With Martinez taking the league by storm, scoring an eye-catching 77 goals in the three years Vazquez was with Atlanta, the Chula Vista native was left to scrap for playing time. A gradual increase in minutes did arrive in 2019, when Martino left and was replaced by Frank de Boer. That year, Vazquez then got more opportunities to showcase his talents, eventually scoring four times en route to a U.S. Open Cup crown.
Things were starting to look up, but his true impact in American soccer would arrive through a change of club and scenery.
A revival in Cincinnati
So what was it that made Vazquez one of the breakout MLS players of 2022? Was it a different team? A tactical alteration? A new coaching influence?
“A little bit of everything,” said Vazquez about his trade to Cincinnati in late 2019. “I mean, obviously I didn’t change much as a player, I was always this player, but I think it was just the trust from the coaching staff and it definitely gave me the confidence that I needed to be able to do what I did last year.”
Needing time to find his footing — as many did on and off the field due to the impacts of COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021 — Vazquez was nothing short of brilliant last year. Bolstered by the hires of manager Pat Noonan and assistant Dominic Kinnear ahead of the 2022 season, Vazquez finally had the backing of a staff who entrusted the player with a starting role.
The forward also found a connection with playmaker Luciano Acosta and fellow forward Brenner, forming an outstanding trio that led the Orange-and-Blue to 64 goals in 34 regular-season matches. After finishing dead last in each of its first three seasons in the league, Cincinnati ended 2022 fifth in the Eastern Conference and qualified for the MLS Cup playoffs for the first time.
The goals haven’t arrived in the same numbers in 2023 — just four in 17 games — but that shouldn’t deter the go-to starter who has done more support work for the team sitting at the top of the Supporters’ Shield standings. When watching Vazquez this season, there’s more to his distribution, carrying of the ball, hold-up situations and defensive interventions.
“I think there’s been a lot of talk about my goals this season,” Vazquez said. “Of course, it’s frustrating for me too, some stuff just hasn’t gotten my way, [but] the work that I put in has helped us be in first place this whole year. I think it’s not just an accident that we’re in first place. I think we’re all pulling our strings together to be where we are today.”
His fortunes in front of goal are improving, too. Crucially ahead of the Gold Cup, all four of Vazquez’s goals this season have come in his past eight games in all competitions. “I’ve been working the same routine that I had last year, nothing has changed,” he said. “My hunger hasn’t changed, my routine hasn’t changed. I’m the same player, I’m the same person.”
A future abroad
If the forward does eventually make a move to Europe, it likely won’t be in this summer’s transfer window. In a similar manner to his willingness to do more in a supporting role on the field, the same could be said of his off-the-field intentions.
“I’ve had those talks with Cincinnati,” Vazquez said. “With Brenner leaving this summer (to Serie A‘s Udinese), it’s pretty hard to find a replacement, and to just find a replacement for both of us if I was to leave, and Cincinnati doesn’t want me to go just yet.
