Brandon Vazquez – Page 2 – Syndication Server

FC Cincinnati keeps up with new MLS trend, demolishes San Jose Earthquakes 6-0

6-0 is so hot right now

If you want to be a Cool Team in MLS, you better win a game 6-0.

FC Cincinnati became the latest team to post the league’s most fashionable margin of victory, thrashing the San Jose Earthquakes by that increasingly common scoreline Saturday night. Brenner had a hat trick, while Luciano Acosta continued his MVP candidacy with one goal and two assists.

It’s the fifth time this season MLS has seen a 6-0 final score, with the Philadelphia Union involved three (wins over D.C. United, the Colorado Rapids, and Houston Dynamo). NYCFC also beat Real Salt Lake by that scoreline back in April.

For much of the first half, it didn’t look like Cincinnati was going to get in on the hot new trend. After 44 minutes, San Jose had kept it scoreless at TQL Stadium, and usually if you want to win a soccer game 6-0, you really have to start scoring early, to make your opponent start to take risks and give you openings.

Instead, Cincy only got started just before halftime, with Álvaro Barreal finishing with power after some snappy one-touch passing between Brandon Vázquez and Luciano Acosta.

They were in a hurry to pad that lead, as Vázquez nodded Acosta’s free kick down for Brenner to smash home just 74 seconds into the second half. However, things slowed down again, and Cincy only got their third on an Acosta penalty kick in the 71st minute.

That’s right about where the wheels fell off for the Quakes. San Jose made a triple sub, while the hosts brought in two players of their own. Everyone was more or less agreeing the game was over…except no one told Cincy’s attackers. Four minutes later, Yuya Kubo’s run from deep was rewarded by a well-weighted Brenner through ball that the Japanese midfielder tucked away expertly.

4-0 is a great night at the office, but everyone wins 4-0 once in a while. In MLS in 2022, 6-0 is the requirement to be cool, and Cincinnati clearly wanted to fit in. That was Brenner’s cue, and the Brazilian capitalized on an unfortunate series of events for the Earthquakes. First, U.S. under-20 Niko Tsakiris did enough to prevent Acosta from touching the ball around him, but his attempt to poke the ball away skipped back towards center back Nathan, who effectively just trapped the ball as a favor to Brenner, who ran past him to score.

Nathan wasn’t done helping out his fellow Brazilian, though, committing a stoppage-time foul on Sergio Santos to give Cincy a penalty. Brenner accepted the gift with gratitude, firing home from the spot to give himself a second hat trick of 2022.

Cincinnati didn’t have time to push into the avant garde territory of 7-0, which the Union have also managed to do, but give them a few weeks getting used to being a Cool Team before they start to get into some boundary-pushing territory.

Watch FC Cincinnati clobber San Jose 6-0

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USMNT striker stock watch: Josh Sargent is back!

Remember when Josh Sargent was the USMNT’s top striker? Those days may be returning.

The U.S. men’s national team is set to play a pair of friendlies in Europe later this month as part of their final preparations for the 2022 World Cup.

First, the USMNT will face Japan in Germany on Sept. 23, then it will take on Saudi Arabia in Spain on Sept. 27. With just two matches remaining for the U.S. until the World Cup begins, there’s not a lot of time left for experimenting or introducing new players.

With that being the case, USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter has hinted that strikers who already have experience in the national team might have an advantage over guys who are still trying to break into the squad.

“What we’re trying to do [is] look at the profile who fits what we’re trying to do the best,” Berhalter said at a Nike event in New York last week, via Steven Goff of The Washington Post. “It may not be the best forward … it’s just what we think fits our team.”

So, who fits the team best?

The latest installment of our USMNT striker stock watch series is dropping now ahead of the release of the September friendlies roster, with players ranked 1-4 considered the most likely candidates for call-ups this month.

USMNT striker stock watch: Pefok and Vazquez make strong cases

Which strikers will the USMNT take to the World Cup? Jordan Pefok and Brandon Vazquez are making strong cases

As the 2022 World Cup continues to draw closer, fans of the U.S. men’s national soccer team seem to have a pretty good guesstimate of a first-choice roster with one position in particular standing out as a question mark: striker.

Who will start at the No. 9 spot for the USMNT in Qatar this summer, and who will back him up? The position appears to be totally up for grabs, so we’ve been monitoring the stock of the notable U.S.-eligible striker candidates.

Stateside, the MLS playoff race is heating up, and in Europe, the 2022-23 season has kicked off, providing a good opportunity for a stock watch update.

Let’s get to the list!

Brandon Vazquez: The USMNT is talking to me, Mexico is not

It appears to be advantage USMNT, at least for now

In-form FC Cincinnati striker Brandon Vazquez has said he’s been in touch with U.S. Soccer about a possible national team call-up, but he has not heard anything from the Mexican federation.

Vazquez is perhaps the most in-form striker in MLS at present, having scored 14 goals this season including six in his last six matches.

That production has led to calls for the 23-year-old to be given a chance with either the USMNT or Mexico, both of which have major question marks at the striker position heading toward the World Cup.

But in an appearance on ESPN’s Futbol Americas from the MLS All-Star Game in Minnesota, Vazquez said only one of the two countries he is eligible to represent has been in touch.

“U.S. is talking to me, Mexico has not talked to me,” Vazquez said before adding that one of USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter’s assistant coaches was at his most recent match over the weekend.

“I was talking to Anthony Hudson, one of Gregg’s assistants a couple nights ago in Cincinnati,” Vazquez said. “He came out to the game to watch. He was basically just telling me what the U.S. national team looks for in a number nine, what I do good, what they think I can improve on a little bit. But they’re happy and impressed with my performances recently, and [they said] to keep going and keep scoring and there will be a chance to be with them.”

Asked what he can offer the USMNT, Vazquez said: “Goals, hold-up play and creativity up front.”

Vazquez was born in California but has dual citizenship and has indicated he is open to playing for either the USMNT or Mexico.

“Yes, I’m open to the two national teams,” Vazquez told Fox Sports Radio in Mexico last month. “The two doors are open, I’m ready for anything, for whatever comes and I am prepared for any of the two.”

Watch Vazquez’s full interview

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Brandon Vazquez is just out of his mind right now

It’s going to be hard to leave this guy off the September USMNT roster

After he left Brandon Vazquez off his June roster, U.S. national team coach Gregg Berhalter said he was hoping to see the forward stretch his strong form out for a few more weeks.

“He’s close,” Berhalter said after naming his roster. “If he continues to score goals at [this] rate and his team continues to win, I’m sure there will be an opportunity for him in the future.”

Since Berhalter said those words in May, Vazquez has ripped off eight goals in 12 games. He has six in his last six.

If he was close in May, Vazquez may simply be too hot to ignore come next month’s friendlies – even if a USMNT call-up would represent his first at a time Berhalter would rather not be testing out brand-new players

But Vazquez’s form may force Berhalter’s hand, particularly at a position in which very few candidates have proven to be roster locks.

Vazquez has 14 goals this season for a resurgent FC Cincy team, including another one over the weekend in a 3-1 statement win over the Philadelphia Union.

Those goals are no fluke either, as the 23-year-old leads MLS in non-penalty expected goals with 11.3, per FBref. He’s getting into ideal scoring spots by displaying a poacher’s instinct.

Over at MLSsoccer.com, Matt Doyle has a comprehensive statistical breakdown of Vazquez’s brilliance this season. One stat that stands out though, is that Vazquez leads MLS in in hold-ups per game with 2.6.

His target forward play, as displayed against Philadelphia in this thread, shows the multi-dimensional facets of Vazquez’s game. He’s not just a goalscorer.

Vazquez may just play himself into a World Cup spot, but the country he’d represent is still an open question.

Much like its rival to the north, Mexico has some major question marks up top and could see Vazquez as a possible answer to their goalscoring woes.

No U.S. coach would want to call a player up simply to keep them from playing for another country. But Vazquez is fully deserving of a call on the merits right now, and seeing him suit up for El Tri would be extra painful for a USMNT side that doesn’t have the luxury of turning away in-form strikers of any kind right now.

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USMNT striker stock watch: Dike’s back, Ebobisse’s heating up

Who will start at No. 9 for the USMNT at the World Cup? Right now, Jesús Ferreira leads the striker stock watch power rankings.

If everyone’s healthy, U.S. men’s national team coach Gregg Berhalter probably has a pretty good idea of his preferred starters for the World Cup this fall – at most positions, anyway.

Most spots in the XI have obvious first-choice options, but striker remains a big question mark for the USMNT, at least in the eyes of fans and pundits.

The top candidates for the No. 9 role can make Berhalter’s job easier by performing for their club teams and creating some separation in the competition leading up to November.

We’re going to be periodically checking in on the top striker candidates leading up to the World Cup with our new striker stock watch series. With MLS teams hitting midseason and European clubs beginning preseason, now’s a good time to start.

Let’s get to the list!