Vassell signs with Hartford Athletic ahead of Peru friendly

NATIONAL MIDFIELDER Peter-Lee Vassell will have a new home for the 2022 season, after completing a deal to join United Soccer League (USL) championship side Hartford Athletic.

The announcement was made yesterday pending league and federation approval which will see Vassell continue his career in America’s second tier after spending the previous season with Indy Eleven.

His signing comes at an opportune time as he was named to the 23-man senior squad that has been called up for the Janaury 20 friendly against Peru, a match which interim head coach Paul Hall is using to evaluate players that could be included in the final stretch of Jamaica’s World Cup qualifying camapign.

Vassell’s last game in the national colours was the opening World Cup qualifying match against Mexico at the Azteca Stadium last September. Vassell has made 18 international appearances for the Reggae Boyz and scored six goals.

Hartford head coach Harry Watling said that he expects Vassell to be an intergral piece, improving on an attack that scored 50 goals last year but finished ninth in the Eastern Conference and failed to qualify for the play-offs.

“Peter-Lee Vassell is a tremendously talented player and we are thrilled to add him to our squad,” Watling said on the club website.

“As a Jamaican international, Vassell brings great experience and lots of quality in attack. He will be a big part of our success this season.”

Vassell expects to adapt quickly to the team, not only because of their playing philosophy but by being among a strong Jamaican contigent that lives in the Hartford area.

“Hartford Athletic seems like a perfect fit. Their style of play fits my game very well and I think it will bring out the best in me on the pitch. Hartford also has a large Jamaican population which will make me feel right at home. It is the perfect situation for me,” Vassell told the club website.

Vassell started his carrer in Major League Soccer when he was drafted by Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) in 2019. He spent part of his rookie season in the USL on loan with Phoenix Rising before being released by LAFC in 2020. He signed for Indy Eleven last April and would make 20 appearances and score three goals last season.