Dániel Gazdag: Philadelphia's Hungarian goal-machine hoping to help fire his side into semi-finals of Leagues Cup 2023

It took time for Dániel Gazdag to settle in the US after his move from Hungary, after battling relegation in the top flight in his home country to make a name for himself. Whilst he was largely unknown to MLS, he was about to enter into the prime of his career, and chose a route which not many of his countrymen have trodden. 

“It’s not a typical move from Hungary,” said Gazdag to MLSsoccer.com when he joined the club back in 2021. The attacking midfielder was only the ninth Hungarian player to play in the MLS, and only the fourth to come directly from a club from the Central European country.

After a transitional year at Philadelphia, Gazdag quickly exploded onto the MLS scene. By the end of the 2022 season the attacker finished joint second highest scorer in MLS, and had become an established part of Hungary’s National team. 

This year has seen him keep up his scoring record in MLS, with nine goals and five assists in 21 appearances so far. However, in Leagues Cup the Hungarian has got back to his previous form. He has scored four goals in four games so far during the tournament, including a hat trick on his second appearance against Qurétaro in the groups stage. He’ll face the same opposition in Philadelphia's quarter final clash, and the question remains - will he be able to show similar form to fire Phili into the semifinals of Leagues Cup.