St. Louis CITY SC’s rise to the top of the Western Conference has helped a pair of midfield standouts earn international recognition.
Now, Njabulo Blom and Indiana Vassilev are getting the chance to prove themselves with their respective national teams.
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With CITY and the rest of Major League Soccer on pause ahead of next weekend’s regular season finale, Blom is in Johannesburg training with the South African national team, which will face Eswatini and Ivory Coast in a pair of upcoming international friendlies. Vassilev, meanwhile, is in Phoenix, Arizona this week working at the U.S. Men’s Olympic Training Camp.
In Blom’s case, the chance to return home and establish himself at the international level is something that he relishes. Expected to play a role in the upcoming matches, Blom is seen as an up-and-coming regular with the national team. He believes his move to St. Louis was crucial in raising his own level of play.
“For me, moving to the U.S. is about using it as a stepping stone to better leagues in Europe and also to grow as a person,” he told South African media. “You can use it as a stepping stone, especially when you are from Africa. It is a good league and a good environment.”
During his first season in North America, Blom has begun to establish himself as one of MLS’ top defensive midfielders, finding himself in the top five in interceptions per 90 minutes. That defensive prowess makes him an intriguing possibility for South Africa manager Hugo Broos moving forward.
This is the latest international opportunity for the 23-year-old, who also earned a call-up for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in June. Blom also appeared for South Africa during the Africa World Cup qualification in 2021.
“It is always good to be back with the national team,” Blom said, “and I am grateful to be part of it.”
Back in the United States, Vassilev and the U.S. Men’s Olympic squad faces the U-23 Mexico National Team today before matching with the U-23 Japan National Team on October 17. This is Vassilev’s first national team call-up of any level since he returned to MLS last season. With CITY, he’s spent the year in St. Louis demonstrating his versatility. Vassilev has become the Swiss Army Knife in CITY head coach Bradley Carnell’s system, playing in the middle or out wide on the wing. That skill set seems to make him a favorite to latch on with the Olympic team.
Keep an eye on where Vassilev plays in Marko Mitrović’s formation, as U.S. Soccer has listed him as a forward heading into camp. Regardless, the call-up will add another layer of confidence for Vassilev, whose window to make the Olympic team appeared to have closed a year ago. Now, he’s earned the right to be in the mix.
While Blom and Vassilev are away, the CITY first team will be staying busy. The club is hosting a scrimmage against a mixed CITY2/Academy team this Saturday before the MLS regular season finishes at CITYPARK against Seattle on October 21.
