Zlatan Ibrahimovic wins MLS Goal of the year with his debut strike against LA FC

Zlatan Ibrahimovic makes a name whichever league he plays in. And what a way to make his name in MLS with a stunner against LA FC in his debut match which also happens to be the Los Angeles derby!

Having moved to LA Galaxy in a summer transfer move from Manchester United, Ibrahimovic came off the bench and scored two goals in his debut El Trafico to win it 4-3 for the LA Galaxy including an injury time winner. Barely six minutes on the field, the former Manchester United and Paris St. Germain man scored a 40-yard missile which expertly lobbed over goalkeeper Tyler Miller to tie the score at 3-3, providing a finish that has now been named as the year’s best. The wonder goal was only the start of Ibrahimovic’s magic as he then headed home the winner in stoppage time for a 4-3 victory. Also among the MLS Goal of the Year nominees was Ibrahimovic’s 500th career goal, a stunning karate-kick finish in September’s clash with Toronto FC.

The accolade is the latest in a series going to the striker after he was named MLS newcomer of the year ahead of former England Captain Wayne Rooney after both of them were named in the MLS Team of the Season. Ibrahimovic joins Carlos Ruiz, 2002, and Landon Donovan, 2009, as the third LA Galaxy player to win the goal of the year award.  Zlatan finished off the season with a stunning record of 22 goals and 10 assists in 27 matches becoming only the third player in MLS history to have a 20-goal, 10-assist season.

“If you look back, every team I played for, I scored in my first official game. I wasn’t going to let that stop today,” a delighted Ibrahimovic said after the match. “I heard the crowd saying ‘We want Zlatan, we want Zlatan’ and I gave them Zlatan,” he signed off.