FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Dániel Gazdag made himself known in MLS years ago. The Hungarian attacker has 67 goals and 37 assists across six seasons in the league, and now he’s come to the New England Revolution looking for more. It took him less than 30 minutes to find it.
In just his second appearance for the club, against Eastern Conference foes New York City FC, Gazdag scored his first goal in a Revs jersey. And it wasn’t just any goal; it was a stoppage time, match winner in a 2-1 road victory.
“I am where I want to be. I'm really happy that I scored in my second game with the team, and it gives me a lot of confidence for the future. I think the way we play is really offensive, and we're always on the front foot. It helps offensive players perform,” Gazdag said following the match in New York.
Gazdag joined the Revolution as a free agent after most recently featuring for the Columbus Crew, where he spent parts of two seasons. While his 12 total goal contributions through 43 games in black and gold were low compared to his 59 goals and 32 assists found during his previous tenure with the Philadelphia Union, Revolution head coach Marko Mitrović believes he can find that form again.
“Dániel has his strengths when we talk about final third and arriving in the box, that sense of being in the right spot at the right times. He has the technical abilities to execute those things. It’s something that we really believe he can help us with, being more clinical when we’re finishing the attack,” explained Mitrović. “There is no pressure like, ‘Oh, you have to score the goals.’ Just do the right things in the right way. When you’re in front of the goal, the worst thing is you have a double mind like, ‘Oh, should I do this or should I do that?’ Just believe in what you want to do and don’t worry about the outcome. We’re just trying to give him that confidence.”
One of the qualities that drew the Revolution to Gazdag was his versatility. Primarily featuring as an attacking midfielder in the past, both Mitrović and general manager and chief soccer officer Chris Tierney said that Gazdag is capable of filling many roles.
The depth and flexibility he adds to the New England locker room have already come in handy. After playing just 33 combined minutes for the Revs in a pair of substitute appearances, Gazdag was called upon to contribute even more. With winger Jack Harrison out injured following the match at New York City FC on September 9, 30-year-old Gazdag filled in on the wing and earned his first Revolution start against the Chicago Fire, helping New England secure an important win as visitors.
“He'll be a really good complement to the other pieces that we have in place already. You look at his goal scoring record as an attacking midfielder in our league, he has goals in him. He has flexibility in terms of where you can play him. You can play him in a number of different spots. So, it's just another good option to raise the overall level of the team,” explained Tierney. “The cultural fit is a huge part of it, as well. Dániel checked all the boxes for us.”
Culture has been at the forefront for the Revolution this season, and while it is something that originally attracted Gazdag to the squad, it’s also something he’s felt instantly upon arrival.
“I can already tell that it's a special group. We believe that we can have a special season. We have really good players, a lot of quality players,” he said. “There are great players in the team who have already proven themselves in the league. I'm happy to play with them and help the team."
Gazdag marked his first appearance in front of the home crowd in Foxborough in the Revolution's 4-2 win over Orlando City SC on Saturday night. After making numerous appearances in Foxborough as an opponent, the Hungarian playmaker now gets to experience the other side of that atmosphere, backed by the support of the Revolution faithful. With just four home games remaining in the regular season, Gazdag will play a huge role as the Revs push for postseason action.
