TORONTO – A new country, a new league, and a cast of new teammates, but Victor Vazquez has hardly skipped a beat in a new uniform.
Since joining Toronto FC ahead of the 2017 season, the Spaniard has been nothing short of sensational as he continues to turn heads throughout the league.
Through the first 14 games of the season, Vazquez has dazzled in the Toronto midfield, pulling the strings to power one of the league’s most potent attacking forces. And on the heels of a two-goal performance in a 5-0 win over rivals Columbus Crew SC, Vazquez now leads MLS with 1.13 goals plus assists per 90 minutes, notching three goals and a league-high eight assists thus far.
“It’s nice. It’s always wonderful to be at the top,” Vazquez admitted. “I’m showing a lot of things to everyone and I’m helping the team as I’ve wanted to do.”
His arrival had been a long time coming, but Vazquez has proved to be well worth the wait. General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko admitted that he had been pursuing the former Belgian Professional Footballer of the Year since mid-2014 while with Club Brugge, but a deal never materialized.
Two years later, the Reds got their man, and he’s been delivering the goods in a big way.
“To me, he’s the most clever attacking midfielder in the league,” head coach Greg Vanney said following Friday’s win over Columbus. “I don’t think people across the board have recognized that yet.”
Even without the likes of Sebastian Giovinco and Jozy Altidore in the lineup, the 30-year-old has proved to be a dangerous playmaker with his uncanny vision, and it should come as little surprise.
Cultivating his game at La Masia (FC Barcelona's Youth Soccer Academy), Vazquez played alongside the likes of Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta, and his class has been apparent since day one in MLS.
So what is it that makes him so special?
“His brain, at the end of the day,” Vanney explained. “He is so aware of his surroundings. I am a big believer that the game is played in your head before it is played out so everyone can see it, and he is two steps ahead of everyone. He knows how much time he has, he knows where the pressure is coming from, he knows where the outs are and knows where the passes that can hurt people are. Then he has the technical ability to make those passes; he is just very clever.
“If you want a guy that finds space, finds the right pass and delivers the right ball, there isn’t a better player. I’ll take him any day.”
