Mention New England, and most people are apt to conjure up visions of fall foliage, bone-chilling winters, colonial history and the like. But thanks to the island roots of several key players, the New England Revolution's locker room is also laced with the sunny spirit of the Caribbean.
"I think we bring the swagger, that a lot of people say is cockiness," said holding midfielder Shalrie Joseph with a smile.
Three Revs starters grew up in small island nations and while each wandered diverse paths en route to their current stations, they still carry the culture and memory of those distant islands today. Their influence has helped make New England a remarkably stable and cohesive unit both on and off the field.
"The Caribbean obviously has a reputation [for being] laid-back, but our guys, they've got a bit of both," said head coach Steve Nicol. "They manage to be laid back at the right time, and then when it counts, then they're professional and positive and solid, and get the job done. They bring a wee bit of 'chill-out,' shall we say, to the team, but they get the stuff done."
Avery John hails from Trinidad and Tobago, and calls it a "dream come true" to have worn his country's colors in Germany last summer as the Soca Warriors made their inaugural trip to the FIFA World Cup finals.
That team's plucky performance was the highlight of John's nomadic career, which began when he left home to attend junior college in Arizona as a teenager. He then moved on to American University in Washington, D.C., make several stops in the United Soccer Leagues and spend three seasons in Ireland's top flight before catching on with the Revs.
"I saw it as a stepping-stone: one, to go away to get an education and a degree, but at the same time to improve my game," said John of his travels. "It helped me not just soccer-wise but as a person. It opens your eyes to the world and helps you to be a better player and a better professional, and a better person."
Roaming the left wing in front of him is Khano Smith, who grew up on tiny Bermuda. While his quest to become a professional player took him far away for long periods, it was only on his return to "The Rock" that he was discovered and signed by New England after showing well in a preseason exhibition against the Revs.
"I was out of Bermuda for a long time. I went to prep school for four years, then I went to college for four years in the States, so I hadn't played a lot in Bermuda," he said. "I was home for those two years before I signed with the Revs, so I got back to my old Bermuda culture, really, and the way I'm used to playing."
Joseph left Grenada, a volcanic West Indian isle just 14 miles wide and 21 miles long, at age 15 in search of greater opportunities in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y. In fact, a contingent of Joseph family members will travel south from New York City to cheer for him and his teammates at RFK Stadium on Sunday.
While he proudly calls himself a New Yorker, "Chaz" still returns to his old country to wear the green, gold and red of the Grenadian national team and his humble roots clearly laid the foundation for his present success.
"It's a tougher life, to be honest about it," he said. "You don't have the fields, you don't have the facilities to play every day or every weekend. You play on whatever you can, especially the island and even in Brooklyn."
The Revolution's array of nationalities belies the fact that most of the team's impact internationals have made their way to the pros via the U.S. college system. John, Smith and Joseph all toiled at smaller schools before moving up the ladder in search of greater competition and exposure -- and all praise Nicol for giving them a chance.
"I just think that there's a lot of young players now coming through in America," said the sixth-year boss, "and they do get a chance to play here because there's not as many so-called foreign players, shall we say, as there is elsewhere. If they've got talent, they'll get a game. Certainly they'll get a game on our team."
Charles Boehm is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
