80: Kodjia off, Vassilev on. #AVFC— AVFC U23 (@AVFCU23) October 21, 2019 And scores the winner (maybe): GOAL!!! Jack Clarke's cross goes in a the far post. Vassilev claiming it off his head but I'm not sure he touched it! #AVFC 1-0— AVFC U23 (@AVFCU23) October 21, 2019
Looks like they officially gave him credit for it.... just google Aston Villa U23 and the recap shows:
Vassilev starts and assisted on the 2nd goal as Villa are currently up 2-1 early in the second half. https://t.co/3K4Ssg8KE3— Daniel (@DanielSmith1022) October 28, 2019 Our team for tonight's Premier League 2 away clash. Come on the Young Lions👊🆚 Reading⏰ 7pm⚽️ #PL2🏟 Adams Park#AVFC pic.twitter.com/9sHbO54gCr— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) October 28, 2019
Starts: Team news: Our U23 side to face Newcastle United this evening in #PL2 action James Chester starts as he continues his comeback 👊#AVFC pic.twitter.com/AbG1AiAkK0— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) November 4, 2019
Scores: GOAL!!! Cracking header from Vassilev to make it #AVFC 1-0 #Boro #PL2— AVFC U23 (@AVFCU23) December 9, 2019 And scores again: GOAL!!! Vassilev with his second to make it #AVFC 2-1 #Boro #PL2— AVFC U23 (@AVFCU23) December 9, 2019
Wow.... Quietly having a nice season for the U23s.... 4 goals and 2 assists in 11 games. He has only gone the full 90 3 times but has started the last 4. Villa could use another winger... maybe we see him in the New Year in the EPL?.?. <crossing-fingers> EDIT - Looks like he went the full 90 today and played striker.
Has anyone caught any footage of Vassilev this fall? I've tried all my ways and can't find even goal highlights.
Great article. It seems like there is a really decent chance he could see 1st team minutes over the 2nd half of the season. Villa could sure use another weapon up front...
Starts: More #PL2 action at Bodymoor Heath tonight! 🙌This is how the Under-23s line up to face Swansea City...#AVFC pic.twitter.com/ckvIITmxt1— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) December 16, 2019
Wow... this kid was under my radar to start the season and now he looks like a likely candidate for promotion by the end of the season. The US desperately needs a larger presence in the EPL... we are woefully underrepresented there.
With work permit requirements there, it's not something we can really hang our hat on. It will get a *lot* worse once Brexit is fully implemented.
I know very little about this. I see tons of foreign players in the EPL... is it just the US players that have a extra set of hurdles?
The extra set of hurdles is for any nationality that isn't part of the EU or EEA. The reason there are many "foreign" players in the EPL is that the UK is (for the next month or so) part of the European Union. That means any citizen from another EU country must be treated as a local in the UK for employment purposes. That means all EU (and EEA) nationals -- like French, Spanish, Germany, Polish, etc., can come to the UK freely to work. Under FIFA rules, an EU citizen can go to an EPL academy at age 16 when other countries outside the EU can't until 18. There are some minor exceptions to this, but most Americans won't qualify. The UK also has a work permit system (there's a whole thread in YA about it) that allows foreigners to come in, but only if (1) they are very well paid or (2) have lots of caps for their national team. What it boils down to is an American who doesn't have an EU passport can't go to the UK until age 18 and, only then, if he is already a very active part of the USMNT. Most young players aren't going to qualify. It may be even tougher for Americans who hold an EU passport, but not a UK one if the UK adopts really strict eligibility rules after Brexit.
Hard to know what to make of that article if you ask me. It basically put a lot of padding around his recent goals, and had no fresh quotes (on the record or otherwise) backing up the thesis. Even the Hartman stuff is old. It sounds a bit like pub talk to me, but I hope I'm wrong!
Makes the bench for the first team in the FA Cup. This is how we line up to face Fulham! #AVFC #EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/nz9UGEH0Fw— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) January 4, 2020
Will be eagerly waiting to see if Indiana gets some time on the pitch... Injuries at Villa may give him a real chance during the 2nd half of the season.
Definitely a US Youth Player to keep an eye on... pretty fast rise in their ranks. Between him and Owen... we could possibly have two young players getting some minutes in the EPL. Nice.
He's a player who is really hard to put a finger on future-wise. He's a pretty small guy who's not all that athletic or defensive but very silky on the ball and has smart movement iirc. Who that watched him saw it coming that he'd be converted to striker? He was a deeper lying mid who lacked mettle. I was intrigued by him, but he was one of those tweener types. He's been around a long time it feels, and somehow he's still eligible for the next u20 WC. So we'd have an opportunity to see how he fit in w/out burning senior or even olympic(qualifying) spots, unless he'd get promoted and help turn Villa's season around. Then he'd jump levels w/ the US as well. I guess that's a good problem to have. Someone w/ Sargent's physical tools leading the line is still questionable for us with how we don't hold possession and pass thru lines. And Josh has to be better than Vassilev in that dept. Maybe he'd be a 10 for us.