16991: (Hermantin) Sun-Sentinel-Clavijo embraces Haiti challenge (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Clavijo embraces Haiti challenge
Published October 19, 2003

Jeff Rusnak

Soccer Columnist

The appointment of Fernando Clavijo to coach Haiti's national team last
Wednesday won't shift the balance of power in the CONCACAF region when 2006
World Cup qualifying begins in January. As Clavijo himself concedes, the
impoverished island nation is "a long shot" to play in the next tournament,
or for that matter, any World Cup that follows.

That, however, doesn't mean the challenges the job presents aren't appealing
for the former U.S. World Cup defender, whose coaching resume includes an
indoor season with the defunct Florida ThunderCats and a slightly longer
stint in MLS with the New England Revolution.

While it might seem odd on the face of it that Clavijo, an Uruguayan by
birth and an American by choice, would coach a team as unpromising as Haiti,
to hear him tell it, the decision was made easy by Haitian officials and a
visit to the island itself.

First, and perhaps foremost, Clavijo won't have to leave his home in Davie
because the team will relocate its training base from Port-au-Prince to
South Florida, possibly to a soccer complex in Lauderhill.

"We are Haiti, and we have to make sure we are loyal to what Haiti is
about," Clavijo said. "At the same time, we have to look at resources, where
we have the infrastructure to train and play the game properly."

Clavijo couldn't accept the job without going to Haiti, and that is where he
became convinced of his next coaching move.

"You always hear horror stories about the country, but until you visit you
can't know what it's really like," Clavijo said. "Yes, I knew they were
poor. It is poor, a very poor country. It's also a very proud country, and
the people made me feel at home as soon as I walked into the airport. And
that sold it to me.

"I had a lot of reservations going in, but the people made me feel very
wanted. These are people with nothing and they are still happy and warm. We
take for granted everything we have here, but I saw happiness in people who
saw light at the end of tunnel."

That light, of course, is evident every time Haiti plays in South Florida.
It illuminated Lockhart Stadium last Wednesday when 9,715 mostly Haitian
fans watched their under-23 team play the United States.

It radiated in the Orange Bowl last Sunday for a 2004 Olympic qualifier that
drew about 30,000 fans, according to several sources, although OB officials
claimed 16,588 in its turnstile count.

Haiti vs. Honduras

In the absence of our own league team, Haiti has become the closest thing
South Florida has to a home team. The under-23s begin training here on
Monday for a Nov. 16 Olympic qualifier against Honduras that might be played
in the Orange Bowl, where as many as 50,000 fans could turn out.

Clavijo will bring the national team here to prepare for an opening
qualifier that will be played on Jan. 17 or 18. While it's financially
tempting to Haitian officials to play a Cup match here, Clavijo said
qualifiers belong in Haiti to "make sure the home field is in place."

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