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SBI MLS Player of the Week: Gyasi Zardes

GyasiZardesLAGalaxy1-NewEnglandRevolution2014MLS (USATodaySportsImages)

Photo by USA Today Sports Images

By DAN KARELL

Gyasi Zardes picked a great time to come out of a three-game scoreless drought.

The second-year forward bagged a brace in what was possibly the final Superclasico as we know it, as the LA Galaxy defeated Chivas USA, 3-0, on Sunday evening at the StubHub Center. Zardes’ performance made him our choice for SBI MLS Player of the Week.

Zardes, a Homegrown Player product, scored his first of the game in the 41st minute, taking a pass from Landon Donovan and firing a first-time strike that snuck into the far post. Zardes added his second in the 71st minute off a beautifully intricate goal, finding himself on the end of a 10-pass sequence and slotting into a wide-open net.

Zardes beat out Donovan, new Montreal Impact Designated Player Ignacio Piatti, and Bill Hamid for this week’s honors.

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What did you think of Zardes’ performance? Which player stood out to you in MLS Week 25?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Plus Zardes has been slotted out wide by Bruce initially, which helped out his overall game, so Zardes CAN play on the wing, even if he’s not natural at it.

    Reply
    • There is nothing “top shelf” about that finish. It is exactly what a striker should try to do. The keeper cheats near post so you slot it far post. Nothing fancy or exciting in it, just doing exactly what he should do. I am not downplaying the quality, just cutting out the hyperbole.

      Reply
      • Keane’s chip was top shelf, both of the Zardes goals were what you want to see from a striker when he gets a clean look.

      • I don’t see any reason to wait, he should get a call-up this fall. He is not getting exclusively garbage or fluke goals, he is showing athleticism and skill consistently now. Other than Dempsey, I would argue he is the most dangerous American scoring threat right now, regardless of league

      • Yes, “it is exactly what a striker should try to do.” But why does that mean it wasn’t “top shelf”? Zardes didn’t just try, he succeeded with a precisely placed first time strike that was impossible to stop or defend. The vast majority of strikers would have shot wide of the post or within reach of the keeper or would have tried first to settle the ball and gotten closed down as a result.

      • Shea was all speed with no idea what to do with the ball once he was in space. It worked in MLS because defending is so poor but it doesn’t make it at the international level. Zardes seems to be smarter than Shea and should really benefit from his time with Landon, Keane, and Bruce.

      • I rarely miss a Galaxy game on TV and from what I can see, Zardes has more skill than Shea. He has shown himself to be an adept passer as well as being pretty good with the ball at his feet. He also seems to have more football smarts in the way of anticipating play, thinking ahead, and looking for the open man.

      • The Brek Shea that tore up the league is not the same player who went to Stoke. He had already fallen off considerably both in MLS and with the Nats. Pressure/praise must have gone to his head a bit.

  2. Should have been Hamid. I know keepers never get it, but of one ever did, a shutout, a stone cold save on the leading scorer in the league and an assist on the game winning goal? He controlled his box, his distribution was flawless Versus a brace against Chivas? That was as close to a perfect game as you will see from a keeper in a rivalry match.

    Think of it this way. If you replaced Zardes with a replacement level player, does LA still win? Most probably. You yourself said that the second goal was an open net. If you replace hamid with a replacement level keeper, does DC? Not likely. Hamid should be in the running for league MVP, not going to happen (defense wins games, chicks and reporters dig goals) I guess giving up four midweek hurt him,

    Reply

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