da pinup bet： The forward has been in fine form since moving to Liga MX but remains on the outside looking in when it comes to the national side
da doce： The CONCACAF Champions Cup has reached the quarterfinal stages, with the standout tie pitting Lionel Messi and Inter Miami up against five-time winners Monterrey. And while all eyes will be on Messi upon his return from injury and his band of former Barcelona team-mates, the game also offers one U.S. men's national team hopeful the chance to impress in front of a bumper audience.
Brandon Vazquez has been one of the hottest strikers in all of North America during 2024, having scored eight goals in his first 15 matches since joining Monterrey in a $9 million deal from FC Cincinnati in January. However, he was left off the roster for the USMNT's Nations League matches in March, making it seem unlikely that he will be able to force himself into the reckoning in time for the Copa America this summer.
All hope is not lost, however, and despite Miami's star-studded lineup, Vazquez has the potential to feast on Tata Martino's beleaguered defense, and show the Herons' manager what he is capable of after Martino previously overlooked him on the international stage.
USA Today Sports Martino's biggest mistake
Vazquez actually made his MLS debut under Martino for Atlanta United in 2017, and scored against Real Salt Lake. However, over the course of that campaign and the 2018 season, the striker never earned a league start under the Argentine coach.
"I didn't really have a great relationship with him," Vazquez told in 2023 of his time working under Martino. "He is an incredible team coach, of course. He came in, we won a championship (in 2018) and he did really well for the team, but as a younger player at the time, I didn't really have like… I don't know.. I would talk to him on the field but I would never talk to him off the field.
"I definitely learned a lot from the style of play that we were playing at the time and what he wanted from each position, but, on a personal level, I don't think I grew much from him."
Martino left Atlanta to take the job as manager of the Mexico national team in 2019, and with Vazquez being an uncapped dual-national at the time, many thought there might be a reunion for the duo with El Tri. The call never came, though. In fact, "nobody" from the Mexican Federation ever contacted Vazquez, and his relationship with Martino is likely a key reason why.
Now, six years later – and cap-tied to the USMNT – Vazquez will look to show the coach who never gave him a shot what he missed out on.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesStrong first impression
Vazquez couldn't be coming into Wednesday's first leg with Miami at Chase Stadium in much better form. He opened his Liga MX account in just his second game for Monterrey against Santos Laguna and followed that up with two more goals against San Luis in his very next appearance.
“Brandon has adapted very well, and even though he did not carry out preseason with us, the reality is that he did a great job with the physical trainers and has adapted well on the field,” Rayados manager Fernando Ortiz said after that match-winning display.
However, it is in the Champions Cup where Vazquez has proved most deadly thus far. Having netted as a substitute against Comunicaciones in the first round of the tournament, Vazquez then scored in both legs against former club and MLS Supporters' Shield holders Cincinnati in the last 16.
"I scored a lot of goals on this field in the stadium, but doing it for another team feels a little weird," he said after netting the only goal in the first leg at TQL Stadium. "But, you know, at the end of the day, we win, and I’m happy about that. That’s my mindset.”
It's a mindset that Vazquez will be carrying into his meeting with Miami, too, and he must be licking his lips at the thought of taking on Martino's struggling backline.
USA Today Sports Miami's biggest weakness
It shouldn't be a shock that Inter Miami's defense is their Achilles Heel. The signings of Messi, Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets further forward took priority for the David Beckham-owned franchise, while even fullback Jordi Alba is very attack-minded. They have added veteran loanees Nicolas Freire and Marcelo Weigandt to the mix, but also saw club-captain Deandre Yedlin depart for FC Cincinnati.
Through nine games this season, Miami have conceded 13 goals, including an embarrassing 4-0 defeat to the New York Red Bulls that highlighted the vulnerability of their backline. Martino's reaction to that result was to shift Busquets into a centerback role against New York City FC on Saturday in a bid to add some leadership to that area of his team, but that merely weakened his midfield instead.
With both Freire and fellow centerback Serhiy Kyrvstov unavailable due to injury, Busquets may be forced to deputise once again on Wednesday, and for an attack like Monterrey's, which also features clinical attackers such German Bertraeme, Maxi Meza and ex-Spain international Sergio Canales alongside Vazquez, it could be a disaster waiting to happen for Miami in a competition they are very keen to win.
GettyGateway to a global audience
The winner of the 2024 Champions Cup will earn automatic qualification into the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup as one of the four representatives of the CONCACAF region, alongside 2021 winners, Monterrey, 2022 champions, the Seattle Sounders, and current holders Club Leon. Should Monterrey win this season's competition, then the Philadelphia Union would qualify via coefficient points.
The reinvented Club World Cup is set to pit 32 teams from around the globe against one another every four years, with the first edition set to take place in the United States in just over a years' time. European giants such as Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea have already secured their places, while Brazilian behemoths Palmeiras, Flamengo and Fluminense have also qualified.
For Miami, playing in such a competition with Messi on their team would have the potential to take them to a whole new level as a club. Not content with being an MLS superpower, Miami are keen to grow into a global brand, and their 2024 preseason tour of Asia was seen as a precursor to potentially playing friendlies on European and South American soil in the near future.
As such, winning the Champions Cup wouldn't only secure them a second piece of silverware in as many years after Messi led them to Leagues Cup glory in 2023, but it would also allow them to mix with some of the world's biggest teams in a global event.
Monterrey, of course, have no such concerns having already secured their Club World Cup qualification; they just want to win both this tie and the competition as a whole. For Vazquez, though, there are ulterior motives.