FC Cincinnati doesn’t love playing without Brandon Vazquez while he’s away on USMNT duty but the chore is made easier when Vazquez plays well for the country.
Vazquez certainly helped soften the blow from FC Cincinnati’s 3-0 loss to DC United Saturday when he scored late in the USMNT’s CONCACAF Gold Cup group stage opener against Jamaica.
More: FC Cincinnati’s Brandon Vazquez scores in his USMNT debut, Wednesday’s friendly vs. Serbia
More: FC Cincinnati signs MLS All-Star Brandon Vazquez to contract extension through 2026
The goal, which was Vazquez’s second this year for the USMNT, arrived in the 88th minute and allowed the Americans to grab a 1-1 draw at Soldier Field in Chicago. The score also helped the Americans avoid a group-stage Gold Cup loss for the first time since 2011.
Vazquez was a second-half substitute for the USMNT against Jamaica and improved his chances of a bigger role in the Gold Cup tournament with his score.
FC Cincinnati center back Matt Miazga started in the game for the Americans.
The USMNT continues group-stage play Wednesday against St. Kitts and Nevis (10 pm) and July 2 against Trinidad and Tobago (7 pm).
Should the USMNT advance from group-stage play, which it has never failed to do in the Gold Cup, it would play at Cincinnati’s TQL Stadium on July 9 as part of a Gold Cup doubleheader.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Watch: FC Cincinnati’s Brandon Vazquez scores for USMNT vs. Jamaica