Like most of the tiny nations that dot the Caribbean, St. Vincent & the Grenadines has never qualified for a World Cup or an Olympic Games soccer tournament
Yet when it takes the fieldagainst host Haiti in Port-au-Prince on Friday, it will do so knowing the winner advances to the final round of 2016 Concacaf Olympic qualifying. One if its key players will be Seattle Sounders FC2’s forward Oalex Anderson, who has scored in each of his team’s four games in the leadup to this semifinal.
His path has been guided this year by Sounders 2 headcoach and former St. V&G international Ezra Hendrickson, who during a Christmas visit to the islands four years ago spotted him in a youth tournament.
“He had a team, and weplayed against each other there,” Anderson told SoundersFC.com. “After those games,he came and talked to me, he spoke to my mom and said, ‘Your son has a good talent, he can do good stuff,’ and he promised me in front of my mother that he’d get me out ofhere.”
USL 2015:
Standings |
Hendrickson originally planned to bring him to the U.S.to play college soccer but a broken leg caused a change in plans. Instead, last year he played in Antigua for Grenades FC and scored 12 goals in 18 games. When the Sounders announced last Novemberthat Hendrickson would be head coach of their new second team, he approached general manager Andrew Opatkiewicz about a possible recruit.
“[Anderson] was 18 at the time, and wewere able to make it happen, thankfully,” Hendrickson said. “He’s a very talented young player, and his work ethic is very good, so he’s going to be a very successfulprofessional player.”
For Sounders II, Anderson has started onlyfive of 12 games yet is fourth on the team with four goals, not a bad return on just 493 minutes of action. For his national teamm the game Friday would be followed by a major obstacle, the finalqualifying round to be played in the U.S. in October, if it can advance that far.
“It would be great if we can go past Haiti,” Anderson said. “Hopefully, we’re lookingforward to other goals. A good game against Haiti, move past them with a victory, going on to the finals, and we’ll see where we go from there.”
Valentino ends playing career, will coach in Orlando
Rob Valentino is going back to the USL team that he helped win two leaguetitles.
Arizona United DC, which signed Valentino as a player in December, announced Tuesday that he has retired from competitive play and will join the coaching staff of the Orlando City USLteam being formed. It will start USL play next year.
Valentino played college soccer at the University of San Francisco and was drafted by New England in the first round of the 2008 MLSSuperDraft. He never played for the Revs nor for Colorado, which acquired him in a trade during the 2009 season, after which he asked to be released. He signed with FC Tampa Bay of the USSF Division 2league but left after one year and played four seasons with Orlando City, which didn’t retain him when it transformed into an MLS operation for the 2015 season.
He played 15 games andserved as captain for Arizona United prior to his retirement announcement.
“We couldn’t be happier for Rob in taking this next step in realizing his dream of becominga professional soccer coach,” said Arizona United owner Kyle Eng in a statement. “We truly appreciate what Rob brought to Arizona United SC this season in terms of leadership –both in the locker room and on the pitch.”
Konig wins second Player of the Week award
A hat trick on the road earns you a lot ofplaudits, and by scoring three in OKC Energy’s 4-3 defeat of Portland Timbers 2 at Merlo Field Saturday forward Danni König swung enough votes to be named USL Player of the Week forthe second time this season.
König earned 71 percent of the vote submitted by a national panel of independent media. Orange County Blues FC goalkeeper Billy Thompson, who saved apenalty kick while shutting out Austin, 1-0, finished second with 14 percent.
USL Team of the Week
GOALKEEPER
BillyThompson, Orange County Blues FC.
DEFENDERS
Iarfhlaith Davoren, Tulsa Roughnecks FC.
Josh Phillips, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC.
Mitchel Bringolf,FC Montreal.
MIDFIELDERS
Marco Bustos, Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2.
Yann Ekra, Harrisburg City Islanders.
Stefan Defregger, WilmingtonHammerheads FC.
Lebo Moloto, Pittsburgh Riverhounds.
FORWARDS
Dominique Badji, Charlotte Independence.
Danni König, OKC EnergyFC.
Alessandro Riggi, FC Montreal.