MLS
MLS awaits Olivier Giroud with high expectations: when will he play for LAFC?
The Frenchman is the latest big name star to come from Europe to MLS, with his LAFC debut hotly anticipated.
Ex-Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud is set to leave Europe and join LAFC in MLS.
The French striker will join the Black & Gold in the summer of 2025, after ending his career in the elite of European soccer. The former AC Milan striker will join Denis Bouanga in attack to set LAFC up as one of the most dangerous and competitive teams in the Western Conference.
LAFC already know what it it like to be MLS champions, a trophy they obtained in 2022; they also have two Supporters’ Shields won in the 18/19 and 21/22 seasons. However, the challenge for titles in the last seasons has become somewhat complicated.
LAFC’s hat-trick of lost finals
In the previous campaign, they were eliminated in the round of 16 of the US Open Cup at the hands of their fierce rivals: LA Galaxy, missing out on the opportunity to add a new trophy to their cabinet. In the Leagues Cup during the same season, they lost in the quarterfinals to Monterrey.
The hardest hits for the team came with the three lost finals in the same season. The LA side reached the final of the Campeones Cup and lost to Tigres de la UANL on penalties. Similarly, in the final of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, they suffered a 1-3 aggregate defeat to León. The most painful loss came when they lost the MLS Cup to Columbus Crew by a score of 2-1.
Cherundolo to make changes in his tactical setup
Such results have forced the club to drastically halt the situation and to achieve this they are counting on the presence of Giroud, who they hope will make the difference. Taylor Twellman, a former soccer player and one of the top scorers in MLS who now serves as a commentator, spoke about the high expectations with which the league and especially LAFC awaits the Frenchman.
Twellman assured that Olivier Giroud will allow Cherundolo to make changes in his tactical setup, playing his top-level striker, Denis Bouanga, a little further back to give him freedom in the creation of play on the inside and thus a fixed number nine: “They want to win trophies, for all the finals they reached last season without winning anything,” said the former player.
He added that there is no reason why LAFC’s plan should not work: “This nine (Giroud) will replace Chicho Arango so that Bouanga does not play as a false nine and can return to the depth of the field. With Bouanga in position and Giroud there is no reason to have a bad season - like they say about this one even though goals have been scored. It will all depend on whether Giroud arrives from Europe, if he does well, it will be no surprise if LAFC is in the running for MLS Cup.”
Giroud will set foot in U.S. soccer at the age of 38, joining a group of established players in Europe who are enjoying a few seasons in MLS before retiring. The striker closed the season out with a total of 47 appearances with 17 goals and 9 assists in all competitions for AC Milan, finishing the season as the club’s top scorer.