CARSON, Calif. – Bradford Jamieson IV stepped into the LA Galaxy lineup for Gyasi Zardes over the weekend, and if you weren't paying full attention, you might not have noticed it.
From a distance or on a TV, the bleach-blond cover atop Jamieson's head looks a lot like the streak through Zardes' hair.
“They need to sort that out,” said forward Alan Gordon, who partnered with Jamieson up front during Saturday's 2-1 triumph over visiting Sporting Kansas City. “I was talking to B.J. this morning. All my family and friends were like, 'Gyasi had a good game.' ”
Even Zardes' family was a little confused at first.
“My grandma caught on [while watching to game on TV]. When they zoom in, she knows it's Jamieson,” said Zardes, who started on the bench after going 90 minutes in the US national team's victory over Mexico a week ago. “At first she was, like, 'I saw you all over the field!'”
Jamieson, an 18-year-old Homegrown Player, fared well in his first MLS start, using his speed to create opportunities while challenging the KC defense most of the night.
“I think I utilized some of my strengths,” said Jamieson, who made two brief MLS appearances off the bench and played one half in a friendly against Manchester United last year, his only previous first-team experience. “Obviously, Bruce [Arena, head coach] and my teammates have been telling me to be confident in myself and confident in my ability, as far as my speed goes and the way I think about the game and the way I see the game and using the skill I have. ... I thought it was a solid performance. Just something to build on.”
Arena and teammates were impressed.
“He was aggressive, looked confident,” Arena said. “His speed was apparent, and getting out on the break and just being a handful all night. For a first game by a young player, it was a very impressive showing.”
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Said Gordon: “He showed a different dimension: some pace, being dangerous, taking people on. Something that we can use.”
Those are the kind of qualities Zardes brings, too, and that's not all: Both are natural forwards who are often positioned on the wing. Teammates tease Jamieson by calling him “Gyasi.”
“They say it as a joke because they know us,” Jamieson said. “Fans, I get it [that they confuse us] at first glance, but after you see me – we run different, I'm a lot slimmer than he is, and we don't look the same either. Even the haircut isn't exactly the same, it's just the color. I'm going to switch it up sooner or later. I like switching my hair up anyway.”
Jamieson, who has worn the hairstyle for about three years, at first with red on top, saw significant preseason action and was competing for the starting job on the left flank until the opener. He has played wide and up top in three starts this year for LA Galaxy II, the club's USL-based reserve team.
“I think I had a strong preseason, [but] as we got closer to the season, there were chances I might not have capitalized on, whether it would have been through nerves or just [a lack of] experience,” Jamieson said. “There might have been things I wasn't ready for, so I took that in stride and took it to heart, and I've tried to turn it around as quickly as possible. I play the games with Galaxy II as if they were MLS Cup finals, and I think that's really prepared me for this MLS [opportunity].”
Arena says Jamieson is “better suited” as a forward, but Jamieson prefers “to see myself as just a versatile player.”
“Obviously, I'm going to have to solidify a spot [somewhere to be a regular starter], but to be versatile, I think, is a gift in itself,” he said. “I take pride in being a versatile player and, for now, that's how I think of myself.”
