Zlatanocity.
To start, there was the full-page, five-word ad he took out in the LA Times to announce his arrival. Then there was his first training session with the club, during which he had to be dragged away from shooting practice so that he might remain fresh for this Saturday's LA derby.
We thought it might be a dream, one of those real-enough-to-be-real but surreal-enough-to-be-a-dream dreams, but it isn't a dream. We were wide awake the whole time and ZLATAN IS HERE.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic arrived in Los Angeles last night and was greeted by a throng of fans.
He then trained with his new club for the first time.
The LA Galaxy announced that Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be available for training this Friday and could make his Galaxy debut on Saturday in the LA Clasico (a.k.a. El Trafico).
LA Galaxy announces Zlatan Ibrahimovic will train with team on Friday and be available for selection on Saturday vs LAFC on big FOX.
— Grant Wahl (@GrantWahl) March 28, 2018
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Zlatan Ibrahimovic is coming to MLS. After previously stating that his aim was to eclipse Napoleon by crossing the Atlantic and conquering the States, the Swedish striker is now en route to Los Angeles and aiming for a spectacular debut on March 31 against LAFC (“El Tráfico”) at an already sold out StubHub Center.
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