It hasn’t been a good start to the season in Vancouver. Still without a win, the Whitecaps welcomed the LA Galaxy to BC Place on Friday night. 

The match actually started well for the home side, which was immediately awarded a penalty kick. But left back Ali Adnan’s awful Panenka attempt failed and the Canadian fans began to turn on their team.

Dare to Zlatan?  pic.twitter.com/dWYPWlthkj

After missing two matches due to an Achilles tendon problem, Zlatan Ibrahimovic returned to action on Sunday and scored a brace of penalties in the LA Galaxy’s 2-1 victory over the Portland Timbers at Dignity Health Sports Park.

But the highlight of the night might’ve been an early attempt from Ibrahimovic that struck the base of the post. Using his right leg like the taekwondo expert he is, the 37-year-old flicked this effort on frame in the 14th minute only to be denied by the woodwork.  

The list for the Champions League top scorers of all time stretches from players who played in the European Cup (first held during the 1955-56 season) to its current branding as the Champions League (renamed as such in 1992). The competition is now synonymous with the active footballing behemoths known as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, and for good reason.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic loves to boast and has no lack of self-confidence. His league titles around Europe and amazing goals have placed him in the top echelon of players over the past decade. Even in MLS, Zlatan has already created several memorable moments, including his come-from-behind-victory brace against LAFC on his debut. But this time Zlatan has probably overestimated himself. 

Very rarely do you see European soccer teams playing on turf.

Still some teams that have played in the Champions and Europa Leagues this season play on turf, including Young Boys in Switzerland and Nordsjaelland in Denmark. Still, turf isn’t really a commonplace surface for professional matches in Europe.

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