#SEVEN LIONS PATHLESS IS THE WAY PROFESSIONAL#

He could have found another route to achieve the goal of joining the professional ranks but would have lost out on the chance to build his game at a higher level during a crucial moment for his development.įor the Athletic, Vazquez represents what they believe will be the first of many local talented Connecticut players who will find their first opportunity in the professional ranks at the club. He could easily have been another of those who simply slipped through the cracks because of circumstantial barriers and the lack of an accessible local professional club. So, I’m thinking, ‘why would I be the first?’ Then everything starts falling into place.”Īt another time, a player like Vazquez might not have had this chance. “I never had that mindset of, ‘oh, I can make it far,’” said Vazquez, “because no-one from my hometown has made it professionally out of high school or college that I know of. Still, even as things continued to progress during preseason – where Vazquez drew encouragement from the experienced heads around him already signed for the 2020 season – there was still something a little surreal for the 18 year old about what was happening. As well, you could see his drive and his resilience going up against older and stronger players, so we could also have some insights about his background and how he was developing by himself and through the high school system.” “He had quality touch on the ball in terms of small touches inside the box for adjusting himself to finishing opportunities.

“That week, he again showed us he was capable of making the next step, and that’s when we invited him to preseason. “The first look was that he had the potential to grab our attention and see what he would be able to do in a more challenging environment, which he did during the invitational tryouts,” said Luiz Silva, Hartford’s Director of Scouting and Performance Analysis. In fact, the biggest bullet-point on Vazquez’s resume was his astounding goalscoring record at Windham High School, where he recorded 149 goals in four seasons, a Connecticut high school record.īut when the Athletic’s coaches saw him on the field both against players of a similar age and those with more experience at the club’s invitational tryout in January, something stood out that said Vazquez was a player that could have a big future. There was club soccer, but not at any notable level. It was certainly a path very different to the one most travel before signing their first professional contracts at the age of 17.

Seven lions pathless is the way