The Daily Dirt May 23, 2018: Zlatan is still making headlines

I’ve met plenty of people in my lifetime that hate Mondays and that includes myself. While I’ve never met Zlatan Ibrahimovic, I don’t think he’s particularly fond of Mondays either after the events that unfolded during the LA Galaxy’s game against the Montreal Impact.

Then again, Monday wasn’t exactly the best of days for many soccer fans around the world. Tuesday was better, but it’s still a long way to Friday. Here’s the dirt...

Domestic

As mentioned before, Zlatan Ibrahimovic may not be a big fan of Monday games. Why? Well, after having his toe (yes his toe!) stepped on by the Montreal Impact’s Michael Petrasso, Ibrahimovic lashed out with a firm slap around the side of the head.

In all honesty, it probably didn’t warrant Petrasso going to ground, but it was certainly a red card and Ibrahimovic can thank VAR for helping with the decision. The sending off didn’t seem to stop LA Galaxy though as they went on to win 1-0 thanks to Ola Kamara’s goal.

Ibrahimovic’s impressive theatrics deserve to be mentioned too:

Looks like the Red Bull ecosystem is in full swing, as Red Bull New York and USMNT midfielder Tyler Adams looks set to depart for the Bundesliga at season’s end.

Patrick Viera, on the other hand, is apparently NOT leaving for Nice. In fact, there’s a possibility that he may #actually have been there to see his niece.

International

The managerial merry-go-round has already begun in Europe as Arsenal continue their search for a replacement of Arsene Wenger. While rumors of Mikel Arteta grew stronger by the day, it was reported on Monday that Unai Emery would be taking over at the club.

You would think that after years of protests and rants online, Arsenal fans would finally be content with the new appointment...think again. The response to the news wasn’t exactly met with open arms, which means the next few days should be fun.

Well then...

Elsewhere, Radja Nainggolan was left out of Belgium’s World Cup squad and subsequently retired from international soccer hours after the announcement. Andi Thomas dove into the odd decision a little further in his round-up.

Goal

Ola Kamara continued his good form for LA Galaxy, scoring the only goal in their 1-0 win over the Montreal Impact on Monday afternoon. The forward raced past two defender before calmly finding the back of the net. A simple, yet impressive finish:

What to Watch For

World Cup squads are being released quicker than you can say Radja Nainggolan’s name five times fast (try it, it’s fun), so keep an eye out for those throughout the week.