LA Galaxy Vs LAFC: The greatness of Zlatan Ibrahimovic
On Friday night, Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored a perfect hat-trick as the LA Galaxy knocked off their bitter rivals, Los Angeles FC. This was the Swede exuding his greatness.
There are plenty of players who attest themselves to greatness. They shout and they holler, they espouse and they proclaim, but the real talking, that which comes between the great equaliser of four white lines and involves a leather ball and four goalposts, often falls silent.
It is easy to spout one’s own greatness. But to actually achieve greatness itself is something that very few individuals have the skill and attitude to do. It is a rare destination on a journey that many embark.
For Zlatan Ibrahimovic, he routinely makes his bed each morning as he wakes in the grounds of greatness. He resides there. He is also most willing to tell everyone he resides there, and to call out those who profess to without ever actually waking through those pearly gates.
The arrogance of Zlatan is something that can be unpalatable at times. He lacks humility, grace, dignity. But he is a man of integrity. He backs up his words with his actions. For all of the grandiose talk that surrounds the swashbuckling Swede, his greatest moments have not with a mic in front of his both but instead with a ball at his feet, usually flying into one goal or another after yet another jaw-droppingly sublime moment.
On Friday night, as his Los Angeles Galaxy tested themselves against the best team in MLS, their local rivals Los Angeles FC, no less, we again got to witness the stupendous Zlatan do what only he can do as he opened the gates to his greatness and unveiled just how outrageously brilliant he can be.
Zlatan’s perfect hat-trick really was perfect:
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A right-footed volley that dipped and dived past Tyler Miller was only surpassed by the deftness of his chested first touch and Dennis Bergkamp-like body swerve to simultaneously wriggle free of a defender while controlling an awkward ball that was three feet in the air; a towering, far-post header with his quintessential bullying physicality pummelling LAFC into submission; a rasping left-footed drive into the bottom corner to secure the victory.
Few gave the LA Galaxy much hope against the insatiable Black and Gold wave of dominating success. Statistically, LAFC are on pace to be the greatest team in MLS history, surpassing even the great 2017 iteration of Toronto FC. The Galaxy, while sitting third in the Western Conference prior to Friday night and undisputably a dangerous opponent, were expected to be swept aside like a rundown shed in a tsunami.
But this was no ordinary shed. Led by the immutable Zlatan, LA Galaxy roared like the Lion who led them; not necessarily in unison, although there were obviously contributions from those around him, but in support of just one man. Football is meant to be a team sport, but for the Galaxy, their team is ten supporting rods and one towering house.
Next. LA Galaxy Vs LAFC: 3 things we learned. dark
Zlatan is a man of riveting and disputable character. He is both relentlessly interesting and painfully uncompromising; wonderfully complex and agonisingly affronting. And in all of this, he exudes greatness. Not that you need me to tell you, because he has already told you.