The weight has officially been lifted from Brandon Vazquez's shoulders.
Austin FC's prized offseason arrival was off to a slow start to his debut season with the Verde & Black, getting held off the scoresheet through his team's first four MLS matches.
Just 10 minutes into Matchday 5's Sunday Night Soccer presented by Continental Tire bout against expansion side San Diego FC, the 26-year-old might have opened the floodgates, getting Austin off to a flying start with a breakaway finish past San Diego goalkeeper CJ dos Santos.
Vazquez was one of Austin's marquee acquisitions this offseason, arriving as a Designated Player from LIGA MX powerhouse CF Monterrey for a then club-record fee reported at $10 million. The former Atlanta United and FC Cincinnati standout brought a proven track record of MLS production, with 35g/19a in 148 league matches before Sunday's account-opening strike.
The opener was part of an eventful first half at Q2 Stadium, as Austin's Jon Gallagher and San Diego's Luca de la Torre also found the scoresheet in a 2-1 win for the hosts.
