Always looking for new, weird ways to promote, self-promote and promote some more, Major League Soccer and Twitter are joining together to create one crazy marketing ploy for Friday night’s El Trafico between the LA Galaxy and LAFC.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic did not play in the MLS All-Star Game last week. As a consequence, Major League Soccer suspended its biggest star for the LA Galaxy’s 2-1 loss to the lowly Colorado Rapids on Saturday.
Of course, Zlatan could not stay quiet about this suspension. Speaking with reporters on Thursday, the hulking Swede said “no comment” while also making quite a comment.
When most mere mortals are out playing in the streets, they’ll casually yell something like “Pogba!” or “Ronaldo!” when completing some audacious pass or string of step-overs. But if you, like me, are invincible and legend, you’ll scream “Zusi!” or “Andy Carroll!” or “wee Joe Allen!” when you get stuck in or while you're riding the pine. These are proper footballers, conjoined by one common thread: They all have spectacular man buns (Zusi used to, but now he’s a giant fraud).
The Colorado Rapids experienced a season-high crowd of 17,837 for yesterday’s visit of Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s LA Galaxy, but the big Swede wasn’t there. Ibra was serving a one-game suspension after electing to skip the MLS All-Star Game in Atlanta, and we now know what the 36-year-old has been doing with his time off.
Football is full of crazy characters, some more crazy than others, as the best soccer quotes ever illustrate. But what often makes a player or manager unique is the way in which they deal with the media. Some are very receptive, while others are not so much.
From a player or manager interacting with the media, or any other people really, they gift us some brilliant quotes. Whether it be about the game, a player, or even the journalist themselves, players and managers are never short when it comes to delivering an all-time quote.
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.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic made an appearance on ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption with Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon on Tuesday, and the LA Galaxy forward was full of his usual bluster, saying, among other things, that he could help LeBron James lift the Los Angeles Lakers back to relevance by trying his hand at the “basket.”
Something’s happening in Los Angeles. After losing to FC Dallas on May 30, the LA Galaxy are now unbeaten in their last seven MLS matches, including yesterday’s 3-1 win over Philadelphia at Talen Energy Stadium. A lot of that play is down to the goodness of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who now has nine goals and an assist in his last six league starts.
Immigrant players and sons of immigrants largely make up World Cup rosters. Welcoming immigration has proven to be the secret to having success at the World Cup. Out of the four teams still remaining in the tournament, France, Belgium and England feature squads composed of players from very diverse origins.