Zlatan Ibrahimovic: That’s precisely what you can’t do
Zlatan Ibrahimovic slapped Michael Petrasso on the back of the head and was sent off in LA Galaxy’s 1-0 win over the Montreal Impact on Monday. That is precisely what the star player cannot do.
Big players win you games. It is why they demand such a high price and wages. And it is why clubs are so happy to pay it. It is also why they are often attackers, but goals are the hardest thing to do in this game and they, predictably, win games.
However, said big players must be on the pitch if they are to win any game. That is kind of the point of the sport. It is a lesson that even some of the most experienced players in this sport are yet to learn.
Related Story: LA Galaxy: It's not so easy, is it Zlatan Ibrahimovic?
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, for instance, as displayed wonderfully by his idiotic behaviour on Monday, at 36 years of age, still hasn’t learned that his presence on the pitch, above all, is the most important aspect of his game.
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It was in the 42nd minute of the match — LA Galaxy travelled to the destitutely poor Montreal Impact in a game that neither side seemingly wanted to win. Ibrahimovic was simply stood close behind Impact defender Michael Petrasso, waiting for a potential cross to come in at the far post. Then all hell broke loose.
Petrasso, wandering back into his position, utterly unaware that Zlatan is there because he has his back to the Swede, accidentally steps on his foot as he is walking backwards. The red mist then descends on Zlatan, who petulantly slaps Pertasso across the side of the head and the ear, before falling to the ground holding the foot that Petrasso stepped on, clearly trying to hide the fact that he had just slapped the Impact defender over the head.
Perhaps he forgot about VAR, because in a European game, he may well have gotten away with an act of such stupidity. Not here though. After a video review, Ismail Elfath returned to the scene of the crime and brandished an utterly indisputable red card. It was one of the easiest decisions of a weekend stocked full of controversies.
But it points to a bigger problem. The Galaxy may have gone on to win this match thanks to a second-half strike from Ola Kamara, but they were somewhat fortunate to do so, having been forced to play the whole of the second half with a man disadvantage. And that is all because of the foolishness of Zlatan.
And this was not an over-eager foul when trying to win the ball in a dangerous position. This was not a mistimed tackle that erred on the high side. This was not a misguided decision by the referee either. This was utter stupidity. There is no other way of putting it. That is unacceptable for any professional player. They should be able to keep their emotions in check when it matters most. It is even more damning for a player of Zlatan’s experience, calibre, and importance. LA need him on the pitch. Now, he will miss next week’s match against the San Jose Earthquakes and could be suspended further if the league so chooses.
Next: Zlatan Ibrahimovic: MLS name; not MLS nature
That is precisely what Zlatan cannot do. He is integral to a struggling team. LA Galaxy are desperate for the real Zlatan to turn up. Some may suggest that this is a part of the real Zlatan — he has been sent off 13 times in his career. Nevertheless, he needs to stay on the pitch. He is useless on the sidelines, and it could render his team useless on the pitch.