Of all the names on the MLS All-Star roster released this week, none are more suspect than that of Bradon Vazquez.
Yes, Vazquez was once an elite scorer for FC Cincinnati and was eventually pried away by the spending power of CF Monterrey, the most successful club in continental Concacaf play this century. And his failure to break into the U.S. men's national team consistently was once one of the most contentious subjects within USMNT fan circles.
But he eventually fell out of favor in Mexico, which opened the door for Austin to acquire him after paying a reported $10 million transfer fee this winter. And since his arrival in the Texas capital, while he's consistently gotten into dangerous seasons, he's also been arguably the most wasteful striker in the league.
Yes, his five goals lead the Verde, who are still scoring less than once per match as a team. His expected goals (xG) totals say he should have nearly twice that. And while players do usually regress toward their xG totals over time, his career xG numbers also suggest he may be a statistically significant worse-than-average finisher.
Amid that context, Nico Estevez gave a straightforward-sounding answer for why he selected Vazquez with one of his 12 coach's picks. With Austin FC hosting the 2025 game, Estevez serves as the manager.
"In the case of Brandon, it’s a player that has scored the most goals for us," Estevez said on Wednesday. "He has played in Liga MX, he can give us some insight about some players there, and I think it’s good to have someone like him from our team in front of our fans."
Rising to the occasion?
That is factually correct. But this sure feels like some sort of vote of confidence, or a challenge to improve, or maybe some of both.
Vazquez isn't dumb. He knows he's the least productive of the strikers named to the squad this year, with only one third of the haul of current MLS Golden Boot leader Sam Surridge. And he knows that fans of other clubs are going to point to him when they gripe about their own club's biggest snub -- be it Surridge in Nashville, Cristian Espinoza or Cristian Arango in San Jose, Hugy Cuypers in Chicago, and so on.
At the same time, unlike at Monterrey, where he lost his place once his production went south, Estevez is essentially making it clear that the Verde will still go as far as Vazquez takes them this season.
It's up to Vazquez how to interpret it. It could be reassuring to know the club is unlikely to aggressively seek a potential competitor for his minutes in the secondary transfer window. And maybe that's exactly what's needed to help the 26-year-old find more efficiency.
But it's also worth looking back two years ago to the previous coach's selection that felt most similar when then-D.C. United boss Wayne Rooney put goalkeeper Tyler Miller on his squad even though there were other goalkeepers more deserving.
By the end of the season, Miller's play had deteriorated, and he eventually found himself removed from D.C.'s starting job.