Over the coming days Villa’s first team squad and staff will jet out to America for their pre-season tour, visiting three US cities as part of the Premier League’s Summer Series adventure.
Philadelphia, Orlando and Landover will all play host to Unai Emery’s squad as they prepare for the new Premier League term – with Orlando a schlep South in between the two more Northern East Coast cities.
What better a moment then to explore some Retro Villa links to the United States.
DO YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME?
Villa toured America fairly recently – although tour is a stretch as it was actually a one-off game against Minnesota United at Allianz Field, before jetting back to the simpler environs of the New Meadow, Shrewsbury.
Villa had of course just won promotion from the Championship and the squad was undergoing something of an overhaul, and the teams named by Dean Smith are instructive of that transitional period.
In the first half Villa lined up as follows:
Steer / Bree / Konsa / Hause / Targett / Hourihane / Grealish / O’Hare / El Ghazi / Jota / Wesley
In the second half that shifted to:
Kalinic / Guilbert / Chester / Mings / Taylor / McGinn / Bjarnason / Lansbury / Green / Davis / Hogan
The game itself was largely a procession, Villa easing to a 3-0 win. The Villa website waxed lyrical at the time about new signings Jota, Guilbert, Konsa and Wesley.
Ironic looking back that only Konsa has sustained anything like that initial impact. Jack Grealish, Henri Lansbury and Birkir Bjarnason were the scorers, making up a very Championeshipesque score sheet.
Pictured – Jack Grealish scores in Minnesota (note new Kappa kit sans sponsor)
It’s interesting to pick up comments elsewhere from the recently departed Christian Purslow about the success of this one-off game in Minnesota. He alluded heavily to the fact that Villa essentially failed to break even on the trip as they covered all the cost – the big difference this year is that the Premier League are footing the bill for some great Villa global brand building. The club is clearly in a very different place to 2019 and represents, in the Premier League marketeers’ eyes a much better product than at that point.
The Players
The most recent American to don the claret and blue was Indiana Vassilev. The Georgia native catapulted himself to Dean Smith’s attention in 2019/20, scoring 4 goals in the opening 6 games of the U23 season. This form, and let’s face it, some desperation to turn a tide led to Vassilev making four appearances for the first team side in the second half of that season.
With no goals to show, and despite looking industrious in his cameos, it was no great surprise Vassilev left on a variety of loan adventures, including a pre–Messi Inter Miami. Still only 22, he currently plies his trade for St Louis in the MLS.
The other four Americans to play for Villa overlapped in B6 for a short time – although to varying degrees of memorability and success.
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Michael Bradley had been the youngest ever MLS player to be sold abroad in 2006 when he joined Heerenveen, and experienced some success in Holland and then, later, when he moved to the Bundesliga.
For a midfielder, he was a solid goal scorer and for a time held the record for highest goal scoring season by an American abroad. So it wasn’t without anticipation that he joined Villa on loan in January 2011.
Alas, anticipation was about the size of it as Bradley struggled to make any impact across a meagre 4 appearances in all Competitions. Again, he experienced subsequent success in Serie A with Chievo and Roma and still plays for Toronto in the MLS.
Pictured – One of a limited number of photos of Bradley in a Villa kit
Eric Lichaj’s time at Villa was slightly more memorable. A regular in Villa’s youth sides between 2007 and 2009, and loan spells were punctuated with some first team appearances over 2010 – including the ill-fated Europa League qualifying ties against Rapid Vienna. It was a successful spell on loan at Leeds that put him back in Villa’s minds and he had clocked up 32 League appearances by the time he moved to the East Midlands, and Nottingham Forest in 2013.
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By far Villa’s most successful American imports are the goalkeeping Brads – Friedel and Guzan. Both joined the club in the Summer of 2008, albeit Guzan could have arrived in the January but negotiations broke down with his current club.
Friedel was clearly first choice and remained so for his time at the club making 114 League appearances. He broke two notable records whilst in B6 – for consecutive Premier League games and Villa’s oldest ever player.
The two goalkeeper’s Villa history coincided dramatically in the 2009-10 season when Guzan (who had played all the League Cup rounds, including saving four penalties against Sunderland in the last 16) was dropped in favour of Friedel for the showpiece Wembley final.
Friedel departed Villa in 2011, although Guzan remained second choice as Villa secured the signing of Shay Given. The Irishman’s injury record did give Guzan more opportunities however and he was ostensibly first choice for 2012-13, even earning the Player of Year award as Villa saw off relegation.
Guzan saw the other side of his and Friedel’s situation in the 2010 League Cup campaign when Villa made it to the 2015 FA Cup final – Given played in every round and retained his place for the Final. When Guzan left Villa, he had made an impressive 144 appearances – and even notched an assist, for Andi Weimann to score against Manchester City.
Pictured – Guzan ultimately succeeded compatriot Friedel in the Villa goal, making more appearances
The Owners
Villa are, of course, currently part owned by American billionaire Wes Edens. Making a fortune through equity and fortune investment, he has broadened his portfolio to energy and logistic infrastructure in his native US and beyond. He also co-owns NBA franchise team Milwaukee Bucks.
Along with Nassef Sawiris, Edens’ stewardship of Villa has consistently been seen in positive terms and their investment has been huge. Whilst churlish to suggest there haven’t been some missteps along the way the current trajectory of the club under Unai Emery is a direct link to their ownership and vision for the club. Long may that starred and striped flag wave above the Doug Ellis Stand in B6.
Things had begun rosily for Villa’s previous American owner Randy Lerner. His purchase of the club in 2006 was seen as a hugely positive step and one that could begin to move Villa away from the perceived austerity and lack of ambition of the Doug Ellis era. Lerner, of course, oversaw the qualified success of the Martin O’Neill years at Villa – although it was that ‘success’ that ultimately saw and end to how Lerner was perceived himself at Villa.
Although O’Neill challenged the established order, he ultimately hit a ceiling of sixth place despite considerable investment. The businessman in Lerner balked and clearly felt further investment wouldn’t warrant a greater award and began to move into the background. That decision – and O’Neill’s departure would lead towards an unravelling that would end with Villa’s relegation in 2016. At that point Lerner sold the club to a great personal loss.
USA 94
And of course, lest we forget that Villa Summer of 1994, filtered through Irish Eyes. Four Villa players – Paul McGrath, Steve Staunton, Ray Houghton and Andy Townsend – all represented Ireland at the World Cup in America, creating a lasting memory for Villa fans. You can read more about that here, should you fancy – https://utvpodcast.co.uk/retro-villa-irish-villans-at-usa-94/
Some interesting links to the USA – both from the past and rooted in the present. Let’s look forward to making some new memories Stateside with the 2023 vintage.
UTV, Ivan.
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