Zlatan to MLS? Galaxy maybe?

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's contract with PSG is ending in the summer.

Where next?

The rumors have him looking at Premier League (big budget Man U is often mentioned), Chinese League (they have been raining money on players to build the league), and MLS with New York or Los Angeles as likely destinations.

LAT Baxter has the rumor mill round-up and what the possible path would be for a move to the MLS and in particular the LA Galaxy. It would require some creative juggling but the LA Galaxy brain trust is well known for finding ways to work within the MLS rules. The last two seasons of has had them navigate the system to land Gerrard, Dos Santos, De Jong, and Cole. Nonetheless, there are huge challenges.

Excerpt:
For starters there's the contract. Ibrahimovic will have to accept a massive pay cut to come to the U.S., even under the best of circumstances. MLS teams are allowed three designated-player exemptions, which allow them to pay salaries that go beyond the league's maximum yet count only partially against the payroll cap. The Galaxy's three DP spots are all taken, though, meaning all they could offer Ibrahimovic is a pro-rated $457,500, plus a few thousand more in so-called allocation money. Ibrahimovic made that much every five days last season.

Meanwhile, in this current season, the Galaxy are in the hunt for the playoffs. They are finding some team chemistry on offense with a league leading goal differential of 12 on 24 total goals. This Sunday, they face, at home, their California Clasico rival the San Jose Earthquake. It is a one of the historic and competitive rivalries in the MLS.

LAT Baxter also has a piece on Gerrard's adjustment to MLS and life in LA and the USA.

Excerpt:
This season, with the benefit of both a six-week preseason training camp and a better understanding of the L.A. freeways, Gerrard says he's far more comfortable, both on and off the field. And that, too, has shown in his performance: Gerrard has already equaled last year's total of two goals and three assists despite playing less than half as many minutes and taking fewer than half as many shots.

Go Galaxy!!

It's a final: 1-1.



Drat! Had the victory only to give up the equalizer late. But then again, one might say the go ahead goal by the Galaxy was a bit of a fluke and the game could have easily been 0-0. On the other hand, Boehm over at MLSsoccer.com thought the game could have been 3-3 with the open attacking play shown by both sides. So as the Brits often say in post-match commentary, "it was a 'fair' result."