Homegrown Hero: Gyasi Zardes reflects on his Galaxy career upon retirement

Gyasi Zardes made history in the 52nd minute of MLS Cup 2014. His opening goal was the first by a homegrown player in league history in an MLS Cup as the Galaxy went on to beat the new England Revolution 2-1 in extra time.  

After the match, as Robbie Keane hoisted the trophy over his head to celebrate on stage, Zardes hoisted his first-born son, who was less than a year old.

“It’s crazy but I won MLS Cup twice and I have two boys. Each year that my sons were born are the years I won MLS Cup,” Zardes told LAGalaxy.com. “I don’t know if there’s some correlation, but my son was there and able to witness it and he’s following in my footsteps.” 

Family means everything for Zardes, who grew up down the street from Dignity Health Sports Park in Hawthorne. Attending matches with his father, he saw Sean Franklin running down the right flank with a recognizable mohawk hairstyle. Zardes famously fashioned bleached hair to help his grandparents see him on TV as he represented LA in 139 matches, scoring 36 goals for the Galaxy in MLS Regular Season and Playoffs competition from 2013-2017. Having announced his retirement from professional soccer in September, Zardes reflected on his time with the Galaxy.  

“I tell people now how fast it goes by,” Zardes said. “I remember being in the academy and watching David Beckham, Landon Donovan, and Robbie Keane training and then years later me being on that same training field. Playing for the Galaxy was seriously a dream come true.” 

Gyasi Zardes will return to Dignity Health Sports Park on October 17 for a pregame meet-and-greet. Buy tickets HERE.

Following his 2014 MLS Cup triumph, Zardes was called into the U.S. Men’s National Team, getting his debut against Chile on January 28, 2015 before earning his first start against Panama nine days later in Carson. In the 37th minute, Zardes assisted a Clint Dempsey goal as the U.S. won 2-0. Zardes went on to make 68 appearances for the Stars and Stripes, scoring 14 times for his country and winning two Concacaf Gold Cups (2017, 2021).  

“I never represented the U.S. at a youth level. So, the fact that I was able to make the senior national team, make my first cap, and score my first goal was a testament to all the hard work that I’d been putting in,” Zardes said. “It meant everything and I wanted to make not only my country proud but also my family. More importantly, it was always about those kids growing up after me in those same neighborhoods. I want to show them I made it and I’m from Hawthorne. I’m just like you guys so who’s to say you can’t do what I did and more?”

At the Galaxy, Zardes not only played alongside people he looked up to, but also featured in games against some legendary sides from Europe, including Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus, the latter of which the Galaxy defeated in the first ever soccer game played at Dodger Stadium. But learning from the veterans as a rookie and young player in his career was the most valuable part. Players such as Pat Noonan, Todd Dunivant, Omar Gonzalez, AJ Delagarza, and Hector Jimenez helped a young Zardes learn what it meant to be a professional.  

“Those guys took me under their wings my rookie year, which kind of laid the foundation toward my whole career and how I handle myself,” Zardes said. “Not only did they teach me things on the field but off the field.” 

Now, he gets to pass on that legacy to his children and players across the country. Zardes graduated from Cal State Dominguez Hills in 2017 while with the Galaxy, but his college career started at Cal State Bakersfield. On September 26, 2026, just after announcing his retirement, Zardes was inducted into the Cal State Bakersfield Athletics Hall of Fame, etching himself in Roadrunner history. 

“People don’t see the behind the scenes,” Zardes said. “All the work, all the sacrifices that I made, even in college. I was making decisions of not going to hang out with friends to go train by myself on the rec field.” 

As he enters his post-playing days, Zardes will continue to pass down those lessons and more to the next generation.  

“My family being able to come to games, grandparents, parents, aunties, uncles, my friends that I grew up with,” Zardes said. “It was everything to me to see them in the stands when I was playing or even after games when I could walk over to see everybody. That was the highlight of every game, to see everybody after I played.”