{"id":40730,"date":"2022-02-11T20:26:56","date_gmt":"2022-02-12T01:26:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/?p=40730"},"modified":"2022-02-11T21:36:30","modified_gmt":"2022-02-12T02:36:30","slug":"costa-signs-with-galaxy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/2022\/02\/11\/costa-signs-with-galaxy\/","title":{"rendered":"Costa signs with Galaxy: The &#8220;Flash&#8221; comes to Los Angeles"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>The Los Angeles Galaxy officially presented former Bayern Munich and Juventus midfielder, Douglas Costa, on Thursday.<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Claiming he\u2019ll \u201cbring the flash that L.A. expects,\u201d Douglas Costa and the Los Angeles Galaxy finally <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lagalaxy.com\/news\/la-galaxy-acquire-brazilian-national-team-midfielder-douglas-costa-as-designated\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">completed a deal<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to make him the club\u2019s newest Designated Player.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Costa\u2019s signing ends weeks of speculation about when or whether the five-time MLS Cup Champions would land their \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/2022\/02\/08\/canwnt-roster-arnold-clark-cup\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">game-changer<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Costa signs with Galaxy: The &#8220;Flash&#8221; come to Los Angeles<\/h3>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\u26a1\ufe0f <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/douglascosta?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@douglascosta<\/a> is ready for <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MLS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@MLS<\/a> \u26a1\ufe0f <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/WJgeVMCajI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/WJgeVMCajI<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LAGalaxy\/status\/1492278050465017860?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">February 11, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Initially joining the Galaxy on a six-month loan from the Brazilian side Gr\u00eamio before signing a one-and-a-half-year contract through the end of the 2023 MLS regular season, Costa will become Los Angeles\u2019 third and final DP when his <\/span>permanent move is completed. He\u2019ll occupy an international roster slot and should be available for the Galaxy upon receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) and P1 Visa. With a turnaround time of about seven days, the Galaxy hopes Costa\u2019s P1 Visa clears in time to have him see some action in this coming weekend\u2019s pre-season match against the New York Red Bulls.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Brazilian National team player was presented to the world on Thursday afternoon, all smiles, while flanked by Los Angeles Galaxy Technical Director Jovan Kirovski and Galaxy Head Coach Greg Vanney. Gifting him the number 10 shirt once worn by Landon Donovan and Mauricio Cienfuegos, Kirovski and Vanney gushed about Costa\u2019s track record of winning wherever he has gone.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Costa spoke of the challenge of returning the Galaxy to the top and his desire to have his name alongside Galaxy greats like Zlatan Ibrahimovi\u0107 and David Beckham. He repeated more than once how motivated and happy he is for that challenge.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>A proven track record<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both Kirovski and Vanney spoke of the many titles that Costa has won with some of the biggest teams in the world; teams that include Shakhtar Donetsk, Bayern Munich, and Juventus. Each is arguably the biggest club in their respective league, making the bright lights of L.A. just one more big stage that Costa will perform on.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cDouglas is an exceptional talent who has played at some of the biggest clubs in the world,\u201d LA Galaxy Technical Director Jovan Kirovski stated. \u201cHe is a big addition to our team, and we believe he will be a difference-maker in MLS.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since debuting with Shakhtar in 2008, the 31-year-old has made over 400 professional appearances, won 21 trophies in the top leagues of Brazil, Germany, Italy and Ukraine, and has been a pivotal part of various UEFA Champions League sides. Costa\u2019s six goals and seven assists in the 2010-11 edition of the tournament, helped Shakhtar Donetsk reach the quarterfinals that year.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"pt\" dir=\"ltr\">Esses s\u00e3o os 23 jogadores que defender\u00e3o a <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Sele%C3%A7%C3%A3oBrasileira?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#Sele\u00e7\u00e3oBrasileira<\/a> na Copa do Mundo. Agora \u00e9 <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/PartiuR%C3%BAssia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#PartiuR\u00fassia<\/a>! \u26bd\ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddf7 <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GigantesPorNatureza?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#GigantesPorNatureza<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/mEt86XCAlq\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/mEt86XCAlq<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; CBF Futebol (@CBF_Futebol) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CBF_Futebol\/status\/996081433826471936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">May 14, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">His performances in Europe earned him his first call-up to &#8220;<span title=\"Portuguese-language text\"><i lang=\"pt\">Sele\u00e7\u00e3o<\/i><\/span>&#8220;<\/span><i> <\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in 2014 and was named to his country\u2019s 2018 FIFA World Cup squad, making two appearances with an assist to his name.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But despite Costa\u2019s proven track record at the world\u2019s biggest clubs and obvious individual quality, some G\u2019s will never be happy and are skeptical of the move. There are fears that Costa is another big name with his best years behind him, critics point to his many loans over the last few years and his recent low output due to injury at Gr\u00eamio last season. Detractors of the move also worry about signing Costa, a winger usually, over players who can plug the perceived gaps at attacking midfield and defense in the roster. But after a protracted deal that Vanney confirmed took about six weeks, Costa will be eager to show his \u201cflash\u201d to the league.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>A flashy new weapon<\/h3>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Los Angeles, you ready? <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/LAGalaxy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#LAGalaxy<\/a> x <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/douglascosta?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@douglascosta<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/bSaermN0YJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/bSaermN0YJ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LAGalaxy\/status\/1491801709575741444?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">February 10, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Costa\u2019s \u201cflash,\u201d experience and skill means he\u2019ll be expected to be the \u201cgame-changer\u201d that Vanney so clearly coveted. Costa could also be the Galaxy\u2019s most talented player upon his insertion into the lineup. His combination of speed and technical ability will draw defenders to him and stretch opposing defenses, opening up space for attack partners like Chicharito and Kevin Cabral to flourish. He is exactly the kind of wing weapon the Galaxy was missing last year as they searched for a viable second offensive option during Chicharito\u2019s lengthy injury and down the stretch.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cDouglas is a world-class player and a proven champion at the highest level. His capacity to create and finish will add yet another level to our attack,\u201d Vanney said. \u201cWe are excited to integrate him into the team as we push toward the start of the season.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also, if Costa is indeed successful in bringing the Galaxy \u201cback,\u201d he\u2019ll soon achieve his stated goal of being named alongside previous Los Angeles greats.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It will also erase all the failures of the past few seasons in a flash.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a id=\"7egEu4KjSm91xyVc9RFvmA\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.ca\/detail\/1233909496\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'7egEu4KjSm91xyVc9RFvmA',sig:'c8NN9VE9TnlqQQ9BPkQlUHzhfXiy64Y8pi0MarXQieA=',w:'594px',h:'401px',items:'1233909496',caption: true ,tld:'ca',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Los Angeles Galaxy officially presented former Bayern Munich and Juventus midfielder, Douglas Costa, on Thursday. Claiming he\u2019ll \u201cbring the flash that L.A. expects,\u201d Douglas Costa and the Los Angeles Galaxy finally completed a deal to make him the club\u2019s newest Designated Player. Costa\u2019s signing ends weeks of speculation about when or whether the five-time [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3969,"featured_media":40738,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17,6],"tags":[430,581,596,2476,307,4762,4763,1548,4207,4764],"class_list":["post-40730","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-galaxy","category-redbulls","tag-bayern-munich","tag-chicharito","tag-david-beckham","tag-douglas-costa","tag-greg-vanney","tag-gremio","tag-jovan-kirovski","tag-juventus","tag-kevin-cabral","tag-shakhtar-donetsk"],"modified_by":"Raheem Bashir, Site Manager","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40730","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3969"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40730"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40730\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40738"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40730"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40730"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40730"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}