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LA Galaxy v LAFC: MLS – live! LA Galaxy v LAFC: MLS – live!
(35 minutes later)
LAFC
Teams are coming out right now, and let’s point out that for all the hype and froth around LAFC, Bob Bradley has got them coming out of the blocks looking sharp and organized, and with Designated Player Carlos Vela pulling strings alongside Diego Rossi, and Benny Feilhaber providing his usual guile in midfield, they’ve quickly proved to be a devastating attacking force. And with Laurent Ciman organizing at the back, were you to look at both sides on form alone, you might shade this for the visitors.
But as NYCFC could tell you, getting your first win over established rivals can take a minute...
LA Galaxy
From the obligatory delirious fans at the airport, to the videos cranked out to hail his arrival, you get the sense the Galaxy staff and fans have rather enjoyed stealing the attention from their upstart neighbors with the arrival of Zlatan, and the great man, obligingly, is not the type to underplay that attention.
Ask anyone in the Galaxy hierarchy and they’ll tell you they’re just concentrating on themselves and how to take the next steps as a team, rather than reacting to the new presence in town. A marketing tagline of “Unrivaled since 96” probably tells you everything you need to know about how they’d like to present themselves.
But the best editions of the Galaxy over the years have always had their fair share of trailblazing swagger. Pre-Zlatan, Sigig Schmid looked to have quietly retooled the team from a disastrous 2017, but they were looking like a decent playoff prospect rather than the benchmark team they were for most of this decade.
Zlatan, in and of himself, doesn’t change the team’s prospects overnight, especially given the stage he’s at in his recovery. But he instantly gifts that swagger and perhaps for the first time in this incipient rivalry, he puts the pressure back on LAFC to make a move of their own.
No Dos Santos brothers today — international duty has kept them out of the familiar top-heavy LA attack. Zlatan isn’t in the starting line up either.
In fact, look at the Galaxy’s defense this afternoon — that’s still the big question mark that follows all those Zlatan exclamation marks.
Preamble
Afternoon all, and welcome to El Trafico (I don’t make the names, I just report them...).
ZlatanZlatanZlatanZlatan...
LAFC had done a great job of being a shiny new object in South California up until this week. A great start to the season had built on the first impression of some choice branding, and what’s shaping up to be one of the iconic stadiums in MLS. Yes, the LA Galaxy might have been the incumbent team, a five-time MLS Champion and general tentpole presence in the league, but LAFC quickly transcended novelty to announce themselves as a serious contender for hearts and minds in the city.
But as the first LA derby loomed this weekend, the Galaxy pulled a rabbit out of the hat. Or rather, a lion. And now zLAtan is a thing, and the Galaxy have hauled the narrative back into their control.
They still have to play each other though. And that’s why we’re here.
I’ll be back shortly with a little more build up and team news, but in the meantime, just know that Zlatan is at least suited up for today, the LAFC fans are already packed into their allocated corner of the StubHub Center, and that you can email me at graham.parker@theguardian.com or send your pithy snark to @grahamparkerfc
Graham will be here shortly. In the meantime why not read Chris Young’s piece on Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s first day with the Galaxy.Graham will be here shortly. In the meantime why not read Chris Young’s piece on Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s first day with the Galaxy.