Written by Timothy Nyangacha
Source: Noah Salzman (Wikimedia Commons)
One of the more promising players to be called up to the United States’ senior national football team in recent years, 24-year-old Gyasi Zardes is likely to make an impact for the senior squad at this year’s COPA America. It would be unsurprising if Zardes had a similar or greater impact at the tournament than the 20-year-old Julian Green had at the 2014 World Cup Brazil. He is known for his rare combination of athleticism, speed, and strength. Born in Hawthorne, California to Ghanaian parents, Zardes was heavily involved in the Los Angeles Galaxy’s youth academy growing up [1]. He opted to attend college at California State University Bakersfield, redshirting his freshman year in 2009 [1]. A string of successful collegiate seasons led to him being signed as a Homegrown player by the Galaxy on December 20th, 2012 [1]. In just his second season with the team, Zardes contributed to the Galaxy winning the 2014 MLS Cup [2].
Zardes was called up to the senior national team for the January 2015 camp and made an impact early on in his national career, scoring a goal in a back-and-forth friendly against the Netherlands in June 2015 [2]. His consistent play in the MLS and on the national level have put him in position to be a regular contributor on the senior US squad. Currently, he has 23 caps for the national team and has scored 3 goals [2]. He was on the 2015 Gold Cup roster and has started several games in the past few months [2]. Look for his role to increase in this year’s COPA America.
Two articles to read if you’d like to learn more about Zardes’s path to the USMNT:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2517235-gyasi-zardes-american-soccers-first-super-athlete
How To Cite This Article: Nyangacha, Timothy. “United States: Gyasi Zardes.” Sites.duke.edu., accessed MM/DD, YYYY, http://sites.duke.edu/wcwp/tournament-guides/copa-america-centenario-2016-guide/players-to-watch-at-the-copa-america-centenario-2016/united-states-gyasi-zardes/.
Bibliography
[1] “Gyasi Zardes.” Mlssoccer.com., accessed 04/13, 2016, http://www.mlssoccer.com/players/gyasi-zardes.
[2] “Gyasi Zardes – USMNT.” Ussoccerplayers.com., accessed 04/13, 2016, http://ussoccerplayers.com/player/gyasi-zardes-usmnt.
