Trinidad's Shaka Hislop to play for Dallas FC. - REUTERS
frisco, texas, cmc
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO'S World Cup hero Shaka Hislop will play for Dallas FC in the United States' Major League Soccer tournament, the club announced Wednesday.
Hislop earned plaudits with his outstanding performance against Sweden as he ensured Trinidad & Tobago earned their first points of the World Cup with a 0-0 draw against the European powerhouses.
"As we all know, championship teams are built on two primary things: character and depth," Michael Hitchcock, Dallas FC's president and general manager, said in a statement.
GREAT TEAM
"Today with the addition of Shaka Hislop, a world-class goalkeeper, we are comple-menting a great team that we feel will compete for championships. By adding depth at a key position, this is going to get us closer to becoming that championship team for our fans."
The 37-year old Hislop signed for West Ham United in the English Premiership last season after leaving Portsmouth and immediately forced his way into the first team.
He was part of the squad that overcame odds to reach the FA Cup final before losing to Liverpool on penalties at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
Dallas head coach Colin Clarke also welcomed Hislop's signing.
"We started out at the beginning of this season and talked a lot about quality players," Clarke said.
"Now we have the chance to add another great one to FC Dallas. The thing that Shaka brings to us is depth, experience and leadership. He's going to be out there fighting for a place with everybody else."
Hislop, expected to join the team in a few weeks, still needs to get a work visa approved once the transfer window opens on July 15.
The six-foot, four-inch custodian said he was looking forward to the new challenge in the MLS and expected to fight for his spot in the team. Dario Sala is currently Dallas' first choice goalkeeper.
"I am very excited about joining FC Dallas at a time when they are leading the Western Conference," Hislop, a former Newcastle player, said.
"They are a very exciting club, a club with a fantastic roster that is surrounded by people with a tremendous soccer history. It's a new and exciting challenge and it comes at a great time in my career."
He continued: "I've never asked for guarantees or had to ask coaches or managers about their expectations of me.
"I am looking forward to competing for the starting job with Dario and Jeff (Cassar), who are fantastic and accomplished goalkeepers in their own right.
"I'm sure that I can help bring the best out of them and they will certainly see the same from me."
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