Zlatan Ibrahimovic brought his A-game in the first game of the 2019 edition of El Trafico
As Montell Jordan once said: It’s Friday night, and I feel alright, the party is here on the west side.
The crosstown rivalry between LAFC and the LA Galaxy is already proving to be one of the best rivalries in MLS if not the best rivalry. The stars once again shined on the big stage, which was Dignity Health Sports Park on Friday might, but the biggest star of all once again was Zlatan Ibrahimovic, as his hat trick on the night overcame Carlos Vela’s brace, and the Galaxy went on to a 3-2 win over LAFC.
“I come with a lot of confidence, a lot of belief, and a lot of responsibility,” Ibrahimovic said. “When I go out on the field, I feel I have a lot of responsibility to help my teammates and especially to help them win, and today the outcome was perfect. So, another good game.”
The win was certainly needed for the Galaxy (12-8-1, 37 points), as they climbed back into second place in the Western Conference, and while first-place LAFC still has a very comfortable nine-point lead over its cross-town rivals, taking the first match of the season between the two teams should give the Galaxy a much needed boost.
“We had some fluke games, we’ve been up and down, but we’re still competing with the team that’s at the top right now and we can beat anybody on any given day,” Galaxy defender Daniel Steres said.
Such a result did not seem likely considering how the match started. LAFC (14-3-4, 46 points) was on the attack just two minutes in, Mark Anthony Kaye played a ball to Vela inside the penalty area, Vela touched a ball forward, keeper David Bingham came off his line to try to beat Vela to the ball, but ended up sideswiping Vela and referee Jair Marrufo awarded LAFC the penalty. A minute later, Vela stepped up to the penalty spot and buried the shot to stake LAFC to the lead.
However, it was all Zlatan from that point on. Ibrahimovic went to work beginning in the eighth minute, as he took a pass from Juan Araujo, played a ball in the air that enabled him to sidestep Eduard Atuesta, then fired a one-timer that got past Tyler Miller near post for the equalizer.
Ibrahimovic then took control of the match for the Galaxy in the second half. Ibrahimovic put the Galaxy ahead in the 56th minute, as Diego Polenta cut off Latiff Blessing’s clearance attempt, sent a ball back into the 18-yard box, Ibrahimovic jumped, fought off Jordan Harvey’s last minute challenge and headed a ball past Miller into the back net and Dignity Health Sports Park erupted. Ibrahmovic sent the Galaxy fans into a frenzy one more time in the 70th minute, as he headed a ball to Araujo, who touched it to Fabio Alvarez, he back-heeled a ball to Ibrahimovic; who took a touch forward before firing a volley just outside the penalty area that took a bounce past Miller into the back net, getting Ibrahimovic his hat trick and the Galaxy a two-goal lead.
“I have a vision, I have my confidence, and I believe in myself,” Ibrahimovic said. “People call it arrogant, I call it confidence. Ignorant people call it arrogant, intelligent people call it confidence.”
LAFC did have their chances in the second half. LAFC came very close to leveling the match again in the 67th minute, as Lee Nguyen played a ball to Tristan Blackmon, who took a touch before finding Vela, who was open inside the penalty area. Vela immediately turned forward and prepared to shoot, but defender Giancarlo Gonzalez, who at first tried to signal offside, but the referee didn’t got for it, then made what looked like a risky tackled from behind, but fortunately for Gonzalez, he got the ball first, and while he did bring down Vela, Marrufo signaled no foul as Bingham scooped up the ball.
“Their intensity took us out of our game,” LAFC head coach Bob Bradley said. “We weren’t good in any part of the game, our passing wasn’t nowhere near good enough, but the intensity changed the game, and we didn’t deal well enough with it.”
Another chance for an LAFC equalizer came two minutes later, as Adama Diomande played Rossi into the penalty area, Rossi shot the ball past Bingham, but hit off the crossbar and over the endline. LAFC did get a second goal in stoppage time, as Vela took a ball from Atuesta and fired the shot past Bingham far post despite the Galaxy’s plea for offside.
“They played better,” Vela said of the Galaxy’s effort. “They won the battle in the intensity and the duels, all those kind of things. The rest of the game, we played much better.”
LAFC will have to wail until late August to get that elusive El Trafico win, as they won’t face the Galaxy until August 25 at Banc of California Statium. Until then, LAFC will look to bounce back at home next Friday against Atlanta United. The Galaxy meanwhile will take some time off from MLS play, as they host Club Tijuana on Tuesday night.
