FOXBROUGH, Mass. – The eternally humble Gyasi Zardes will not admit that he got his “swagger” back after scoring his first goal in several weeks on the same day that he earned a call-up to the U.S. National Team, but the striker is certainly walking tall heading into the month of June.
The goal itself was a peach.
A back heel nutmeg by Jose Villarreal, one of the finest passes in Major League Soccer in 2015, put Zardes in all alone behind the Revolution defense and the striker beat Bobby Shuttleworth for his third goal of the season.
After the draw that extended the Galaxy’s unbeaten run to three games, Zardes was pleased with his goal that broke his three-game goal drought.
“[I wanted that goal] very bad. When you’re playing up top and when you have opportunities, you just want just execute those opportunities,” Zardes said. “I just haven’t been scoring but as a team player, I think I have been productive. It’s nice to get a goal but at the same time, the ultimate goal is my team getting points and winning.”
Immediately following the draw on Sunday, Zardes set off to join the U.S. National Team in Amsterdam ahead of their pair of friendly matches against European powers Netherlands on June 5, and then 2014 FIFA World Cup champion Germany in Cologne on June 10.
The call-up is the fourth for the Hawthorne native during the 2015 calendar year.
With USMNT head coach Jurgen Klinsmann showing plenty of confidence in the 23-year-old striker, Zardes is primed for his dates against the talented European sides.
“I feel blessed and thankful to getting called up to the National Team again,” Zardes added. “I’m just going to give my all when I’m there in camp so I just keep getting called in for the future.
“It is going to be an amazing experience. Germany, they won the World Cup, phenomenal players, not only that Holland is phenomenal team as well, so these players are great players and just to be on the same field as them and compete against them, is going to be a wonderful experience for myself.”
And if he can impress against two of the giants of global soccer, Zardes knows that a call-up to this summer’s CONCACAF Gold Cup will not be far behind.
“That is a huge [tournament] coming up. You want to be on the roster,” Zardes said. “Any American player, professional player wants to be called to that roster, so I just keep working hard to get my invite.”
Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog at LAGalaxy.com/Insider and contact him at LAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com.
