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SBI MLS Rookie of the Week: Gyasi Zardes

GyasiZardes (ISIPhotos.com)

By IVES GALARCEP

When the Los Angeles Galaxy traded away Mike Magee they knew they would need players to pick up the scoring slack left by Magee’s departure and one of the players expected to pick up that slack is rookie Gyasi Zardes.

The Galaxy Homegrown Player showed on Sunday just what sort of quality he can provide, scoring his second goal of the season, and the only goal of the night in a 1-0 Galaxy victory vs. Chivas USA. The strike, and his overall solid performance, helped earn Zardes SBI MLS Rookie of the Week honors.

Zardes beat out FC Dallas defender Walker Zimmerman for this week’s honors.

What did you think of Zardes’ showing vs. Chivas USA? What rookie impressed you the most in MLS Week 17?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. With Yedlin absent with the U-20’s, Zardes is also a clear favorite for Worst Rookie Hair of the Week.

    Zardes has obvious potential to be a great striker in MLS (and beyond). Let’s see what he does with it.

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  2. Ive seen what this kid can do in person, went to most of his home games at the CSUB University, every school they played he was the to go guy, made runs left and right, quick, and smart. Yes, he looks, “Raw,” as you guys call it, but this is his 1st year in the MLS. A few technic work, and he’ll prove even more. Time made him in college, more time will only inprove his game, if you saw sloppy runs all night, then he was doing it right, better to have chances as a rookie then to have none and fall off the radar in your first year in pro.

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  3. he works hard out there, gets after it, creates his own opportunites. last night he needed that moment of calm over the ball a few times after shaking free for the chance and he’d have scored more; had some rather wild finishes on goal along with some sweet stuff. that header for goal was one of the tougher looks he got, kind of lucky on that but good too

    fun to watch

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  4. Not anointing him but he has a lot of the tools you’d like to see in a striker. I think had he not been hurt in the preseason maybe he puts up Jack Mac type numbers

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  5. Nice to see the LA Galaxy play younger players like Zardes, McBean, Stephens, and a few others get more minutes this year. This is planting for the future. The future of MLS is teams producing there own talent at a younger age and cultivating them. LA Galaxy are in course in this respect..Good work and continue..

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  6. used 2 play indoor soccer with n college good player, great speed. Yet, still a small sample size to make any grand conclusions.

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    • completely agree. I mean there is nothing in his game that spoke to me that said my god he has so many tools.

      At this point agudelo is way ahead of him and is 2 years younger and we anointed him way too early.

      there is so much to learn…

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      • I watched him throughout college, he was by far the best college player in the country and my personal opinion is that he will end up being our best national player rather soon. Watch and enjoy as he acclimates to US. And as far as Aguedelo goes, Zardes is already a better player than Aguedelo and is far more threatening in front of the goal.

  7. Future has always been bright for him. Rongen not including him in the 2011 U-20 qualifying team was ridiculous.

    Could very well be a full USMNT member in the next WC cycle.

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  8. Seriously? God he looked so raw and awful. Poor runs, poor first touch, bad passing.

    He has such a long way to go.

    Scoring is so important to Americans it can blind us sometimes.

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    • From what I’ve seen of him I actually thought a lot of his runs were quite good so not sure I agree with that. Also not so sure about his first touch being bad. That being said he is clearly raw and is a work in progress, people fall in love with players so fast.

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    • I must be missing something because you don’t win rooke of the week “looking so raw making poor runs, having poor first touches and bad passes (Or maybe all the other rookes where really horrible this week)

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    • Poor runs, except for the one that opened up Robbie Rogers for the goal that was called back. Poor touch except for the Berbatov quality play that clanged off the left post. Very few MLS players could control Juninho’s errant shot and put the ball on frame. The first touch on that play was phenomenal. Compare Zardis at age 19 to Jozy Altidore… I take Zardis.

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    • Were you watching the same player and same game? Zardes has one of the softest first touches in the game. If he looks a little raw it is only because he is a rookie and a little nervous. This kid probably has the highest ceiling of any player in the league and will end up in Europe.

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      • And P.S. look at it from a different stand point. Whatever types of runs Zardes is making is ending up with tons of shots on goals. If you look at LA’s last 5 gamed, Zardes is shooting about 60% of their shots. As he improves his finishing, you’re going to start seeing a lot of goals. The kid has a great nose for getting the ball in dangerous positions.

  9. I said this in another post, but Zardes is legit, the whole package, including being a little selfish (which is essential in front of goal).

    I would like to see him included in Camp Cupcake and see how he stacks up against stronger opposition.

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