The Monterrey striker can't stop scoring and is already proving his doubters wrong after making the big move in the winter
As the ball floated through the night sky at the Estadio BBVA, there was no way anyone in the Atletico San Luis defense sensed any danger. How could they? A long and hopeful cross from the left was too far away from goal to cause any harm, surely.
Enter Brandon Vazquez. Just weeks into his Monterrey career, the 25-year-old must have been the only one in the stadium who knew he was about to create a signature moment, one that would announce to Liga MX that he had truly arrived.
To be fair, his headed golazo, a legitimate masterpiece, wasn't the first time he'd found the back of the net since making the move from MLS to Monterrey. It was his second, and a third soon followed. Just weeks into his time in Mexico, Vazquez already seems like a player who could very well make a difference at the very top of Liga MX. And, with an early-season clash with fellow title hopefuls Club America on the horizon, Vazquez has a big chance to prove that he can be the guy for Monterrey and, perhaps, the U.S. men's national team.
Getty ImagesA controversial move
The reaction to Vazquez's move was far from universal acclaim. In fact, many in the American soccer scene immediately blasted the decision as an unnecessary step.
After never fully breaking through at Atlanta United, Vazquez found his feet in Cincinnati, even if it wasn't immediate. After scoring six goals combined in his first two seasons in front of the Bailey, Vazquez netted a combined 36 in 2022 and 2023 to assert himself as one of MLS' best strikers.
Ever since that 2022 MLS breakout, Vazquez looked like a player destined for a big transfer. A move to Borussia Monchengladbach never came to fruition, and they weren't the only suitors. Reports indicated that Cincinnati wasn't in a rush to sell to anyone as they chased glory in MLS.
They fell short. A Supporters' Shield-winning campaign ended prematurely with a loss in the Eastern Conference finals. After that, it felt like a matter of time for Vazquez.
Monterrey, ultimately, won out, and Vazquez was criticized for it. The move was seen by many as a sidestep, with MLS seemingly closing the gap on Liga MX in recent years. In a tight USMNT striker race, Vazquez didn't make the big leap to a European team
Instead, he joined a Mexican giant, and, in the first few weeks of the season, he's proven to be exactly what they needed.
AdvertisementA goalscoring start
It didn't take long, did it? We're just three games into the Liga MX season and Vazquez already looks like a legitimate force.
His first appearance for the Liga MX giants came in a 2-0 win over Santo Laguna on January 21. It was a 69th-minute substitute appearance, a first taste for a player that had much more to offer.
In his first start, he needed just 41 minutes to get a goal, giving Monterrey the lead against Queretaro. The goal was a fantastic header, although it was nowhere near as audacious as the one that would come in his second start. More on that later, though.
Against Queretaro, Vazquez showed how physically dominant he can be. The cross in from Jorge Rodriguez was pinpoint and the finish from Vazquez was perfect. Stationed just outside of the six-yard box, he needed just a simple flick of his neck to place the ball into the back of the net and give his side the lead.
Seemingly content to ease in the club's new signing, Monterrey boss Fernando Ortiz took Vazquez out early in the second half. They ultimately would squander the advantage the new striker gave them, conceding in an eventual 1-1 draw.
Vaquez would make sure that wouldn't happen in his second start as he proved that his initial goal was far from a fluke.
Heading home a golazo
It's about as good of a headed goal as you'll see. Power, precision, distance… it was the perfect combination of just about everything.
Vazquez's opening goal against Atletico San Luis was his real 'Welcome to Liga MX' moment. It was the goal that solidified him as a dangerman. Monterrey will hope it's the real start of something special, as will Vazquez, who surely brought his goalscoring ability south of the border after his big move.
It wasn't his only goal that night. No, there was a second. This one came with his feet, proving that Vazquez is much more than a target man.
With the score level at 1-1, Rayados pounced on a turnover, quickly working the ball to Vazquez. The American striker picked a corner and struck, once again placing the ball where no goalkeeper could reach.
It was his third goal in two starts, and a vital one at that as Monterrey made it three wins and a draw from four games thanks to the 3-1 triumph.
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Getty ImagesA huge match ahead
For those that don't follow Liga MX, there is a universally recognized Big Four. Monterrey are not one of them. They do get to face one on Saturday, though, in a match that gives them a huge early-season chance to prove that they belong right up there with the title contenders.
On Saturday, Vazquez and Monterrey will face Club America. Entering that match, Monterrey are top of the table, as one of four teams on 10 points. The winner of Saturday's match will feel pretty good about themselves at this early stage of the Liga MX season.
Make no mistake, though: Monterrey are no plucky underdog. This is a team that finished second in last season's Apertura before ending the Clausura phase in first. The club has won the CONCACAF Champions Cup five times and has lifted a Liga MX trophy three times since 2009.
For much of the past decade or two, Monterrey have been among the very best CONCACAF has to offer. The club is still searching for a bit more domestic success against the teams seen as Mexico's elite. And that pursuit continues on Saturday, with Vazquez expected to play a big part in the marquee match of the Mexican season so far.