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Free scoring T&T women’s international forward Kennya “Ya Ya” Cordner created history this week when she became the first footballer from the Caribbean to secure a contract with USA's top flight National Women’s Soccer League.

Following a successful stint with the club’s reserve team, Cordner, a former T&T Under-20 and current senior international, was offered a contract by Washington club Seattle Reign FC until the end of the 2013 season.

The 24-year-old record goal-scorer for T&T was given the specific and uphill task of helping lift the team off the bottom of the eight-team table in the league’s inaugural season, with 12 matches remaining.

Cordner, a native of Speyside, Tobago, wooed Reign FC’s staff after scoring and providing an assist in her debut with the reserve team, and, a run of four goals in three matches, saw the athletic forward given an opportunity to shine in a team which has struggled to score this season. With 10 matches played, Reign sits bottom with one draw and nine successive losses. The team has managed to score just four goals in the same period.

Cordner boasts an impressive list of achievements, which includes an NJCAA D1 Women's Championship title, which she won during her stint at Young Harris College.

The two-time T&T female footballer of the year (2005 and 2010) also scored a goal in the prestigious W League in Australia, which aided her club, Brisbane Roars to the 2011 league title. Last November Cordner scored a hat-trick for T&T’s senior women’s team in a 4-0 win over Cuba, and a year prior she famously bagged nine goals in T&T’s 14-1 rout over Dominica in an Olympic qualifying match; a record which still stands.

Speaking on her signing, Cordner expressed excitement at the prospect of advancing her career.

“To be honest I prayed for this day all my life,” she said. “And, yes I am excited to represent this club to the best of my ability. I want to prove that signing me was worth it.”

She continued, “Also, (by) my being the first ever Caribbean female footballer to earn a pro contract in the US also (gives me) a great feeling, (and it’s) not only for me but for my country.

“Now I have to prove to the world my worth playing professionally among some of the best, and to open doors for the younger T&T female footballers to get the same opportunity as I did.

“The reason why I'm here today is because I never gave (up) on my dreams... I work hard every single day and with God’s guidance I was able to make it to the big stage.”

Cordner offered advice to her colleagues back home: “I would say to all the young footballers in T&T, never give up the fight, even through the hard times, and you too will become a pro-footballer one day.”