By: COLIN REESE
Gyasi Zardes was a player that American soccer fans and observers of American soccer wanted to see play international soccer, and he exceeded expectations.
Zardes didn’t just have a good showing that included a great solo run and an inch perfect assist delivered from a sprint, Zardes played like a versatile attacker that could keep possession in midfield, play wide, play centrally, and attack the opposition directly.
The LA Galaxy striker proved himself to be a USMNT attacker with surprising versatility. Zardes was handed a national team start, and he played where the game dictated rather than playing like a robot that looked like he was just trying to follow the coaching staff’s instructions like Graham Zusi does.
Once the whistle was blown, Zardes decided to just put his stamp on the game by combining with Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, Mix Diskerud, and Jozy Altidore. Zardes made himself a useful teammate that his more experienced teammates trusted to include in the game, and he didn’t ask for their permission. He included himself.
When Zardes recovered a bouncing ball with space in front of him, he didn’t wait for an invitation to sprint at the defense and release Dempsey with an elegant pass to score a world-class goal.
Dempsey made a hard finish look easy, but the USMNT does not have many players that would have had the spirit and ability to charge the defense and feed the USA’s best player.
Lots of players would have tried to play their first international game as a starter like a Yes Man looking to follow instructions and not make a mistake, but Zardes was totally unfazed by starting with Dempsey and Bradley; he didn’t defer to them.
Time and time again Dempsey has displayed his willingness to combine with anyone that is looking to play exciting and skillful attacking soccer, and he clearly enjoyed playing with Zardes.
Zardes has two huge backers to be a USMNT starter (Dempsey and Bradley), plus Zardes has the vote of the person with the most power, the coach.
No matter what Klinsmann decides to do about the central midfield positions, Zardes has likely won himself a starting spot on the national team.
With Zardes starting, the USA probably needs to start Geoff Cameron with Bradley to give the squad another defensive midfielder in the starting line-up, but this still leaves room for Mix Diskerud or Joe Corona to start as a Number 10.
Corona can also be used as a wing opposite Zardes, but whether Zardes is playing as an outside forward or a wide midfielder on paper doesn’t really matter because Zardes can keep possession or counter-attack, plus the attacker knows how to set up goals and score them.
Gyasi Zardes is likely here to stay as a U.S. National Team starter, and that’s a good thing.
Who cares what his position is on paper?
Zardes knows how to play with the USMNT’s two best players: Dempsey and Bradley.