Victor Vazquez signs a 1-year contract as he finds a new home in Los Angeles and reunites with his former boss, Greg Vanney.
CARSON, Calif. — The LA Galaxy announced the signing of 34-year-old midfielder Victor Vazquez on Wednesday morning, reuniting him with his former coach at Toronto and now Galaxy head coach, Greg Vanney.
Vazquez signed a one-year contract with a one-year option, will take up an International roster spot but will not be signed using Targeted Allocation Money. The deal hints at being a low-cost, low-risk type of signing that bolsters the locker room while also bolstering the Galaxy’s depth. And while Vazquez was on the MLS Allocation list, the Galaxy saw all seven teams in front of them pass and therefore didn’t need to move up.
“Victor is a talented, experienced and accomplished player who is familiar with Greg and playing in Major League Soccer,” said General Manager Dennis te Kloese. “He was a top, creative player in our league while with Toronto and he will bring a great deal of leadership to our club both on and off the field. We are thrilled to add Victor to our roster and look forward to him representing the LA Galaxy.”
Vazquez arrives with the Galaxy after some unsuccessful stints in Qatar with sides Al-Arabi and Umm Salal and after making just one appearance with Belgian side Eupen in 2020. He was unattached to any club before the Galaxy signing. But his real success came with Toronto FC from 2017-2018 where he made 52 appearances, scored 16 goals, and helped Toronto to a domestic treble, including the MLS Cup, in 2017.
Born in Barcelona in 1987, Vazquez’s early years found him at the famed La Masia academy of FC Barcelona. In fact, he was part of their most famous class – the Class of ’87 – where he played alongside Cesc Fabregas, Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique. He joined Barcelona’s senior team in 2008 after progressing through their lower-level teams, but made just a handful of appearances for the Spanish giants.
In 2011, Vazquez went to Belgium, where he played for Club Brugge for over 120 appearances through 2015, before making the jump to North America and Liga Mx with Cruz Azul for one season in 2016.
Vazquez, however, is entering the final stages of his career. And will be joining the Galaxy not as an everyday starter but as a quality depth piece with tons of leadership capabilities. But with a packed international calendar and backing up guys like Jonathan dos Santos and Sebastian Lletget — both of whom are expected to be playing for their respective national teams this year — Vazquez will be relied upon for important fill-in minutes. And alongside 35-year-old Sasha Kljestan, the two elder statesmen will be forced into the starting lineup on more than one occasion in 2021.
He also is just one of two current Galaxy players who have won an MLS Cup — newly acquired defender Jorge Villafaña is the other
The Galaxy currently have 27 of 30 roster spots filled with the ability to move some players from the senior team to the USL side LA Galaxy II.