Dec. 16, 2009

For soccer fans - er football fans - worldwide, 2010 means the return of the greatest sporting event on earth - the Men's FIFA World Cup. Hosted by South Africa next June, the draws were recently announced and the United States was placed in Group C with England, Algeria and Slovenia.

Meanwhile, the United States U-20 Women's National Team was waiting to see who they would face in their opening game of the CONCACAF qualifying tournament for the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.

They got their answer just a few days ago - the US will open with Jamaica on Jan. 21. Now, for most, this announcement may have gone unnoticed, especially at 20th and Olney. However, for one person on La Salle's campus, in particular, the reaction was "setting the stakes high."

La Salle Women's Soccer defender Zovel Hyre, who is finishing up her first semester at the school, is quite interested in this contest. Why would the Explorer from Scarborough, Ontario, Canada be anticipating this announcement? Because, on that day, she will be on the field at the 17,000-seat Estadio Cementos Progreso in Guatemala City, Guatemala playing for the Reggae Girlz against the Yanks.

"Playing the first game against the US will be very competitive, and  I am actually looking forward to the challenge. The Jamaican team will have to go out there with the intention to win, execute all that we learn in training, and give it our best shot. After all, the ball is round and soccer is the most unpredictable game.

"The training that I have received from the La Salle coaches, coupled with the training that I will receive from the Jamaican coaches when I go to camp will further prepare me to be effective in these games."

The eight teams in this tournament will compete in late January for three spots in next year's World Cup in Germany, set to run July 13 through August 1. Click here to see the entire schedule for the CONCACAF tournament in January.

"We are beyond proud of Zovel's recent accomplishment at the CONCACAF Caribbean Qualifier," said La Salle Head Coach Paul Royal. "Having played three full 90 minute matches and only giving up one goal is quite remarkable. We're also very excited to see how well Zovel and Lia Blake make out with this great opportunity ahead of them."

Blake did not play in the qualifying round, but has been invited into the Jamaican U-20 camp and is very likely to participate in the World Cup qualifier.

Hyre recently had a chance to reflect on her experiences during the Caribbean Final Stage, held just before Thanksgiving in Trinidad and Tobago, in which Jamaica went 2-0-1 in order to advance to the upcoming final round of the World Cup qualifier.

Q: This was not your first international competition, but what made this one different from the others.
A: I have played international competitions for the Ontario U17 provincial team in Chile, and in France with Wexford, my former club team. In 2008 I played in Tobago and Mexico at the CONCACAF competition for the Jamaican U-17, as a co-captain, and U-20 National teams. The CFU competition was different because the support that we got was tremendous. The stadium was full and that was outstanding to see. The cheering and music made it difficult for us to hear our teammates, but it was great to see all of the fans and supporters - it was definitely more than normal.

Q: Your bio states Scarborough, Ontario, Canada as your hometown, where is the Jamaican connection? 
A: I was born in Jamaica and at the age of three we moved to Canada. I am pretty much a true Canadian, but I did keep in touch with family and our heritage. Toronto is one of the most multicultural cities in Canada, so it wasn't a culture shock when I go back and the team made it such a nice easy transition.

Q: Living in Canada, how did you get involved with the Jamaican National Team?
A: When the U-17 World Cup was going on, I wanted to be a part of that, but I only made the provisional team for Canada in 2005. I have a cousin in Jamaica, who is a soccer ref, and he told me about the tryouts for the U-17 team down there and so I went down there in 2007. It was my first time back since moving away when I was three. That was such a successful experience that I was able to play for the U-20 team.   

Q: Speaking of the team and your teammates, what are they like?
A: Out of 20 on the team, there were actually three including me from Canada. They were very supportive of us coming on, very welcoming, but they are very focused on soccer. I was just another player on the team.

Q: Personally, what were the games like in the qualifier?
A: I played on the defense. I started all three games and played all 90 minutes. I was such a great feeling to be back on the field, hearing the national anthem played before the game. It was a great confidence booster. I could really tell I improved a lot with the training sessions we have at La Salle. A lot of what I learned here I used on the field. It was the best soccer I played in my life, and the passion for the sport is definitely back.

Q: The team won its first two games - beating Cuba, 1-0, and St. Kitts, 2-0 - before earning a 1-1 draw with the hosts Trinidad and Tobago. What was that final game like against the "Soca Princesses"?
A: That match was an amazing experience! The Trinidad fans were singing songs and playing music the entire time. It was awesome to see about a third of the people wearing yellow to support us. It was hard, though, because in three previous games we beat them, so a tie, allowing a goal late like we did, it hit us hard. We wanted three shutouts that was our goal.

Q: What are the team's expectations in January?
A: We definitely want to qualify for the World Cup. We are mentally prepared and talent-wise - if we execute what we do and stay focused - we can make it to Germany.