Thomas Vancaeyezeele Selected to USL Championship Team of the Week
The defender's first career two-assists match helped Hartford stabilize ahead of a massive first-ever clash with Rhode Island FC.
After notching his first two assists in Hartford Athletic’s 2-1 win over Monterey Bay FC on Saturday, Thomas Vancaeyezeele has been selected to the USL Championship Team of the Week.
The selection is the seventh of the season for Hartford and first for the defender who has played every minute for Hartford so far this season. His two assists were just the fourth and fifth in six seasons in the USL Championship and bolstered the defender’s impressive comeback from injury after he joined Hartford having not played since July 2022.
Displaying impressive composure on the ball throughout the match in an unfamiliar midfield role, Vancaeyezeele’s first assists came to the equalizer in the 33rd minute, when he dispatched a well-weighted ball from the inside his own half to send Michee Ngalina through on goal down the left wing. Then, in the second half, he took the ball down at the top of the box before taking a composed touch around the defender and laying it off to Deshane Beckford, who slotted the ball home from close range for the match-winner.
In that situation, many players would’ve opted to take a shot first-time — it certainly didn’t seem like it would have been the worst option — however, Vancaeyezeele’s choice to take the extra touch paid off and created a much more clear-cut opportunity for Beckford. Based on his profile as a player, that decision hardly comes as a surprise.
“I never shoot, my family always gets upset at me because I never shoot and I don’t score goals,” Vancaeyezeele said after Saturday’s win. “I saw Becky and I just gave it to him, and I know he’s gonna put it away.”
Vanzaeyezeele’s performance was one of the best in Green and Blue to date, and earned him a man of the match shout from head coach Brendan Burke following the match.
“The fact that he can play multiple positions is really important to us,” Burke said. “We had one or two guys pick up knocks…Thomas stepped into a midfield role and in a lot of ways he changed the game.”
Hartford will hope for more of the same as they look to carry their newfound momentum into a first-ever rivalry match with Rhode Island FC on Saturday. Kickoff from Trinity Health Stadium in the historic clash is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN+.