MNT Rewind: Gyasi Zardes Bags Three Goals in Big Week for Columbus Crew SC

A week away from the announcement of the MNT roster for its summer friendlies, a number of players have given head coach Dave Sarachan more to ponder ahead of games against Bolivia, Ireland and France.

Domestically, Gyasi Zardes continued his scoring tear, tallying three goals across two games to help Columbus Crew SC win both its matches this week. Zardes began the week by tapping home the long goal in the 53rd minute of Columbus’ 1-0 win against Philadelphia Union.

Taking on Chicago Fire on Saturday, Zardes bagged his first of two goals on the night in the 50th minute by again tapping home from close range, finishing off nice work down the right by Niko Hansen. He had the chance to show more skill in the 69th minute, when Ricardo Clark’s centering pass was dummied by Mike Grella, leaving Zardes an open look to measure a one-time effort inside the right post. The MNT attacker nearly secured a hat trick six minutes later, but nodded his header from Federico Higuain’s corner kick off the right post.

WATCH: Zardes Tallies Two vs. Chicago Fire

The three-goal haul takes Zardes’ season total to a league-leading eight goals in 12 matches for Crew SC this season. It already ranks as his second-best goal scoring season and he’s halfway to reaching his career high of 16 scored back in 2014 with LA Galaxy.

Overseas, Andrija Novakovich scored in both legs of Telstar’s Dutch Erstedivisie Promotion Playoff tie against De Graafschap, but The White Lions fell 6-5 on aggregate this week.

Novakovich helped Telstar to a 3-2 victory in Wednesday’s first leg when he scored off a well-worked counter attack in the 56th minute. Trailing 3-1 in the second leg, the target forward buried a crucial penalty kick to take the aggregate score to 5-5, but De Graafschap found the series winner five minutes later. Novakovich ended the season with 21 goals in 38 matches.

Staying in Holland, Matt Miazga and Vitesse passed the first hurdle in their bid to clinch a Europa League berth next season, defeating ADO Den Haag 7-3 on aggregate in the Eredivisie’s Playoff Semifinals. Miazga went the full 90 in The Eagles’ 5-2 away win Wednesday and 2-1 home victory on Saturday. They’ll face Utrecht in the Final, hosting the first leg on Tuesday, May 15 before playing the return fixture on Saturday, May 19.

After a injury-riddled first season with Wolfsburg, MNT center back John Brooks returned to the lineup to help Wolfsburg earn a 3-1 victory against Köln, clinching the club’s place in the Promotion-Relegation Playoff with Second Division side Holstein Kiel. Wolfsburg will host the first leg on Thursday, May 17 before going on the road for the second leg on Monday, May 21.

On loan from Stuttgart to 2.Bundesliga side Greuther Fürth, attacker Julian Green hit home a beautiful and vital goal in the club’s season-ending 1-1 draw at Heidenheim. After the ball popped around in midfield, Green drove towards net and teed up outside the area before driving it inside the right post to open the scoring in the 51st minute. Though the game ended 1-1, the result was enough to help The Shamrocks avoid relegation.

WATCH: Julian Green’s Third of the Season Saves Greuther Fürth

In Belgium, goalkeeper Ethan Horvath returned to the starting lineup for Club Brugge, playing the full 90 minutes in Wednesday’s 3-1 win at Sporting Charleroi and Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Standard Liege to clinch the league championship.

In Mexico, Jorge Villafaña will be playing for the Liga MX Clausura title after Santos Laguna saw off Club América by a 6-3 aggregate score line in their Semifinal tie this past week. An unused substitute in Los Guerreros' 4-1 victory on Thursday, Villafaña was inserted in the 65th minute of Sunday's 2-2 draw at Estadio Azteca. Santos will meet Toluca in the two-leg Final, with the home match coming on Thursday, May 17, before the return leg on Sunday, May 20. 

Other notes from the week:

  • After serving a one-game suspension last week, Paul Arriola returned to bag his first of the season, one-timing Zoltan Steiber’s ninth-minute corner kick to open the scoring in D.C. United’s 3-2 defeat at Real Salt Lake on Saturday.
  • Forward Bobby Wood was sent off for a second yellow card in the 71st minute of Hamburg’s 2-1 win against Borussia Mönchengladbach. That result combined with Wolfsburg’s 3-1 win vs. Köln resulted in Hamburg being relegated out of the Bundesliga for the first time in club history, ending a 55-year run in Germany’s top flight.
  • Midfielder Cristian Roldan helped set up Handwalla Bwana’s 54th minute game-winner in Seattle Sounders FC’s 2-1 win vs. Toronto FC on Wednesday.
  • Kellyn Acosta continued on the comeback trail from a sports hernia surgery, earning his first start and going 63 minutes in FC Dallas’ 3-2 win vs. LA Galaxy Saturday night.
  • Midfielder Kenny Saief incurred a bruised knee and was withdrawn at halftime of Anderlecht’s 3-1 loss to Standard Liege at midweek. He started Sunday’s match at Gent, but was again subbed after 15 minutes.

A full rundown of how MNT players performed for their clubs this past week:

Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas) – 63 minutes in 3-2 win vs. LA Galaxy (May 12)
Tyler Adams (New York Red Bulls) – 90 minutes in 2-1 win at Colorado Rapids (May 12)
Paul Arriola (D.C. United) – 90 minutes, GOAL in 3-2 loss at Real Salt Lake (May 12)
Alejandro Bedoya (Philadelphia Union) – 90 minutes in 1-0 loss at Columbus Crew SC (May 9); 90 minutes in 2-0 win at Montreal Impact (May 12)
Matt Besler (Sporting KC) – 90 minutes in 2-0 win at Atlanta United FC (May 9)
Alex Bono (Toronto FC) – 90 minutes in 2-1 loss vs. Seattle Sounders FC (May 9); 90 minutes in 3-2 loss at New England Revolution (May 12)
Michael Bradley (Toronto FC) – 90 minutes in 2-1 loss vs. Seattle Sounders FC (May 9); 90 minutes in 3-2 loss at New England Revolution (May 12)
John Brooks (Wolfsburg) – 90 minutes in 3-1 win vs. Köln (May 12)
Marky Delgado (Toronto FC) - 70 minutes in 2-1 loss vs. Seattle Sounders FC (May 9); 90 minutes in 3-2 loss at New England Revolution (May 12)
Dom Dwyer (Orlando City SC) – 90 minutes in 2-1 loss vs. Atlanta United FC (May 13)
Alejandro Guido (Club Tijuana) – 11 substitute minutes in 2-1 Liga MX Playoff Semifinal First Leg win vs. Toluca (May 10)
Brad Guzan (Atlanta United FC) – 34 minutes, RED CARD in 2-0 loss vs. Sporting KC (May 9)
Julian Green (Greuther Fürth) – 90 minutes, GOAL in 1-1 draw at Heidenheim (May 13)
Alejandro Guido (Club Tijuana) – 11 substitute minutes in 2-1 Liga MX Semifinal first leg win vs. Toluca (May 10)
Bill Hamid (Midtjylland) – Monday, April 14 at Brøndby (1 p.m. ET)
Matt Hedges (FC Dallas) – 90 minutes in 3-2 win vs. LA Galaxy (May 12)
Ethan Horvath (Club Brugge) – 90 minutes in 3-1 win vs. Sporting Charleroi; 90 minutes in 1-1 at Standard Liege (May 13)
Emerson Hyndman (Bournemouth) - 59 minutes in 2-1 win at Burnley
Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy) – 45 substitute minutes in 3-2 loss at FC Dallas (May 12)
Weston McKennie (Schalke) – 90 minutes in 1-0 win vs. Eintracht Frankfurt (May 12)
Matt Miazga (Vitesse) – 90 minutes in 5-2 Europa League Playoff first leg win at ADO Den Haag (May 9); 90 minutes in 2-1 Europa League Playoff second leg win vs. ADO Den Haag (May 12)
Darlington Nagbe (Atlanta United FC) – 90 minutes in 2-0 loss vs. Sporting KC (May 9); 87 minutes in 2-1 win at Orlando City SC (May 13)
Andrija Novakovich (Telstar) – 90 minutes, GOAL in 3-2 Promotion Playoff first leg win vs. De Graafschap (May 10); 90 minutes, GOAL in 4-2 Promotion Playoff second leg loss at De Graafschap (May 13)
Ike Opara (Sporting KC) – 90 minutes in 2-0 win at Atlanta United FC (May 9)
Erik Palmer-Brown (Kortrijk) – 90 minutes in 2-0 win at OH Leuven (May 8); 90 minutes in 1-1 draw vs. Roya Excelsior Mouscron (May 11)
Keaton Parks (Benfica) - 1 substitute minute in 1-0 win vs. Moreirense (May 13)
Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund) – 90 minutes in 3-1 loss at Hoffenheim (May 12)
Tim Ream (Fulham) – 90 minutes in 1-0 Promotion Playoff Semifinal First Leg loss at Derby County (May 11); Monday, May 14 vs. Derby County (2:45 p.m. ET; ESPN+)
Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders FC) – 90 minutes in 2-1 win at Toronto FC (May 9); 90 minutes in 1-0 loss at Portland Timbers (May 13)
Kelyn Rowe (New England Revolution) – 67 minutes in 3-2 win vs. Toronto FC (May 12)
Kenny Saief (Anderlecht) – 45 minutes in 3-1 loss vs. Standard Liege (May 10); 15 minutes, left injured in 1-0 loss at Gent (May 13)
CJ Sapong (Philadelphia Union) – 90 minutes in 1-0 loss at Columbus Crew SC (May 9)
Zack Steffen (Columbus Crew SC) – 90 minutes in 1-0 win vs. Philadelphia Union (May 9); 90 minutes in 3-0 win vs. Chicago Fire (May 12)
Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew SC) – 90 minutes in 1-0 win vs. Philadelphia Union (May 9
Jorge Villafaña (Santos Laguna) - 25 substitute minutes in 2-2 Liga MX Semifinal Second Leg draw at Club América (May 13)
Bobby Wood (Hamburg) – 71 minutes, RED CARD in 2-1 win vs. Borussia Mönchengladbach (May 12)
DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle United) – 90 minutes in 3-0 win vs. Chelsea (May 13)
Gyasi Zardes (Columbus Crew SC) – 90 minutes, GOAL in 1-0 win vs. Philadelphia Union (May 9); 90 minutes, TWO GOALS in 3-0 win vs. Chicago Fire (May 12)
Walker Zimmerman (LAFC) – 90 minutes in 2-0 win vs. Minnesota United FC (May 9); 90 minutes in 2-2 draw vs. New York City FC (May 13)
Graham Zusi (Sporting KC) – 90 minutes in 2-0 win at Atlanta United FC (May 9)

Injured/Did Not Play

Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC) – Foot Surgery; Not in 18 for 2-1 loss vs. Seattle Sounders FC (May 9); Not in 18 for 3-2 loss at New England Revolution (May 12)
Geoff Cameron (Stoke City) – In 18, DNP in 2-1 win at Swansea (May 13)
Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt) – Injured; Not in 18 for 1-0 loss at Schalke (May 12)
Joe Corona (Club América) – In 18, DNP in Liga MX Semifinal Second Leg 2-2 draw vs. Santos Laguna 
Aron Johannsson (Werder Bremen) – Ankle Injury; Not in 18 for 2-1 loss at Mainz (May 12)
Shaq Moore (Levante) – Not in 18 for 5-4 win vs. Barcelona (May 13)
Michael Orozco (Club Tijuana) – In 18, DNP in 2-1 Liga MX Playoff Semifinal First Leg win vs. Toluca (May 10); In 18, DNP in 4-1 Liga MX Playoff Semifinal Second Leg loss at Toluca (May 13)
Rubio Rubin (Club Tijuana) – In 18, DNP in 2-1 Liga MX Playoff Semifinal First Leg win vs. Toluca (May 10); Not in 18 for 4-1 Liga MX Playoff Semifinal Second Leg loss at Toluca (May 13)
Tim Weah (Paris Saint-Germain) – Not in 18 for 2-0 Coupe de France Final win vs. Les Herbiers (May 8); In 18, DNP in 2-0 loss vs. Rennes (May 12) 
Danny Williams (Huddersfield Town) – Broken Leg; Not in 18 for 1-0 loss vs. Arsenal (May 13)

Go Deeper

MNTGyasi ZardesMatt Miazga