In brief
Giroud has only scored two goals in 25 games, making his MLS career lacklustre.
His MLS performances have drawn criticism from the American media, including The New York Times.
Supporters point out that Giroud’s difficulties could not be entirely his fault because of a lack of team spirit.
It appears that the American media has finally made a judgement on Olivier Giroud, a Frenchman who has been playing in the MLS for seven months. The 38-year-old chose to change things in 2024 in search of a new challenge abroad after spending his entire career in Europe, where he established a reputation as one of the most clinical finishers in the beautiful game.
A quick look at Giroud’s highlight reel may easily lead someone who isn’t familiar with his skill set to believe he is the best striker to have ever played. The Frenchman always had a secret weapon to use when it counted most, whether it was puzzling headers, nimble solo runs, or gravity-defying scorpion kicks worthy of a Puskas Award.
But American spectators have witnessed a completely different side of the once-prolific forward since they crossed the water. The reality has been much less glamorous than the LAFC supporters’ dreams of having their own European superstar, a talisman to rival the likes of Inter Miami’s marquee names.
Olivier Giroud’s Start To Life in the MLS
The Frenchman has scored twice in 25 appearances for LAFC
The idea that Major League Soccer (MLS) is really a glorified retirement home—a sun-drenched haven where ageing superstars can drift through their twilight years, padding their stats in the luxury of a slower-paced environment—has long been sneered at in Europe. After their spectacular achievements in England, Italy, and Spain, players like David Beckham, Lionel Messi, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have all made their way to the United States.
Olivier Giroud, on the other hand, is a case study that questions such antiquated presumptions. The American dream has been more of a harsh awakening for the Frenchman, who was once the Premier League’s top predator with 105 goals in 253 games for Arsenal. He has only made two appearances for LAFC in his seven months in Major League Soccer, which is hardly the smooth sailing some had anticipated.
Giroud was still a mainstay at the top level of European football, having led the line for AC Milan before joining MLS. He averaged 0.57 goals per 90 minutes at the age of 37, scoring 15 goals in 2,372 minutes during the 2023–24 Serie A season. This remarkable total highlighted his enduring class.
That same sharpness hasn’t yet translated to the other side of the pond, though. His league form is now a shadow of its former glory because his only two goals for LAFC have come in cup matches, the Leagues Cup final against Colombus Crew and a US Open match. View his complete stats below:
The statistics for Olivier Giroud at LAFC
Games
25
Minutes
965
Objectives
2.
Helps
One
Each game’s shots
One
Each game’s key passes
0.8
Pass with success
71%
How The American Media Has Responded To Giroud’s Performances
The New York Times have been far from impressed by the 38-year-old
To make things worse, the Frenchman’s life in California hasn’t exactly been ideal off the pitch either. Even though he had always dreamed of finishing his career on the West Coast, where the sun shines brightly, the reality has been anything but. Giroud has not received the warm reception he would have liked in his new environment because of wildfires, earthquakes, and power outages. He stated to The Sun:
“Since I arrived in LA last summer, we had three power outages in five days of ten, 12 and 15 hours. There was a tremendous earthquake when we were at the training ground. There were all the fires. It was a really sad situation. People lost everything. We thank the first responders and firefighters who did an amazing job. It made me really sad. I was afraid. I also had a personal poor experience. Hopefully, there will be brighter days up front. It’s part of life.”
How The American Media Has Responded To Giroud’s Performances
The New York Times have been far from impressed by the 38-year-old
With the American media recently forming their verdict on Giroud, criticism of his underwhelming performances is only expected to intensify. In a recent analysis of his sluggish start to life in MLS, The New York Times pulled no punches, publishing an article titled ‘Olivier Giroud Still Can’t Score in MLS, and It’s Getting Embarrassing.’ It stated:
“Giroud needs to exert more effort in order to influence the score. Throughout his first nearly thousand MLS minutes, Giroud has hardly delivered good value. Few people, if any, could have anticipated this first impression.
Although the media and supporters agree that the former Arsenal forward isn’t solely to blame, supporters share that sentiment. “He doesn’t fit our counter-attacking style of play and gets very few touches per game, so I wouldn’t put all the blame on him,” one Reddit user said, adding: “We don’t have enough/any creative players to play off him and give him the service he needs.”
Another user continued: “He has always looked old and slow. He needed 3 business days to turn around while he was at Arsenal. You just have to play to his talents with the appropriate system, else he would look bad.” Meanwhile, a third concluded: “From what I’ve seen he’s a terrible fit for the system, which is kind of LAFC’s fault that they have no plans to build around, but he’s not really putting in the effort which is his fault.”
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