In first campaign with Crew SC, U.S. MNT striker nets career-high 19 goals

NEW YORK (Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018) – Major League Soccer announced today that after his breakout regular season, Columbus Crew SC forward Gyasi Zardes has been named the 2018 MLS Comeback Player of the Year.

The 27-year-old Hawthorne, Calif. native was traded to Crew SC in the offseason before posting his strongest campaign yet, including a career-high 19 goals. He capped off the regular season with his first career hat trick on MLS Decision Day presented by AT&T to carry momentum into the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.

Video soundbytes from Gyasi Zardes are available HERE

Under the guidance of Columbus sporting director and head coach Gregg Berhalter, Zardes has thrived all season within the club’s lone-striker formation. Zardes also eclipsed the regular season 50-goal career milestone (53), and in the process rewarded Columbus with the third-highest, single-season goalscoring output in club history. He set personal bests in minutes (2,948) and games played/started (33).

The turnaround season came just one year after posting two goals with the LA Galaxy in 2017 – a year in which he also had multiple injuries in club and international play.

Zardes’ elevated MLS play led to a well-deserved return to the U.S. Men’s National Team camp in September – his first camp since January.

The award was voted on by MLS club technical staff, media and current MLS players. Below is a breakdown of the voting results: