Holy LA Galaxy and great plains, Batman!
By Scott Conrad
2. Josh Gardner
The University of Cincinnati product was selected in 2004 by the Los Angeles Galaxy. It wasn't until his third and final year with the squad that Gardner had a meaningful impact in MLS.
In his first two seasons with the Galaxy, he had appeared in three games for only a combined total of 38 minutes. In his third season, Gardner played in 18 games, starting in 12 of them and tallied 1,058 minutes of play that year. He scored just one goal but recorded three assists in that season, too.
In 2011, he signed with the Columbus Crew. It would be the only season that Gardner would appear in the playoffs during his MLS career. The Texas native started all but one of his 22 games that season. He recorded a pair of goals and three more assists while still playing as a defender.
On November 23, 2011, Gardner was selected in the Expansion Draft by the newly formed Montreal Impact. He played in six games, starting in five of them. Despite not producing a goal or an assist that year, he averaged a shot attempt a game during the 2012 MLS season.
Alas, Gardner's last two seasons had him sporting a jersey in Kansas City. He played in eight games and started in just two of them in 2013. He logged 244 minutes and only assisted with one goal that year.
His final season in 2014 saw him start one game for 89 minutes. It was the last time MLS saw Gardner take the field near his goalie.
Continued on the next slide...