Toronto FC: Victor Vazquez return a no-brainer, for right price

Former Toronto FC playmaker Victor Vazquez has said that he would return to the Reds. Re-signing him would be a no-brainer, for the right price.

Given the salary cap restrictions of Major League Soccer, it is vital that teams maximise the effectiveness of their three Designated Player slots. These are the players that teams can pay as much as they want and take the maximum budget charge to squeeze them onto the roster. Given that you can only have three, it is important you make the most of them.

In MLS Cup last season, the five DPs were Nicolas Lodeiro, Raul Ruidiaz, Alejandro Pozuelo, Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley. These are some of the premier players in the league, elite members at their respective positions. Similarly, the Supporters’ Shield winners had Carlos Vela and Diego Rossi as a part of their DP trio, while Atlanta and NYCFC boast the likes of Josef Martinez, Maxi Moralez and Heber. The best teams make the most of their DP slots.

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But what is often overlooked in MLS is the remainder of the roster, especially the high-end allocation players that help round out the team. Seattle have Jordan Morris and Cristian Roldan. Jonathan Osorio, Omar Gonzalez and Marky Delgado featured heavily for Toronto. Walker Zimmerman, Mark-Anthony Kaye and Eduard Atuesta all played key roles for LAFC. Oftentimes, it is these supplementary players that can separate teams.

Toronto FC’s 2017 team featured one of the greatest supplementary players in MLS history: Victor Vazquez. In the 2017 season, Vazquez supplied eight goals and 10 assists. He was a creative nightmare for opposition defences, feeding Altidore and Giovinco with beautiful passes, perfectly weighted for the stars to collect and drive forwards without breaking stride, prising open the opposition ranks with reverse balls, whipped crosses, and wonderful supply lines from every angle.

For all of the focus on Giovinco and Altidore and the suffocating defence, Vazquez was the conductor at the heart of it. After an injury-hit 2018, the creator departed, moving to Qatar to collect one final paycheque. However, as he revealed to Kristian Jack this week in a remarkably candid and open interview, he would welcome a return to Toronto FC and MLS:

“I miss playing in MLS,” Vazquez told Kristian Jack. “I love Toronto, it is our second home. I miss playing there. My contract here in Qatar expires on June 30 and I am talking with people at Toronto. I’m not happy here football-wise it is so far behind MLS. It would be great to come back.”

Vazquez is now 33. He is well past his prime and is only slowing down. A return to Toronto would not be a long-term affair, not by any stretch, and with Pozuelo offering a more creative option in comparison to his predecessor, Giovinco, Vazquez would not complement Greg Vanney’s attacking options in the same manner as previously. Nevertheless, for the right price, he could be a superb acquisition.

Even if Vazquez was not to become a regular starter, as a late-game substitute who can turn the screw when breaking down defences or hold onto the ball to win fouls and kill time, he could play a vital role. Ilsinho and the Philadelphia Union proved how valuable this role can be last season. Vazquez has the skill and experience to be an elite reserve option across the midfield lines.

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Of course, there is only so much that such a player is worth. Vazquez is no DP, for instance. But in searching for a supplementary option to Altidore, Pozuelo and new DP Pablo Piatti, Toronto FC could do a whole lot worse than the Spaniard.

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