Gyasi Zardes facts for kids
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Zardes with the United States at the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | September 2, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Hawthorne, California, United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Forward | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | LA Galaxy | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 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) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2022 | Columbus Crew | 110 | (54) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Colorado Rapids | 26 | (9) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Colorado Rapids 2 | 2 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Austin FC | 61 | (9) | |||||||||||||||||||
| National team‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2022 | United States | 68 | (14) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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† Appearances (Goals). |
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Gyasi A. Zardes (born September 2, 1991) is an American professional soccer player. He plays as a forward, which means he's usually focused on scoring goals for his team. Zardes grew up in Hawthorne, California. He played college soccer before joining the LA Galaxy as a "homegrown player." This means he came up through their youth system. He quickly became an important player for the Galaxy, helping them win the MLS Cup in 2014. His great play also earned him a spot on the United States national team in 2015. Later, he played for the Columbus Crew and helped them win another MLS Cup in 2020.
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About Gyasi Zardes' Early Life
Gyasi Zardes was born and grew up in Hawthorne, California. This is a city near Los Angeles. He was one of five children in his family. In 2016, the city of Hawthorne honored Zardes by putting up a mural of him. This mural is at new futsal courts, which are smaller soccer fields.
Gyasi Zardes' Club Career
Starting His Soccer Journey
Zardes began playing in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy for the LA Galaxy's youth teams. He played for the U-18s and U-20s. In 2010, he led the Galaxy U-20 team to a national championship.
After high school, Zardes played college soccer for Cal State Bakersfield. In 2011, he had an amazing season, scoring 18 goals in 20 games. He helped his team reach the NCAA Division I Tournament for the first time ever. His performance made him a top college player. In 2012, he continued to play well, scoring 15 goals and making 9 assists.
Playing for LA Galaxy
The LA Galaxy signed Zardes as a Homegrown Player in December 2012. He made his first team debut on April 27, 2013. On May 11, 2013, he scored his first goal for the Galaxy against Vancouver Whitecaps FC. He also scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against Chivas USA.
In 2014, Zardes scored two goals in a game for the first time against New England Revolution. He did it again against Colorado Rapids. With these goals, he became the highest-scoring Homegrown Player in a single season in Major League Soccer history.
On December 7, 2014, Zardes made history again. He became the first Homegrown Player to score in the MLS Cup final. His goal helped the Galaxy win the MLS Cup by defeating the New England Revolution 2–1. This was the Galaxy's fifth time winning the trophy. Zardes finished the season with 16 goals, making him one of the top scorers.
Moving to Columbus Crew
On January 20, 2018, Zardes joined the Columbus Crew. After some injuries with the Galaxy, he found new success in Columbus. He scored 11 goals in his first 19 games. His coach, Gregg Berhalter, praised him highly, saying he was "one of the top strikers in the league." Zardes ended the 2018 season with 19 goals. He also won the MLS Comeback Player of the Year Award for his great return to form.
In 2019, Zardes signed a new contract with the Crew. He scored 13 goals that season. In 2020, Zardes played a key role in leading the Columbus Crew to their second MLS Cup. They won the final against Seattle Sounders FC.
Time with Colorado Rapids and Austin FC
In April 2022, Zardes was traded to the Colorado Rapids. He played 26 games for them and scored 9 goals.
On December 12, 2022, Zardes signed a three-year contract with Austin FC. He joined them as a free agent for the 2023 season. On July 6, 2024, Zardes scored two goals in a game against New York City FC. These goals helped him reach 105 career goals in MLS. This placed him among the Top-10 all-time leading scorers in the league.
Gyasi Zardes' International Career
After his fantastic 2014 season, Gyasi Zardes was called up to play for the United States national team in January 2015. He made his first international appearance on January 28, 2015, against Chile. A few days later, he started his first game for the U.S. team against Panama and provided an assist.
On June 5, 2015, Zardes scored his first goal for the United States in a friendly match against the Netherlands. He was part of the team for the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup. In that tournament, he scored his first competitive international goal against Cuba, helping the U.S. win 6–0.
Zardes also played in the 2016 Copa América Centenario. He scored two goals in a warm-up game against Bolivia. He then scored the winning goal in the quarterfinal match against Ecuador, helping the U.S. win 2–1.
In the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Zardes scored against Guyana. He then scored two goals in three minutes against Trinidad and Tobago, helping the team win 6–0. In the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Zardes scored the winning goal in the semifinal match against Qatar in the 86th minute.
Gyasi Zardes' Personal Life
Gyasi Zardes has Ghanaian family roots. In 2013, he married his long-time girlfriend, Madison Goodvin. They met in Bakersfield and have four children together. Zardes is a practicing Christian. He also has a degree in criminal justice from Cal State Dominguez Hills.
Honors
LA Galaxy
- MLS Cup: 2014
Columbus Crew
- MLS Cup: 2020
- Campeones Cup: 2021
United States
- CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2017, 2021
- CONCACAF Gold Cup Runner up: 2019
Individual
- MLS All-Star: 2015
- MLS Comeback Player of the Year Award: 2018
- MLS 100 goals club
See also
In Spanish: Gyasi Zardes para niños
