MLS Golden Boot tracker: Who will win in 2024?
Eight matchdays remain in the 2024 MLS season, continuing a sprint towards the Golden Boot presented by Audi.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2023 (Philadelphia): Gazdag made 32 appearances (30 starts) for the Union in 2023, finishing the season with 14 goals, tied for the team high, and a team-leading 11 assists…Scored a brace and two assists against CLB (2/25), earning him TOTM honors...Scored and assisted in the game against CHI (4/15), earning him TOTM honors...Scored a brace against NSH on 7/12...became the first player in MLS history to score 10 penalty kick goals in a single MLS regular season with his penalty kick goal against CIN (9/16)...Scored his 40th career goal against ATL (10/4).
2022 (Philadelphia): Gazdag made 34 appearances (34 starts) for the Union in the 2022, finishing the season with 22 goals and 10 assists...Scored his first goal of the season against MTL (3/5)...Scored his second goal of the season against SJ (3/12)...Scored his third goal of the season against NYC (3/19)...Scored his fourth goal of the season against CLT (4/2)...Registered his first assist of the season against TOR (4/16)...Recorded his second assist against NSH (5/1)...Scored his fifth goal of the season and registered his third assist against LAFC (5/7), earning him a spot on the MLS TOTW 10... Scored his sixth goal of the season against RBNY (5/14)...Scored his seventh goal of the season against POR (5/22)...Registered two assists against DC (7/8)...Scored his eight goal of the season against MIA (7/13)...Scored his 11th goal of the season against HOU (7/30)...Scored his first career hat trick against COL (8/27), earning him a spot on the MLS TOTW 27...Named Player of the Week (Week 27)...Set the record for most goals scored by a Union player in a single MLS season with 17 goals (8/31)...Scored his 18th goal of the season against RBNY, earning him a spot on the TOTW 27.
2021 (Philadelphia): Gazdag made 23 appearances (17 starts) for the Union in the 2021 MLS Regular Season...Registered his first MLS assist with the Union in a 2-1 win against D.C. United (Jul. 17)...Joined Philadelphia Union from Budapest Honvéd FC to a two-year contract with a club option for a third and fourth year in exchange for an undisclosed transfer fee...Gazdag made his 2021 MLS debut when he came on as a sub in the 67' during the Union's road win over D.C. United (May 23)...Gazdag earned his first start, playing 56 minutes in a loss at Nashville (Jul. 3)...Was named to the MLS Team of the Week (Week 17) after his strong performance vs. Toronto FC (Aug 4)...Scored a brace against Minnesota United FC (Oct. 20)... Scored his fourth goal of the MLS Season against FC Cincinnati (Oct. 31), contributing his fifth assist as well...Was named to the MLS Team of the Week (Week 34)...Made his first postseason start against NYRB (Nov. 20)...Scored the game-tying goal in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against Nashville SC (Nov. 28)...Made his third postseason start against New York City FC in the Eastern Conference Finals of the Audi 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs (Dec.5)...
BEFORE PHILADELPHIA UNION
Gazdag comes to Philadelphia from the Hungarian First Tier Nemzeti Bajnoksag league, where he played for Budapest Honvéd FC, the same club famed striker Ferenc Puskas came through and whom the FIFA Puskas Award for the best goal of the year is named after. Gazdag has scored 13 goals and notched six assists across 30 appearances (30 starts).
The 25-year-old came up through the Honvéd youth system, playing for their youth team starting in 2010 and advancing through their system playing for the U17 and U19 teams, before turning pro with the senior team in 2015.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
Internationally, Gazdag has earned 23 caps for the Hungarian Men’s National Team, scoring four goals. Before being called up to the senior team, Gazdag made a combined 17 appearances for the Hungary U17, U18, U20 and U21 national team squads...He made his debut for the men’s national team in a friendly vs. Montenegro on September 5, 2019.
In 2021, Gazdag earned his first call-up of the season ahead of the World Cup qualifiers in March, where he appeared in all three matches, scoring his first goal in a 4-1 victory over Andorra (3/31)...In his second, third, and fourth call-ups for the World Cup qualifiers, Gazdag appeared in five out of seven matches, scoring once against San Marino (11/12) and the game-winning goal against Poland (11/15)
In 2022, Gazdag appeared in 7 matches, including four UEFA Nations League A matches, in which he registered a goal against England (6/14).
In 2023, Gazdag made four international appearances for Hungary, all coming in European Qualifiers matches.
ACQUIRED: Philadelphia Union acquire midfielder Daniel Gazdag on May 11, 2021.