When Brandon Vazquez provided an assist in his FC Cincinnati debut, he hoped it was the start of a special season. It has been special, but not in the way any player would’ve guessed.
Two days before the club’s home opener in March, Vazquez and his teammates were still on a practice field when they were told the regular season was temporarily suspended. No one knew what to expect.
Nearly three months later, the players hadn’t participated in a session among other players until last Thursday. Needless to say, it’s been a welcome change.
“It’s definitely the best part of summer so far,” he said Monday. “Nothing you do in individual training is the same (as training in a group). Without your teammates, it’s kind of hard to both compare yourself to others and keep each other up to a certain standard.”
Small group sessions take the team one step closer to being able to conduct full training sessions and, soon, play games later this summer in Orlando. MLS hasn’t announced the return-to-play tournament details, but that doesn’t mean Vazquez isn’t excited about playing again.
“I feel great,” he said. “I feel really, really prepared and I feel like the squad looks that way, too. I feel we’re all in a mental space where we’re looking forward to going to this tournament and doing our best.”
