T2 midfielder
Villyan Bijev
has been named to the USL Team of the Week for Week 27 after registering two goals and an assist in guiding Portland to a 3-2 win over Arizona United SC on Sept. 24 at Merlo Field in the 2016 regular-season finale.
With his 10th assist of the season against Arizona United, Bijev claimed the USL Assists Champions crown as he finished one helper ahead of Sacramento Republic FC’s Danny Barrera.
During T2's team record five-game winning streak to close out the season, Bjiev recorded five goals and three assists.
After falling behind 1-0, Bijev played a ball in behind the Arizona defense that forward
Augustine Williams
latched and the 19-year-old struck his right-footed shot into the lower left corner of the net in the 27th minute. Bijev gave T2 a 2-1 lead in the 35th minute after he dribbled through the United SC defense on the left edge of the penalty area and curled in his right-footed shot into the bottom right corner of the net. Bijev recorded the game-winning goal, his team-leading eighth of the season, just before halftime. Midfielder
Andre Lewis
played a ball to Bijev, who let the ball run past him and arrowed a left-footed shot from just inside the 18-yard box that made its way into the lower left corner of the net to give Portland a 3-1 lead in the 45th minute.
The recognition marks the fourth time Bijev has been named to the USL Team of the Week this season, with the midfielder earning Team of the Week honors for Week 20, Week 24 and earning USL Player of the Week honors for Week 26.
