Zardes strikes for two more goals in exhibition win

CHARLESTON, S.C. — Edward Opoku walked up to Gyasi Zardes on Wednesday before Crew SC’s game against the United Soccer League’s Charleston Battery and made an assessment of his teammate of a month.

“I think you’ve got two goals in you,” he remembered saying.

Opoku made a similar prediction this month before the Crew’s first game in the Pacific Rim Cup, in which Zardes netted two goals.

Perhaps the rookie forward should start buying lottery tickets.

The Crew notched its second victory in as many Carolina Challenge Cup games Wednesday on the shoulders of Zardes, who headed in two goals in the second half for a 2-1 win.

Right back Harrison Afful floated an 82ndminute cross to Zardes, who redirected the ball into the net for the winner. Zardes scored his first goal in the 56th minute, also on a header on a cross from the right side but from Opoku, to tie the score at 1.

“On both of those goals, I saw the defender, and once the defender stops, they leave themselves in a vulnerable position,” Zardes said. “I just tried to make sure I made a hard run.”

The scoring outburst gives Zardes five goals in his last four exhibition games and follows a win Saturday over Atlanta in which he failed to score.

Entering the game, coach Gregg Berhalter told his team it needed to make more of an effort to find Zardes, acquired last month in a trade that sent Ola Kamara to the Los Angeles Galaxy.

“I think the guys responded to that,” Berhalter said. “He has the ability to head the ball really well. He can adapt, he can be offbalance and still make plays with his head, so I think he did a good job.”

The Crew created a few chances but registered just one shot on goal in a first half in which Pedro Santos and Cristian Martinez started on the wings. The primary difference in the two halves — between which the Crew made an 11-for11 lineup swap — was pace of ball movement, Berhalter said.

The Crew started with a lineup that featured approximately four starters and a pair of academy players, midfielder and Georgetown commitment Sean Zawadzki and center back and Virginia commitment Aboubacar Keita.

Charleston netted the only goal of the first half — Ian Svantesson scored off a Crew turnover in the 32nd minute — but it nearly scored again multiple times.

Kotaro Higashi wormed his way behind the back line in the ninth minute but pushed his shot about a foot wide of the right post. Ataulla Guerra beat the Crew center backs and had an opportunity at an open shot just above the 6-yard box in the 18th minute but booted the ball well over the crossbar.

Less than three months after its 2017 playoff run ended, the Crew is a Saturday exhibition against Minnesota United and a week of training away from its season opener March 3 at Toronto FC.

“I got confident today when I saw us play with more power and energy than versus Atlanta,” Berhalter said. “I think that was good to see.”