FC Dallas and Brazilian-partner Clube Atletico Paranaense will join two All-Star teams from the Trinidad and Tobago Pro League in honoring retired FCD goalkeeper and Trinidad National team legend Shaka Hislop in the Shaka Hislop Tribute Cup. The four-team tournament will be played as doubleheaders on Friday, November 30 and Sunday, December 2, 2007 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
Two all-star teams will be formed out of the players currently playing in the TT Pro League: the TT Pro League Local All-Stars, chosen from the best local players in the league; and the TT Pro League Foreign All-Stars, chosen from the best foreign players playing in the league. Shaka is scheduled to play part of a game with the TT Pro League local All-Stars and part of a game with FC Dallas.
On Nov. 30, FC Dallas will play the TT Pro League Foreign All-Stars while Atletico Paranaense meets the TT Pro league Local All-Stars. On Dec. 2, Atletico Paranaense will face the TT Pro League Foreign All-Stars while FC Dallas plays the TT Pro League Local All-Stars.
"FC Dallas is proud to take part in honoring Shaka by participating in the Shaka Hislop Tribute Cup," said FC Dallas General Manager Michael Hitchcock. "Shaka brought experience, leadership, and professionalism to FC Dallas, and it will be special to see him represent our team one final time in his home country."
In September 2007, Hislop retired from professional soccer, ending a career that spanned 15 years playing professionally in England and the United States. After graduating from Howard University in Washington D.C. in May 1992 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Shaka was identified by Reading FC scouts during a trip to England and offered a contract. Over the next 14 years, he went on to also play for Newcastle, Portsmouth, and West Ham, finishing his English Premier League career by playing in the FA Cup final in May 2006, in which the Hammers fell to Liverpool 3-1 on penalty kicks after tying 3-3 in regulation.
A month later, Shaka was in goal for Trinidad and Tobago's National team at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, shutting out Sweden in a 0-0 draw and then keeping England off the scoreboard for 83 minutes before conceding a pair of late goals in a 2-0 loss.
Shaka joined FC Dallas shortly after the 2006 World Cup, and posted a record of 4-5-1 in 10 first team appearances before retiring due to back problems earlier this month.
Off the field, in April 2005, Hislop was recognized as the recipient of the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) Special Merit Award for his continued involvement with the "Show Racism The Red Card" campaign, which he helped start in 1996 as a way to keep racism away from soccer. Shaka spoke to fcdallas.com about his retirement, his career, and his future:
ABOUT THE TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO PRO LEAGUE: In 1999, the Trinidad & Tobago Professional Football League (PFL) was established, which was the forerunner of the current Pro League. The PFL was born out of four seasons of a semi professional football league and a need to develop a cadre of locally bred professional players, coaches and administrators, to serve Trinidad & Tobago at the international level. In 2002 with the withdrawal of the founder, the PFL closed its doors and so the T&T Pro League was born.
The clubs own the T&T Pro League and a Board of Directors consisting of a representative of each club operates selected a neutral Chairman to operate the league. In 2007, the T&T Pro League, which runs from April 14-Dec. 8, consists of 10 teams: CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh, Defence Force, Joe Public, Neal and Massey, Caledonia AIA, North East Stars, Superstar Rangers, Tobago United, United Petrotrin, and Vibe CT 105 W Connection.
ABOUT CLUBE ATLETICO PARANAENSE: Founded in 1924, Clube Atletico Paranaense is one of 20 teams that play in Brazil's top professional soccer league, the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A. Also known as the Furacão (Hurricane), Atletico Paranaense is located in the southern Brazilian city of Curitiba, the capital city of the state of Parana.
Atletico won its first Campeonato Brasiliero championship in 2001 and has played in three Copa Libertadores, South America's most prestigious club tournament. The club qualified for the 2000, 2002, and 2005 tournaments, posting its best result in 2005 when they defeated Mexican club Chivas de Guadalajara in the semifinals before losing the home-and-away Copa Libertadores Final to Brazil's São Paulo FC. Locally, the club has also won 21 Paraná state championships.
In September 2006, FC Dallas and Atletico Paranaense established an exclusive partnership, which included a home and home series, the opportunity to exchange players, and joint cooperative efforts to expand each team's business. Earlier this year, CAP defeated FCD 4-1 on aggregate in the home and home series. Forward Ricardinho, who scored the loan goal for CAP in the 1-0 win at Pizza Hut Park, became the first player loaned from one team to the other when he signed with FC Dallas in July.
