TORONTO — He’s hasn’t quite settled into his new surroundings just yet.
But Spanish midfielder Victor Vazquez, one of Toronto FC‘s major off-season acquisitions, has made a good first impression on captain Michael Bradley.
Vazquez, 30, only joined the Reds last week after signing with the club as a free agent, and he played in just one exhibition match down in Florida, a 4-1 loss to the Chicago Fire last Saturday. That one appearance and his brief time in pre-season training camp, though, was enough to catch the attention of Bradley.
"[He’s] a very good football player; somebody who makes guys around him better. Somebody who is easy to play with. He reads the game. He’s very good at finding space," Bradley told reporters after Tuesday’s practice.
"For me, one of the best compliments for any player is he’s easy to play with. When he should play one touch, he plays one touch. When he should play two touches, he plays two touches. When he has time and the game asks for a little bit more, he’s able to do a little bit more. As he gets fitter and sharper, as we get him even more integrated into our group, I think he’s going to help us in a big way."
Coach Greg Vanney concurred with his captain, describing Vazquez as "an intelligent player" who is positionally sound.
Vazquez first shot to fame with Club Brugge where he played for several seasons and was named the Belgian league’s player of the year for 2014-15. Now he is in Toronto, and the hope is that the former product of Barcelona’s famous La Masia youth academy can add a touch of creativity in central midfield, and effectively link up with forwards Jozy Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco.
Although he scored some highlight-reel goals with Brugge, Vazquez thinks of himself as more of a playmaker.
"I prefer to give assists to the strikers than to score goals. I’m not thinking about individual things; I’m always trying to think of the collective. Of course, I like to score goals because it’s always a nice [thing] but I prefer to give assists—it’s my way of playing. I’ll be happy if I give assists to Jozy or Sebastian," Vazquez offered.
After a successful spell in Belgium, Vazquez had a brief stint with Cruz Azul. However, he didn’t quite like life in Mexico and decided to leave after only one year due to family reasons.
His wife and son met with TFC officials on Wednesday and were provided information about the city, housing options and local schools to help them acclimatize.
"We are happy to be here because it’s another kind of life. We want more of a quiet life, and in Canada I know we will have it… That’s what we wanted. In Brugge, we had it. It was an amazing life there, and I hope here it will be more or less the same," Vazquez said.
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Vazquez came up through La Masia, spending most of his time playing for Barca’s youth and reserve sides. He only turned out for the senior team on a handful of occasions. But he credits his time at the Catalan club as instrumental in allowing him to find success both on and off the pitch.
"I was there 14 years and for me it’s like my [home]. I will always be thankful to Barcelona because they [taught] me everything," Vazquez admitted.
"Why I’m here in Toronto is because of Barcelona. They [taught] me as a football player, as a person, as a father—everything. They gave me everything. … All that I know is because of all the coaches I had at Barcelona."
Vazquez will likely see action on Saturday when TFC visits Real Salt Lake in their MLS regular season opener, although it’s not a given he’ll start, and he likely won’t play a full match.
"He’s ready to play. Is he ready for 90 minutes at a really high tempo? I’d say he’s probably not quite there yet. But he’s ready to play and will be available," Vanney admitted.
That’s hardly a surprise as Vazquez hasn’t played in a competitive game in several months.
"I feel pretty [good]. I thought it was maybe harder to start, but with the coach and the [trainers] we managed very well. I’m good. I’m not 100 per cent fit, but maybe 60 or 70 per cent. I will try to achieve the 100 per cent as soon as possible so I can give everything," Vazquez offered.
NOTES: Defender Chris Mavinga, like Vazquez another off-season addition, won’t be available to play on Saturday. Mavinga is currently in France with his wife who just had a baby. He is expected to return to Toronto later this week, but Vanney confirmed he won’t travel to Salt Lake… Canadian defender Ashtone Morgan, who is sidelined with a long-term foot problem, is the only player at this moment who will miss Saturday’s match due to injury… Vanney confirmed the team is still in discussion with several players who are not under contract, and that they are in the midst of deciding whether to fill out their 30-man roster or leave a few slots open for the start of the season. "Hopefully in a day or two we’ll be able to finalize what [the roster] is going to look like," Vanney said… French defender Clement Simonin has been cut by TFC. He entered pre-season out of contract, and was given a trial to earn a new deal after suffering through two injury-plagued seasons with the Reds.
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