LOS ANGELES (AP) — Olivier Giroud made his Los Angeles FC debut Tuesday night during a Leagues Cup Round of 16 match against the San Jose Earthquakes.
The 37-year-old French striker came on as a substitute in the 71st minute of LAFC’s 4-1 victory. He had a chance inside the box in the 90th minute, but his shot was blocked by San Jose’s Daniel Munie near the goal.
Giroud signed with LAFC in May and had his first practice with the club on Aug. 3. He comes to the United States after spending 18 years in the top professional leagues in France, England and Italy. That included the past four seasons with AC Milan. He has 285 goals in 716 club matches.
“I wish I could play even more tonight, but it was a good first step. I’m looking forward to the next game,” Giroud said. “I need my fitness back. When you restart a season you need to work hard at training, but I understand what the manager is expecting from me and I will try to get ready as soon as possible.”
Prior to Tuesday night, Giroud’s most recent action was with France last month in the European Championship. He came off the bench in four games, including a 2-1 loss to eventual champion Spain in the semifinals on July 9.
Giroud is the second French player on LAFC, joining goaltender and former national teammate Hugo Lloris.
LAFC is at Seattle on Saturday in a Leagues Cup quarterfinal match.
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