Gyasi Zardes Proves He Can Be X-Factor for USMNT at Copa America Centenario

The curious positional case of Gyasi Zardes has been a hard one to solve at both the club and international levels. 

There is no doubt the LA Galaxy man is a true forward, but due to the teammates he has in Major League Soccer and with the United States men’s national team, Zardes and his managers have been forced to adjust. 

In the USMNT’s 4-0 win over Bolivia on Saturday at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Zardes proved just how dangerous he can be in the final third with his movement on and off the ball. The 24-year-old bagged a brace during his 63-minute shift for the Yanks in the final match before Friday’s Copa America Centenario opener against Colombia at Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara.

The performance came at the perfect time for Zardes, who has drifted out of the spotlight a bit in recent weeks due to the arrival of 17-year-old Christian Pulisic, the demand for Darlington Nagbe and the exclusion of Seattle Sounders forward Jordan Morris. Zardes showed USMNT boss Jurgen Klinsmann on Saturday that he is capable of working off the runs of Clint Dempsey and Bobby Wood in attack as the Yanks look to use the 4-3-3 system to their advantage. 

In the buildup to his 26th-minute opener, Zardes displayed patience as he cut in from the right wing to latch onto Alejandro Bedoya’s pass from the right part of the pitch. Zardes broke for the inside of the attacking area once he saw Dempsey begin his pass to Bedoya in tight space. By being able to recognize the moves of his teammates two passes ahead of time, Zardes was able to get around a defender and send the ball into the right side of the net. 

Gyasi Zardes scores his 4th career international goal to put the #USMNT 1-0 up on Bolivia. #USAvBOL https://t.co/3oXd2H9Q8v

— FOX Soccer …

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