If you're looking for info about FC Cincinnati, including an interview done this week with former FCC player Brandon Vázquez, Laurel Pfahler with her Queen City Press site delivers the goods. We did a question exchange in advance of Saturday night's 6:30 pm CT matchup at TQL Stadium between one of the top teams in the East and whatever Austin might be at present.
Here's what we asked and learned.
Brandon Vázquez said after Wednesday's match that he has many fond memories of his time in Cincinnati. Is the feeling mutual among fans, and how do you think he'll be received and then summarily defended?
Yes. Vázquez was beloved in Cincinnati. He went about his business the right way, always said and did the right things and was just a great success story. He went from being this quiet player who struggled to break into the starting lineup his first two years to a star contributor and was a huge part of the team’s turnaround from three last-place finishes at the start of FC Cincinnati’s time in MLS.
Cincinnati had acquired Vázquez in Nashville’s expansion draft (from Atlanta United) for $150K in Targeted Allocation Money (at the time it was tradable) ahead of the 2020 season, and he thought it was going to be his big break because the team didn’t really have any proven forwards. A month later, FCC signed Jurgen Locadia as a designated player, and when Locadia left the next year, the club signed Brenner as a young DP.
Vázquez didn’t get his chance until the end of 2021 when new general manager Chris Albright came in and changed the system under interim coach Tyrone Marshall. He started playing more, scored some goals and then built on that under new coach Pat Noonan in 2022 to become an MLS All-Star and Best XI player, tying Brenner as the team’s leading scorers with 18 goals. He is still second on the club’s all-time scoring list in MLS with 43 goals (behind only 2023 league MVP Luciano Acosta).
I cannot wait to see the matchup of Vázquez and Matt Miazga on Saturday. Those two were pretty good friends and I think they are both so competitive it will bring out the best in both of them. Miazga is still getting back to his full form after 2024 PCL and meniscus surgery, but maybe this gets his juices flowing.
Is FCC better with Evander than it was with Lucho Acosta, and what does Evander bring to this offense that's different from what they had before?
In some ways, yes. In other ways, no. It was an unwanted reset for an attack that was expected to really take off with the addition of Kévin Denkey this offseason, but Acosta made it impossible for the club to keep him when he basically said “it’s me or GM Chris Albright.” Denkey watched how good of a creator Acosta was and that really excited him. Evander and Denkey just haven’t clicked yet, and while it’s impossible to know how well Acosta and Denkey would have worked together, at least with Acosta, it would have just been one player adjusting to a new environment. The timing of Acosta’s departure was just not ideal. If he had been traded sooner and Evander could have had a preseason with FCC, things might have looked a lot different. Individually, Evander and Denkey have been great. They could do so much more if they could get on the same page.
There are two things that I think make Evander a better player for FCC in the long run.
1. He’s a phenomenal free kick taker and a threat from anywhere he takes them, whether it’s shooting directly on goal or lobbing a perfect ball into the box, just out of reach of the goalkeeper and in a dangerous spot for FCC to attack.
2. Unlike with Acosta, FCC does not have to run everything through Evander. He can create but the attack can move through other players, and Evander can still be a part of it without being the central focus. That will allow others to get more involved and make FCC more predictable.
The downside to that is in games where FCC needs someone to take over, Evander just hasn’t shown us consistently yet that he can be that guy. He’s taken over in the sense of stepping up to score an important goal (or two), but in terms of just looking dominant on the field on a regular basis, he hasn’t done that yet. Evander also is still figuring out Pat Noonan’s requirements in how he wants his attackers (and really everyone) pressing. Those are things Acosta had down and it’s just a settling process perhaps for Evander. He was never going to be an exact replacement for Acosta, so it’s just a matter of this team figuring out how to get the most out of Evander and how to take advantage of his skill set.
Since Vázquez and Brenner were combining to make Knifey Lion so effective (sorry, can't resist using that nickname at least once), the team's had quite the journey with strikers. Kévin Denkey appears to be the most effective striker the team's had in a while — what's your read on him and if the team's now in a good place in that key position?
I try to temper expectations on new players because FCC has a history of bringing in some really talented forwards that just haven’t done well here or maybe took longer than expected to adjust, but I really like Denkey. On top of just being a really talented goal scorer, he’s driven and works hard, and I forget he’s only 24 years old because he’s so mature and focused on doing all the things he believes are necessary to be successful. He’s got a crazy routine to take care of his body, and he’s super intelligent as well. Denkey is everything FCC would want in a striker, and I think what he’s shown with six goals in his first 10 league games is just scratching the surface of what he’s capable of doing.
Unfortunately, Denkey doesn’t solve all the problems at the striker position. Without a proven goal scorer last year, FCC moved Yuya Kubo and Luca Orellano from midfield/wingback to forward because they were the only other ones besides Acosta finding the back of the net. They both finished with 10 goals, but neither one is really a long-term solution up front. Kubo is most effective off the bench, and Orellano has struggled to adjust being so close to goal. He is a creative player who likes to dribble in from the flanks or try a deep shot, and a lot of that is lost when he’s in the front three (he plays forward or as a second CAM). Kubo has one goal, Orellano none.
Sergio Santos has been a great second striker to Denkey, helping stretch the field with his speed to open space for Denkey, but he’s got one goal and a history of injuries that you always have to be concerned about. Corey Baird has been relegated to the bench and his skills et just doesn’t seem to fit with how FCC has been using him.
Hence why the club is in the process of finalizing a deal to sign 40-year-old (!!) Kei Kamara. He’s coming on a supplemental deal, so it’s low risk, and he’s still a capable scorer in a bench role. I still expect FCC will be shopping for other options in the summer as well.
It will be interesting to see how a struggling FCC attack matches up with that Austin defense that looked pretty good to start but lately has leaked more goals.
Verde All Day is a reader-supported online publication covering Austin FC. Additional support is provided by Austin Telco Federal Credit Union. You can comment here if you’re a subscriber, or reach out via Bluesky.
If you're looking for info about FC Cincinnati, including an interview done this week with former FCC player Brandon Vázquez, Laurel Pfahler with her Queen City Press site delivers the goods. We did a question exchange in advance of Saturday night's 6:30 pm CT matchup at TQL Stadium between one of the top teams in the East and whatever Austin might be at present.
Here's what we asked and learned.
Brandon Vázquez said after Wednesday's match that he has many fond memories of his time in Cincinnati. Is the feeling mutual among fans, and how do you think he'll be received and then summarily defended?
Yes. Vázquez was beloved in Cincinnati. He went about his business the right way, always said and did the right things and was just a great success story. He went from being this quiet player who struggled to break into the starting lineup his first two years to a star contributor and was a huge part of the team’s turnaround from three last-place finishes at the start of FC Cincinnati’s time in MLS.
Cincinnati had acquired Vázquez in Nashville’s expansion draft (from Atlanta United) for $150K in Targeted Allocation Money (at the time it was tradable) ahead of the 2020 season, and he thought it was going to be his big break because the team didn’t really have any proven forwards. A month later, FCC signed Jurgen Locadia as a designated player, and when Locadia left the next year, the club signed Brenner as a young DP.
Vázquez didn’t get his chance until the end of 2021 when new general manager Chris Albright came in and changed the system under interim coach Tyrone Marshall. He started playing more, scored some goals and then built on that under new coach Pat Noonan in 2022 to become an MLS All-Star and Best XI player, tying Brenner as the team’s leading scorers with 18 goals. He is still second on the club’s all-time scoring list in MLS with 43 goals (behind only 2023 league MVP Luciano Acosta).
I cannot wait to see the matchup of Vázquez and Matt Miazga on Saturday. Those two were pretty good friends and I think they are both so competitive it will bring out the best in both of them. Miazga is still getting back to his full form after 2024 PCL and meniscus surgery, but maybe this gets his juices flowing.
Is FCC better with Evander than it was with Lucho Acosta, and what does Evander bring to this offense that's different from what they had before?
In some ways, yes. In other ways, no. It was an unwanted reset for an attack that was expected to really take off with the addition of Kévin Denkey this offseason, but Acosta made it impossible for the club to keep him when he basically said “it’s me or GM Chris Albright.” Denkey watched how good of a creator Acosta was and that really excited him. Evander and Denkey just haven’t clicked yet, and while it’s impossible to know how well Acosta and Denkey would have worked together, at least with Acosta, it would have just been one player adjusting to a new environment. The timing of Acosta’s departure was just not ideal. If he had been traded sooner and Evander could have had a preseason with FCC, things might have looked a lot different. Individually, Evander and Denkey have been great. They could do so much more if they could get on the same page.
There are two things that I think make Evander a better player for FCC in the long run.
1. He’s a phenomenal free kick taker and a threat from anywhere he takes them, whether it’s shooting directly on goal or lobbing a perfect ball into the box, just out of reach of the goalkeeper and in a dangerous spot for FCC to attack.
2. Unlike with Acosta, FCC does not have to run everything through Evander. He can create but the attack can move through other players, and Evander can still be a part of it without being the central focus. That will allow others to get more involved and make FCC more predictable.
The downside to that is in games where FCC needs someone to take over, Evander just hasn’t shown us consistently yet that he can be that guy. He’s taken over in the sense of stepping up to score an important goal (or two), but in terms of just looking dominant on the field on a regular basis, he hasn’t done that yet. Evander also is still figuring out Pat Noonan’s requirements in how he wants his attackers (and really everyone) pressing. Those are things Acosta had down and it’s just a settling process perhaps for Evander. He was never going to be an exact replacement for Acosta, so it’s just a matter of this team figuring out how to get the most out of Evander and how to take advantage of his skill set.
Since Vázquez and Brenner were combining to make Knifey Lion so effective (sorry, can't resist using that nickname at least once), the team's had quite the journey with strikers. Kévin Denkey appears to be the most effective striker the team's had in a while — what's your read on him and if the team's now in a good place in that key position?
I try to temper expectations on new players because FCC has a history of bringing in some really talented forwards that just haven’t done well here or maybe took longer than expected to adjust, but I really like Denkey. On top of just being a really talented goal scorer, he’s driven and works hard, and I forget he’s only 24 years old because he’s so mature and focused on doing all the things he believes are necessary to be successful. He’s got a crazy routine to take care of his body, and he’s super intelligent as well. Denkey is everything FCC would want in a striker, and I think what he’s shown with six goals in his first 10 league games is just scratching the surface of what he’s capable of doing.
Unfortunately, Denkey doesn’t solve all the problems at the striker position. Without a proven goal scorer last year, FCC moved Yuya Kubo and Luca Orellano from midfield/wingback to forward because they were the only other ones besides Acosta finding the back of the net. They both finished with 10 goals, but neither one is really a long-term solution up front. Kubo is most effective off the bench, and Orellano has struggled to adjust being so close to goal. He is a creative player who likes to dribble in from the flanks or try a deep shot, and a lot of that is lost when he’s in the front three (he plays forward or as a second CAM). Kubo has one goal, Orellano none.
Sergio Santos has been a great second striker to Denkey, helping stretch the field with his speed to open space for Denkey, but he’s got one goal and a history of injuries that you always have to be concerned about. Corey Baird has been relegated to the bench and his skills et just doesn’t seem to fit with how FCC has been using him.
Hence why the club is in the process of finalizing a deal to sign 40-year-old (!!) Kei Kamara. He’s coming on a supplemental deal, so it’s low risk, and he’s still a capable scorer in a bench role. I still expect FCC will be shopping for other options in the summer as well.
It will be interesting to see how a struggling FCC attack matches up with that Austin defense that looked pretty good to start but lately has leaked more goals.
Verde All Day is a reader-supported online publication covering Austin FC. Additional support is provided by Austin Telco Federal Credit Union. You can comment here if you’re a subscriber, or reach out via Bluesky.
Read Next
'We needed one goal': Impressions from an epic improbable Austin FC comeback
Thanks to a comeback involving three goals in seven minutes, Verde will play its rivals in Orange with a chance to advance to the U.S. Open quarterfinals.
At the Whistle: Austin FC 3, El Paso Locomotive FC 2
It was very nearly a disaster, followed by an epic comeback, leading to a result most expected.
What's this about xG now? We look anew into what the metric might say about 2025 Austin FC
Verde head coach Nico Estévez explained his stance on Saturday night a little more completely. But the positives he points to might not be as encouraging as he lets on.
'I'm very proud of the team today, because we responded': Nico Estévez defends the arguably indefensible
Nico Estévez lauded his team for not folding in the face of adversity ... yet a 3-0 loss at home is a concerning inflection point for the 2025 season.