Brandon Vázquez has a history with Chivas de Guadalajara. As the Cincinnati FC striker wheeled away in celebration after scoring an early double in their Leagues Cup match-up, a part of his mind will have undoubtedly been harking back to his very first memories of soccer.
As he told the **MLS** website, the San Diego-born striker’s parents are originally from Guadalajara, and his first jersey was inevitably a Chivas one.
As fate would have it, Vázquez’s breakout campaign in the 2022 MLS season - during which he scored 18 goals for Cincinnati FC - attracted attention from none other than the Rojiblancos. Although he admitted that he felt “flattered” by the LIGA MX side’s interest, he opted to continue his development north of the border for the time being.
It was only fitting, then, that the 24-year-old’s first match against a Mexican team would come against Chivas, in this team’s second Leagues Cup group stage fixture. He would hit the ground running straight away with a double within the first eight minutes - including the fastest goal in the competition so far, a curled effort inside the far post after 90 seconds of play.
While offers from other clubs last year will have piqued his interest, Vázquez has had a bigger decision to make - one that inevitably needed him to choose between the two countries that make up his dual identity.
An ex-U.S. youth international who also spent time in the Mexican set-ups, Vázquez was even in the Club Tijuana academy for several years. He had left the door open to El Tri for as long as possible, but eventually opted to represent his country of birth earlier this year.
The former Atlanta United FC forward would make his competitive debut for the U.S. national team at the Gold Cup last month. He scored three goals as the hosts made it to the semi-finals, before being knocked out by Panama. It was Vázquez’s “other” country, Mexico, who would be crowned champions for the ninth time.
Vázquez’s dilemma is a familiar one for those in the Mexican American community - having to choose between two cultures that are as often distinct as they are intertwined. As a footballer, the need for a definite decision on his international career will have made the encounter between these two strands of his identity all the starker.
Speaking to the MLS website before he ended up opting for The Stars and Stripes, the forward was keen to stress that whatever his decision, he would be embracing both of the cultures he grew up in:
“I’ve got a lot of passion for my Mexican culture, but a lot of the US players are my friends and I feel like I’d be very comfortable there and fit in right away.”
The striker has already seen off his childhood club in this summer’s Leagues Cup - his next meeting with a Mexican team could well come against his former youth team, Club Tijuana, in the knockout stages.
