ahead of the 2017 mls season, the arrival of spanish playmaker victor vázquez, and coach greg vanney's switch in tactics from a 4–4–2 diamond to a 3–5–2 formation, benefitted giovinco's and altidore's attacking partnership, as it allowed them to play closer together; with vázquez supporting them as the team's main creator, the attacking duo began to demonstrate a deeper understanding and an increased awareness of each other's movements, which improved their link-up play, and saw an increase in altidore's goalscoring output throughout the season.