How Acquired: Signed by the Galaxy as a Homegrown player on December 20, 2012.
A native of Hawthorne, California, Zardes had a breakout year in 2014, scoring 16 goals in 32 appearances to establish himself as one of the top forwards in MLS. In 2015, Zardes had a breakout year with the national team, tying for most international caps on the year (19) with DeAndre Yedlin.
MLS Highlights
2016: Zardes was able to tally six goals and five assists in 19 appearances for the Galaxy. He was twice selected for MLS Team of the Week. Copa America Centenario and a season-ending foot injury in August kept Zardes from more appearances in his fourth season with Galaxy.
2015: Zardes enjoyed more time in a winger role with the Galaxy in 2015, scoring six goals and adding four assists. Despite falling short of his 2014 numbers, Zardes was very much a part of the team’s regular season campaign. He ranked third amongst his teammates in MLS regular season minutes played, helping his team to a seventh straight MLS Cup Playoff appearance. Zardes recorded one goal and one assist in the team’s playoff loss to Seattle.
2014: Enjoyed a breakout year, scoring 16 goals and adding two assists, including six game-winning goals. Formed one of the best forward partnerships in MLS alongside 2014 MLS MVP Robbie Keane as both forwards scored in double digits. Set a Homegrown Player record for goals scored during a single MLS season. Zardes scored the opening goal in the club’s 2-1 MLS Cup victory over the New England Revolution to help the Galaxy win their fifth MLS Cup title.
2013: Zardes made his first team debut against Real Salt Lake (4/27/2013), coming on for Jack McBean on the 53rd minute. He scored his first goal on his third first team appearance against Vancouver (5/11/2013). Zardes finished his first season starting in 23 games out of 27 appearances, where he tallied four goals and four assists. Additionally, he started twice in the MLS Playoffs. Zardes’ dynamic performance in his rookie year earned him a fourth place finish in MLS Rookie of the Year voting.
College Highlights
Zardes sat out the 2009 season at CSU Bakersfield as a redshirt before debuting for the Roadrunners in 2010. After tallying five goals and a team-best seven assists in his first season of college soccer, Zardes burst onto the scene as a sophomore in 2011, scoring 18 times in 20 games while helping lead Bakersfield to a berth in the NCAA Division I Tournament for the first time in school history. His 18 goals that season were the fourth most in Division I college soccer that year and he was selected the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Player of the Year and a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy, which is awarded annually to the top player in college soccer.
In 2012, Zardes followed up his breakout season by scoring 15 goals and adding nine assists, each of which were team-highs, in 17 games, while helping the Roadrunners record a winning record for the fourth consecutive season. He had two or more goals in four of his 17 games, including seven goals in a two-game stretch in mid-October.
Academy Highlights
Prior to heading to Bakersfield, Zardes played for the Galaxy Academy U-18’s during the 2008-09 and 2009-10 Development Academy seasons, as well as with the Galaxy U-20’s in the 2009 and 2010 USL Super-20 campaigns.
International Highlights
2016: Zardes made 12 national team appearances for USMNT in 2016, including 11 starts. Zardes started in each of the team’s six Copa America Centenario matches. He scored two goals in the team’s group stage match against Bolivia and scored the game-winning goal in their quarterfinal fixture against Ecuador. In total, Zardes tallied three goals and one assist for USMNT in all his 12 appearances.
2015: Zardes took to U.S. Men’s National Team Head Coach Jurgen Klinsmann’s liking in 2015, earning the most minutes (1,403) of any national team player. Zardes tied for most caps with defender DeAndre Yedlin (19). In these appearances, Zardes notched three goals and four assists.
Earned his first USMNT call up in January 2014 under head coach Jurgen Klinsmann alongside Galaxy teammate Oscar Sorto. After training with the U.S. at StubHub Center, Zardes earned his first cap against Chile after entering the match as a second-half substitution. On Feb. 8, Zardes earned his first start when the Galaxy faced Panama at StubHub Center. Playing on the right side, he put in a stellar performance and notching his first career assist on a Clint Dempsey goal. He was named “Man of the Match.”
