At long last, Major League Soccer's newest star appeared in the flesh.
In the 71st minute of LAFC’s Leagues Cup clash with the San Jose Earthquakes, Olivier Giroud subbed on and received a hero’s welcome at BMO Stadium.
The iconic striker's debut came with a 4-1 win well in hand. After the Round-of-16 triumph, Giroud and his family experienced LAFC’s signature victory celebrations.
"I was looking forward to playing on this pitch in front of this amazing crowd, my family and friends also," the 2018 FIFA World Cup champion said postgame.
"I received a warm welcome from everyone at the club, the staff and the players, everyone is working as a club. I felt like I was welcomed like a part of the family. I wish I could play even more than tonight, but obviously it’s better to restart step by step and I’m looking forward to the next game."
LAFC signed France's all-time leading scorer in mid-May, though he wasn't eligible to play until the Secondary Transfer Window opened in July.
Now, Giroud could be in line for additional minutes in the Leagues Cup quarterfinals. LAFC visit Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday evening (8 pm ET | MLS Season Pass), with the winner facing Club América or Colorado Rapids in the semifinals.
"It’s basically [Giroud's] preseason that we gotta put him through while we are in a competition," said head coach Steve Cherundolo. "A real game is not replicable in training, so we will need to use our games for him to find his optimal fitness again. So this was one more step.
"He knows where to be and where to go. There weren't many actions in front of goal, just one or two, but we’ve seen at training already that he’s going to score goals.”
