Gyasi Zardes

Gyasi A. Zardes (born September 2, 1991) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Major League Soccer club Columbus Crew SC and the United States national team.

Gyasi Zardes
Zardes with the United States at the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup
Personal information
Full name Gyasi A. Zardes[1]
Date of birth (1991-09-02) September 2, 1991
Place of birth Hawthorne, California, United States
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Position(s) Forward
Club information
Current team
 Columbus Crew SC
Number 11
Youth career
2008–2009 LA Galaxy
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009–2012 Cal State Bakersfield 56 (38)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2012 Ventura County Fusion 12 (10)
2013–2017 LA Galaxy 131 (34)
2014 LA Galaxy II 1 (1)
2018– Columbus Crew SC 82 (44)
National team‡
2015– United States 56 (12)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of November 8, 2020 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of February 1, 2020

Zardes began playing for the Galaxy youth system in 2008, before leaving the following year. He began playing college soccer for Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners in 2009, and played there for three years. In December 2012, he signed for the Galaxy senior team as a homegrown player. He was called up to the United States national team for the first time in 2015.

Early life

Zardes was born and raised in Hawthorne, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. He was one of five children; his father Glenn is from New Orleans, while his mother Linda is from Michigan.[2][3] In 2016, the City of Hawthorne unveiled a mural of Zardes at its new futsal courts, where a prohibition on soccer use was lifted.[2]

Club career

Early career

Zardes played in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy for the Galaxy Academy U-18s during the 2008–09 and 2009–10 DA seasons as well as with the Galaxy U-20s in the 2009 USL Super-20 campaign. After declaring himself a red shirt freshman at CSU Bakersfield, Zardes led the Galaxy U-20 team to the national championship in 2010.[4]

After tallying five goals and a team-best seven assists in his first season of college soccer, Zardes burst onto the scene as a sophomore in 2011, scoring 18 times in 20 games while helping lead Bakersfield to a berth in the NCAA Division I Tournament for the first time in school history. His 18 goals that season were the fourth most in Division I college soccer that year and he was selected the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Player of the Year and a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy, which is awarded annually to the top player in college soccer.[5]

In 2012, Zardes followed up his breakout season by scoring 15 goals and adding nine assists, each of which were team-highs, in 17 games, while helping the Roadrunners record a winning record for the fourth consecutive season. He had two or more goals in four of his 17 games, including seven goals in a two-game stretch in mid-October.[6]

LA Galaxy
Zardes with LA Galaxy

LA Galaxy signed Zardes as a Homegrown Player on December 20, 2012.[7] On April 15, 2013, Zardes made his debut as a substitute for LA Galaxy Reserves in a 1–1 draw with Seattle Sounders Reserves.[8] On April 27, 2013, Zardes made his debut for the first-team as a substitute for the Galaxy in a 2–0 win over Real Salt Lake.[9] On May 11, 2013, Zardes came on as a substitute in 67th min and scored his first goal for the Galaxy in a 3–1 loss against Vancouver Whitecaps.[10] Zardes scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory over Chivas USA on June 23, 2013.[11]

Zardes scored his first brace for the Galaxy against New England Revolution on July 16, 2014, in a 5–1 win.[12] On September 5, 2014, Gyasi Zardes scored two goals in the Galaxy's 6–0 home win against Colorado Rapids.[13] With his brace, Zardes made Major League Soccer history, passing Diego Fagúndez to become the highest scoring Homegrown Player in a single season.[14]

On December 7, 2014, Zardes became the first Homegrown Player to score in the MLS Cup final. Zardes scored in the 53rd minute after receiving a cross from Stefan Ishizaki. In extra time, captain, Robbie Keane scored as Galaxy triumphs the New England Revolution 2–1, making LA Galaxy the first team to win the trophy five times.[15] Zardes was the sixth highest scorer of the season with 16 goals, and just three behind Robbie Keane.[16]

Columbus Crew SC

On January 20, 2018, Zardes signed for Columbus Crew SC in a swap deal that saw Ola Kamara head in the opposite direction.[17] After an injury plagued end to his Galaxy career, Zardes found new life in Columbus; scoring 11 goals in the first 19 games of the season, narrowly missing out on the 2018 MLS All-Star Game.[18] In response to Zardes missing the game, he garnered high praise from then Columbus coach Gregg Berhalter, who said “[a]bsolutely he should be,” “the work he does for the team has been outstanding. I think he’s one of the top strikers in the league.”[18] Zardes ended the 2018 season with 19 goals, earning the 2018 MLS Comeback Player of the Year Award.[19] On May 13, 2019, Zardes signed a multi-year contract extension with the Crew and was named a designated player.[20] He would go on to tally 13 goals in 28 appearances during the 2019 season.

International career
Gyasi Zardes representing the United States on June 9, 2019

After a breakout 2014 season in which he scored 19 goals across all competitions, he received his first ever international call up to represent the United States in January 2015, for matches against Chile and Panama.[21] Zardes made his international debut on January 28, 2015, when he came on as a substitute for Clint Dempsey in the 68th minute against Chile.[22] On February 8, 2015, Zardes made his first start for USMNT in a friendly against Panama, where he provided an assist to Dempsey in the second goal as the U.S. won 2–0.[23]

On June 5, 2015, Zardes scored his first goal for the United States in a friendly against the Netherlands.[24] Zardes was named to the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup roster and started in several matches, including a group stage fixture against Haiti where he provided the game-winning assist to Clint Dempsey one minute after coming on as a substitute at halftime.[25] He scored his first international competitive goal on July 18, 2015, in the Gold Cup quarterfinals against Cuba that ended in a 6–0 victory for the United States.[26]

Zardes was called up in the early stages of 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification for the U.S. and scored the fifth goal in a 6–1 victory over Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on November 13, 2015. He had been involved in conceding the first goal of the match to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines after a defensive error.[27] Zardes was named to the U.S. roster for the 2016 Copa América Centenario and scored twice in a warm-up friendly against Bolivia on May 28.[28] He scored the winning goal in the 2–1 quarterfinal match defeat of Ecuador in Seattle, finishing a shot by Clint Dempsey that was rolling towards the goal.[29]

Zardes played in the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup and did not score in the tournament, instead providing an assist to Jordan Morris in a narrow 3–2 victory over Martinique in the group stage.[30] His next international goal would come three years later in a friendly against Ecuador on March 21, 2019, which was won 1–0 by the United States.[31] Zardes joined the U.S. in the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup and scored the third of four goals in the team's opening group stage match against Guyana. A shot by Paul Arriola was deflected by a Guyanese defender, hitting Zardes in his left eye before bouncing into the goal.[32] In the next match against Trinidad and Tobago, Zardes scored twice in three minutes while the team reached the knockout stage with a 6–0 victory. Zardes was unable to complete his hat-trick, despite having several chances to do so, including a shot that hit the post.[33]

Personal life

Born in the United States, Zardes is of Ghanaian descent.[34] In 2013, Zardes married his long-term girlfriend Madison Goodvin, a fellow student-athlete in Bakersfield. They have four children.[18] He is a practicing Christian and has a degree in criminal justice from Cal State Dominguez Hills.[3][18]

Career statistics

Club
As of December 12, 2020[35][36]
Club Season League Playoffs[lower-alpha 1] Cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
LA Galaxy 2013 MLS 274201030–334
2014 MLS 3216512220–4119
2015 MLS 296111121–339
2016 MLS 196002020–236
2017 MLS 242–00––242
Total 13134826391–15440
LA Galaxy II 2014 USL Pro 110000––11
Columbus Crew SC 2018 MLS 33193100––3620
2019 MLS 2813–00––2813
2020 MLS 21[lower-alpha 2]1242––1[lower-alpha 3]12615
Total 82447300–119048
Career total 2147915563911124589
  1. Appearances in the MLS Cup Playoffs and USL Playoffs
  2. Includes two appearances and three goals in the MLS is Back Tournament group stage
  3. Appearance in the MLS is Back Tournament knockout stage

International
As of February 1, 2020[37]
United States
YearAppsGoals
2015193
2016123
201760
201830
2019146
202010
Total5612

International goals
Scores and results list the United States' goal tally first.[37]
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 June 5, 2015Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam-Zuidoost, Netherlands Netherlands1–14–3Friendly
2 July 18, 2015M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, United States Cuba2–06–02015 CONCACAF Gold Cup
3 November 13, 2015Busch Stadium, St. Louis, United States Saint Vincent and the Grenadines5–16–12018 FIFA World Cup qualification
4 May 28, 2016Children's Mercy Park, Kansas City, United States Bolivia1–04–0Friendly
5 3–0
6 June 16, 2016CenturyLink Field, Seattle, United States Ecuador2–02–1Copa América Centenario
7 March 21, 2019Orlando City Stadium, Orlando, United States1–01–0Friendly
8 June 18, 2019Allianz Field, Saint Paul, United States Guyana3–04–02019 CONCACAF Gold Cup
9 June 22, 2019FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, United States Trinidad and Tobago2–06–0
10 3–0
11 November 15, 2019Exploria Stadium, Orlando, United States Canada2–04–12019–20 CONCACAF Nations League A
12 4–1

Honors
LA Galaxy[35]
Columbus Crew[35]
International
Individual

References
  1. "40-Player National Team Roster: 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup: United States" (PDF). CONCACAF. p. 16. Retrieved May 21, 2019 – via Bernews.
  2. "Hometown hero Gyasi Zardes proud to represent Hawthorne". LA Galaxy. February 8, 2016. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
  3. Carlisle, Jeff (November 6, 2014). "Breakout MLS star Gyasi Zardes' tradition of stellar sophomore years". ESPN. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  4. "Gyasi Zardes - Men's Soccer". California State University at Bakersfield Athletics.
  5. Lynch, Stephen (February 22, 2013). "All-Star Athlete: Gyasi Zardes". The Bakersfield Californian. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  6. "Gyasi Zardes | MLSsoccer.com".
  7. Baxter, Kevin (December 20, 2012). "Galaxy signs local star Gyasi Zardes, closes in on Carlo Cudicini". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
  8. "LA Galaxy Res. vs. Seattle Sounders Res. - 15 April 2013 - Soccerway". int.soccerway.com.
  9. "Real Salt Lake 0–2 LA Galaxy". Archived from the original on October 22, 2013.
  10. 3 – 1 FT. "Vancouver Whitecaps v Los Angeles live football scores | Soccer scores and live video". ESPNFC.com. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
  11. "Chivas USA vs LA Galaxy 0–1". Soccerway. June 23, 2013.
  12. "Recap: LA Galaxy vs. New England Revolution 07/17/2014 | Matchcenter".
  13. "Recap: LA Galaxy vs. Colorado Rapids 09/06/2014 | Matchcenter".
  14. Becker, Josie (September 5, 2014). "Gyasi Zardes ties single season record for Homegrown Player goals". LAG Confidential. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
  15. "Zardes becomes first Homegrown Player to score in MLS Cup". Sport Illustrated. December 7, 2014. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  16. "By Season | MLSsoccer.com".
  17. "Crew SC acquires MLS Cup champion, U.S. international Gyasi Zardes, TAM in trade with Galaxy". Columbus Crew SC. January 20, 2018. Retrieved January 20, 2018.
  18. Elliott, Helene (July 6, 2018). "Since leaving the Galaxy, Gyasi Zardes has found a home and his game in Columbus". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
  19. Baxter, Kevin. "MLS Comeback Player of the Year Gyasi Zardes says breakthrough season was a result of change of scenery". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
  20. "MLS Transfer news: USMNT forward Gyasi Zardes signs new designated player contract with Columbus Crew | Goal.com". www.goal.com. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
  21. Baxter, Kevin (January 9, 2015). "Galaxy's Oscar Sorto, Gyasi Zardes called up to national team". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  22. "Chile rises up to beat U.S., 3-2, in friendly match". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. January 28, 2015. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  23. Whittall, Richard (February 9, 2015). "Zardes shines while Yedlin struggles: what we learned from USA v Panama". The Guardian. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  24. "U.S. wins in Netherlands after two late goals". BBC Sport. June 5, 2015.
  25. "U.S. holds on to beat Haiti in Gold Cup, clinches group title". USA Today. Associated Press. July 10, 2015. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  26. Carpenter, Les (July 18, 2015). "Clint Dempsey stars as USA hammer Cuba 6-0 to reach Gold Cup semis". The Guardian. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  27. "United States put 6 past St. Vincent and the Grenadines in first qualifier". ESPN. November 13, 2015. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  28. Steinlage, Tate (May 28, 2016). "U.S. soccer team beats Bolivia 4-0 in Copa America tuneup match in KC". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  29. Pentz, Matt (June 16, 2016). "Clint Dempsey guides U.S. to 2-1 victory over Ecuador, berth in Copa America semifinals". The Seattle Times. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  30. Goff, Steven (July 12, 2017). "U.S. soccer escapes trouble, earns Gold Cup win over Martinique". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  31. "Gyasi Zardes' deflected goal gives United States win over Ecuador". ESPN. Reuters. March 21, 2019. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  32. Campbell, Dave (June 19, 2019). "Newcomer Boyd gets 2 goals for US in 4-0 win over Guyana". Chicago Tribune. Associated Press. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  33. "Gyasi Zardes hits twice as USA exact revenge against Trinidad in Gold Cup". The Guardian. Associated Press. June 22, 2019. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  34. https://www.ussoccer.com/players/z/gyasi-zardes#:~:text=Gyasi%20was%20born%20on%20September,called%20up%20to%20the%20MNT.
  35. Gyasi Zardes at Soccerway
  36. Gyasi Zardes at Major League Soccer
  37. "Gyasi Zardes". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmerman. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
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