Zlatan Ibrahimovic netted his first Major League Soccer hat-trick, scoring two goals in the space of four minutes to power LA Galaxy to a 4-3 victory in a thriller over Orlando City on Sunday.
The Swede made it 3-3 in the 67th minute with a diving header from Ola Kamara’s cross, and then put Galaxy in front four minutes later after knocking down a rebound with his head. Following the goal, the 36-year-old celebrated wildly by ripping off his jersey. Ibrahimovic’s opener was in the 47th with a leaping header off former Barcelona winger Giovani dos Santos.
After Dos Santos hit a shot off the crossbar in the 50th, Dominic Dwyer put Orlando back in the lead off Mohamed El-Munir’s cross. Orlando City took a 2-1 lead just before half-time after Galaxy defender Michael Ciani bundled the ball into his own net.
Cristian Higuita opened the scoring for Orlando in the 18th minute, scoring from close range. Dos Santos levelled scores six minutes before the end of the first half, rifling a shot home from an Ibrahimovic pass.
Veteran Ibrahimovic, with the treble, has taken his goal tally to 15 goals in what is his first season with Galaxy. The Los Angeles-based side are on nine-game unbeaten run while Orlando City are struggling, having lost 12 of their last 13 games.
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