Guys, may I remind you that Yanks Abroad is something of a sanctuary, a special place where you are not allowed to talk about what everyone, admittedly, wants to talk about.
Because usmnt n&a is a hellscape and I’m glad they moderate that talk pretty decently here. Unfortunately, posters recognize its a hellscape and come here to try and turn this place into a hellscape for some reason too.
I know that Vassilev may be getting into the first team on account of a rash of injuries, but doesn't his inclusion in the U-23 team (as an 18 year old) indicate his quality per the club? How long has he been with the U-23s? Is his advancement to the U-23s due to a rash of injuries on that squad as well? I haven't followed this thread closely, so forgive me if I'm asking questions that have been answered.
The U-23s aren't really a thing in England. They're basically a place to stash players, and aren't a part of the youth development ladder. As evidence, Luca de la Torre, who's 21 right now, has been getting steady playing time with the Fulham U23 team since he was 16, and he's barely had a sniff of the first team. The level of play might be a little higher than with the pure youth teams, but someone "playing up" an age group isn't noteworthy.
Partially agree, partially don't - the U-23s tend to be where you find the top players on the club who are on the fringe of the full senior team. They're not competing for serious league titles or promotion like reserve sides do in many other countries, but it's an indication of your standing within the club, and gives you the highest level of opposition available other than a full premiership match or a loan to someone else's senior team.
Breaking news: "Don't call me Junior." The 🇺🇸 midfielder for @AVFCOfficial explains the origin of his name 😅 pic.twitter.com/FQFlhsvPit— Premier League USA (@PLinUSA) February 11, 2020
Training with the first team, they play Spurs tomorrow 🎯 Indiana Vassilev🎯 @BorjaBaston🎯 @Samagoal77_🎯 @ConorHourihane#AVFC— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) February 15, 2020
Dermendzhiev on US-born Indiana Vassilev rejecting the invitation to play for Bulgaria: 'I held talks with his father Dencho, who politely declined the invitation. He told me that it was Indiana's decision because he didn't like the negative environment in Bulgaria' #avfc— Metodi_Shumanov (@shumanskoo) February 18, 2020
Nice find Boston. Indiana seems like a perfect candidate for the U23 Olympic Q Squad. It would give him an opportunity to prove himself capable for senior team duties. Not sure what position they would play him at though.... probably back to the midfield.
Signed an extension: Indiana Vassilev has signed a new two-year contract with Aston Villa! ✍️#MondayMotivation #AVFC— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) May 18, 2020
That is good news. It was hard to tell if this guy was just getting playing time because of injuries or if he's really in the future plans. This suggests future plans.