Zlatan Ibrahimovic arrived in Los Angeles last week and has wasted no time in reaching peak levels of Zlatanocity.
To start, there was the full-page, five-word ad he took out in the LA Times to announce his arrival. Then there was his first training session with the club, during which he had to be dragged away from shooting practice so that he might remain fresh for this Saturday's LA derby.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is coming to MLS. After previously stating that his aim was to eclipse Napoleon by crossing the Atlantic and conquering the States, the Swedish striker is now en route to Los Angeles and aiming for a spectacular debut on March 31 against LAFC (“El Tráfico”) at an already sold out StubHub Center.
Colombian forward Jackson Martinez was one of the first Europe-based players to make a lucrative move to China. The former Porto and Atletico Madrid player was snapped up by Guanzhou Evergrande for an amount of money that seemed like far too much at the time.
A 23rd season of Major League Soccer will kick off with a record 23 clubs on Saturday. The league continues to grow in both number of teams and amount of money being spent on players. An increase in allocation money has made for a busy offseason and the new 2018 MLS signings will have an outsized impact on the upcoming campaign.
OK, this is getting a little crazy. Toronto, coming off probably the best season in MLS history in 2017, keeps getting better. The latest Toronto FC signing, midfielder Ager Aketxe, gives the Reds one of the scariest lineups in all of North America and they could blow away what the team accomplished last season.
Zyen Jones, a 17-year-old forward, is set to become the latest American to move to Germany in search of playing time he can’t find in the U.S. Jones, who went on trial with Schalke in January, will move from Atlanta United’s academy to Schalke’s U-19 team when he turns 18 in August.
Last season, Toronto FC took their game to another level with the signing of La Masia product Victor Vazquez. The 31-year-old Spanish midfielder was named to the 2017 MLS Best XI while adding a degree of quality and composure rarely seen in MLS.
Amy Rodriguez, one of the most decorated players for the USWNT in the past decade, is on the move. The forward with 30 goals in 130 caps is joining NWSL expansion team Utah Royals FC, the club announced Tuesday.
Introducing the newest member of the fam, @AmyRodriguez8
The Orlando Pride have seemingy acquired a habit of snapping up USWNT attackers after their husbands move to Orlando City SC. In 2016, USWNT striker Alex Morgan moved to the Pride following Orlando City's acquisition of her husband, Servando Carrasco. Friday, the Pride traded for USWNT striker Sydney Leroux, whose husband, Dom Dwyer, was recently acquired by Orlando City.