TORONTO – Before the MLS regular season even started, Toronto FC captain Michael Bradley touted new teammate Victor Vazquez as a skillful technician who makes players around him that much better.
Thus far, Vazquez has come as advertised.
One of TFC’s major off-season signings, the Spaniard combines great vision, patience on the ball, and a high soccer IQ, and he is shaping up to be the creative playmaker in central midfield that the Reds have long needed.
A product of FC Barcelona’s famous La Masia youth academy, Vazquez has immediately adapted to life in Toronto, scoring a goal and adding two assists in five appearances (three as a starter).
His efforts have not gone unnoticed by the coaching staff and his teammates.
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“He’s a class act, he really is. He thinks about the game at a very high level. He’s really far ahead of most in [that aspect] … As you watch him you think, ‘oh, he’s pretty simple.’ But he’s very calculated in what he does and his execution is excellent,” assistant coach Robin Fraser said ahead of Saturday’s road game against the Columbus Crew.
“He sees so much that he knows when to play fast, he knows when to play slow, he knows when to set up a pass versus [when to play] a killer pass.”
Vazquez’s patience was on full display in the buildup to TFC’s second goal in a 2-2 draw against Atlanta United FC last weekend. He remained cool under pressure as the ball came to him inside the box, keeping his head up and astutely picking out the on-rushing Steven Beitashour down the right, instead of forcing the play in the middle or trying to take on the defender. Beitashour latched on to Vazquez’s pass and then delivered a ball across the six-yard box for Justin Morrow to tap home.
“He doesn’t rush things. He waits for things to play out. He’s looking for passes, and when one option gets covered up, there’s another one coming. He’s able to find those [secondary] passes, so you make those runs and you know you have a good chance of getting on them,” Beitashour said.
Patience, in this case, was indeed a virtue.
“This is my way of playing – I like to keep the ball sometimes a little extra longer just in case because it is easier to recover; not so much if you are running and losing the ball. It’s my way of playing, and it’s what I learnt at Barcelona – to be patient sometimes,” Vazquez told Sportsnet.
Vazquez’s ability to see beyond the first – and often obvious – option played a hand in TFC’s first goal against Atlanta.
The Spaniard made a run behind the defence before the ball eventually fell to him. The high-percentage play would have been to pass to Sebastian Giovinco, who was coming towards him. Instead, Vazquez chipped a perfectly weighted ball over Giovinco and two Atlanta players into the box for Jozy Altidore. That was Giovinco’s cue to run towards goal, and as he did, Altidore played a sublime back-heeled pass, perfectly cushioning it for the streaking Italian to fire home. It was a wonderfully crafted goal, one of the finest ever scored at BMO Field.
“I saw that Jozy was alone, one against one. With Jozy’s body, for him it’s easy when he is one against one; he can do everything because he is really big. And because Seba was coming to me really close, I thought, okay, if I give it to Jozy, he’s going to be alone, and maybe he can control the ball and then turn or do whatever he wants. Seba made a great sprint [in the box] and that’s why I played it to Jozy because he has the size to keep the ball,” Vazquez explained.
“We tried this – that’s why we are working together all the time, the three of us. Jozy made this magician’s touch. It was an amazing action.”
That first goal was a perfect example of exactly what TFC wanted and expected from the Spaniard when they signed him: someone who can unlock defences, and effectively link up with Giovinco and Altidore. Last Saturday was only the second time all three of them started together. Vazquez is confident that more magical moments will come as they play regularly together.
“It’s only the beginning. It’s not easy [right now] because we don’t know each other and we are getting used to playing with each other. With the quality and the vision that we have [among] the three of us it’s going to get easier and more instinctive – soon we can understand each other with one look. It will come much better with time,” Vazquez promised.
NOTES: Toronto FC revealed on Friday that veteran defender Drew Moor was discovered to have an irregular heartbeat during a medical examination following a recent training session. The club also said Moor will undergo further testing next week. As a precaution, Moor will not travel with the team for Saturday’s game against Columbus… TFC is undefeated through its first five games of the campaign, with one win and four draws… After the Columbus trip, the Reds return home for three consecutive home games at BMO Field vs. the Chicago Fire (April 21), Houston Dynamo (April 28) and Orlando City (May 3).
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