Real Salt Lake forward Robbie Findley had arrived into Trinidad for the second time in his life to play soccer – what isn’t well know is that he easily could have been wearing the colors of the Soca Warriors.
Findley’s parents Rawle and Vanessa – are both natives of Port-of-Spain, having moved to New York in the early 70’s where they married and eventually had Robbie. After Findley’s soccer career became promising, a family friend arranged a tryout with the T&T U-21 team in December of 2005.
“I really didn’t know what to expect,” said Findley. “It was good to get over here and see where my family grew up, and see a lot of aunts and uncles.”
While the soccer experience wasn’t memorable, the chance to see his parents’ roots has stuck with him.
“I had seen pictures, but to actually see it really opened my eyes. I visited the neighborhoods where my parents lived, and even saw the houses they grew up in. It was tough for them growing up here. There were a lot of people living in a small house, but they made it work. It made me realize how great we have it in the U.S. I’m very thankful for what I’ve been blessed with.”
And the emotions of coming back to the land of his heritage, this time wearing a U.S. jersey?
“It’s tough, but I’m happy with the decisions I’ve made. Hopefully I get chance to contribute Wednesday.”
Whatever the case, Robbie will certainly have supporters in the crowd since plenty of relatives still live in the area. Just as important as what they will bring to the game is what they will bring after.
“There is a local dish called Roti that I love. There are a bunch of different kinds. It’s basically a flour tortilla that can be rolled with things like chicken curry and potatoes. My aunt is going to bring me some for the trip home.”
With all the special memories and glimpses into his heritage, Robbie will indeed be heading home.
Touchdown in Trinidad
The team arrived in Trinidad around 7:30 p.m. local time and made the 30-minute trip into downtown Port-of-Spain. For those of you that enjoy the little details, some random observations from the trip:
•As usual, the coaches used the time to watch video from the previous game. Several players took advantage of the opportunity as well throughout the trip; Amongst others, at one point Benny Feilhaber, Carlos Bocanegra, Clint Dempsey and Jonathan Spector were huddled around a computer watching the game tape.
•Landon Donovan and Brian Ching were heavy into crossword puzzles.
•Chad Marshall spent most of the trip reading a John Grisham novel.
•There are a bunch of guys who are flat-out sleepers. We think Gooch might be out before the cabin doors are closed
•The in-flight movies were Night at the Museum: Battle at the Smithsonian, Star Trek, and Watchmen. (Movie choices were made by the flight crew, in case there is any critique about the selections).
•The flight path took the plane past Cuba - the water around the island looks stunning from above - and since we flew at dusk there were some amazing colors at sunset. A band of blazing orange that faded into yellow against a dark blue sky lasted for about 20 minutes; unfortunately, the photos we tried to take didn't quite do it justice. Chalk that up to human error ...
•We also flew near Hasely Crawford Stadium - site of Wednesday's match - which was still lit following T & T's training session. From 10,000 feet, it certainly looks like it will be a great place for a night game.
Scene Set
Quite a different change of environment from last week's high altitude base in Park City, where the weather was warm and dry behind a backdrop of mountain peaks and a small-town feel.
Here in Port-of-Spain the air is hot and humid, but there's a nice breeze taking the edge off the heat. The hotel affords a fantastic view of the harbor and the surrounding hills, and is just on the edge of some of the more tropical areas of Trinidad.
It's been a pretty quiet day as the players continue to rest and recuperate, with the bus departing for training in a little more than 30 minutes. There is a line building up in the training room for players waiting to get ankles taped and other treatment before the 45-minute session at Hasely Crawford Stadium. Earlier in the afternoon, several members of the group sat down for interviews with ESPN for tomorrow's nights pre-game show and broadcast. At lunch, the team got a visit from Len Kusnitz, the Chargé d'Affaires for the United States in Trinidad & Tobago.
We'll have more news following training, including the progress of Charlie Davies as he recovers from the left calf contusion suffered Saturday night against El Salvador.