The San Jose Earthquakes acquired Vako in the summer of 2017 after an impressive start to his young career that included stints with Holland’s Vitesse, Poland’s Legia Warsaw and the Georgia National Team. The then 24-year-old was given a tremendous responsibility, with general manager Jesse Fioranelli making him his first Designated Player signing and calling him the team’s centerpiece to build around for years to come.
He burst onto the scene in 2017, tallying five goals and two assists in just 13 appearances and helping the Quakes reach the playoffs for the first time since 2012. He scored more goals in his first 13 appearances than Western Conference counterparts Diego Valeri (4) and Nicolas Lodeiro (4) did with their respective clubs.