Columbus Crew SC made a decision in mid-May. It was one that had numerous people around Major League Soccer scratching their heads.
The Crew announced a multi-year contract extension for Gyasi Zardes, one that made the forward a Designated Player. Just over a year prior, the LA Galaxy, the club that signed the striker as a Homegrown player in 2012, sent Zardes plus $400,000 to Columbus in exchange for Ola Kamara.
This decision put a target on Zardes’ back. A player who only twice in his career, including his debut season with the Black & Gold, scored more than six goals in a year now was considered, fairly or unfairly, among the elite in MLS.