How Ibrahimovic and Rooney became advocates for MLS players' rights

Major League Soccer’s two biggest stars are using their clout to expose the league’s flaws, ensuring their impact on American soccer won’t just be quantified by their number of goals scored

He is one of the best strikers of his generation, yet for many Zlatan Ibrahimovic is defined by what he says off the pitch rather than what he produces on it. Never before has this been truer than it is now. The Swede’s hat-trick against Sporting KC last week saw him break LA Galaxy’s single-season scoring record, and he now has 27 goals in 26 games. But that still doesn’t do justice to the way Ibrahimovic has affected the narrative in Major League Soccer this season.

He has had his say on the league’s playoff format (which he calls “shit”), the quality of his teammates (he is “a Ferrari among Fiats,” apparently), his place in the pantheon of great MLS players and the league’s artificial pitches. In typical fashion, there’s very little that Ibrahimovic hasn’t had his say on.

Continue reading...

from Football | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2kZxHGt