Vibrant Trinidad and Tobago midfielder Silvio Spann opened his scoring account in Japan on Friday when he netted a 66th minute equalizer for Yokohoma FC in a 1-1 draw with Tokushima Vortis in the J-League Division Two action.
Spann, in his first full season with the club, got the vital goal for his club after coming off the bench in the 61st minute to leave them in fifth spot on the table.
Spann joined Coventry City’s Stern John and Kansas City Wizards’ Scott Sealy as the overseas-based pros on the scoresheets this weekend. John netted in City’s 1-1 draw with Plymouth while Sealy got his first MLS goal in the fifth minute in Wizards’ 3-2 loss to San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday. Also in the spotlight was defender Marvin Andrews who returned to the Glasgow Rangers start team in their 2-1 loss to Celtic on Sunday. Andrews, nursing a damaged cruciate ligament, also had an effort come off the cross bar before leaving the field on 83 minutes.
Spann, was probably the most of the three though as he has been labouring to establish his overseas professional career which started with Perugia in Italy.
On the back of an energetic performance in T&T’s 0-0 draw with Costa Rica last month, Spann said he was inspired to continue the good run of form.
“Right now I think it’s too much to describe the feeling having scored my first goal for the season,” Spann told TTFF Media on Sunday.
“I think a lot has paid off after all the hard work because I have waited quite some time to really settle into a team outside of Trinidad and for a while it had been frustrating but with persistence and belief in God, things are finally going good for me.”
Understanding that being the only T&T player based in that part of Asia with former China-based duo Arnold Dwarika and Gary Glasgow now back in Trinidad, would have left him out of Leo Beenhakker’s schedule of meetings, Spann felt it was important that he kept his game up and is hoping that the Dutch-born coach includes him in his plans for the upcoming 2006 World Cup qualifier against Panama at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on June 4 and the clash with Mexico in Monterrey four days later.
“I’m hoping that he would have at least seen the game against Costa Rica so at least he would have some idea of my capabilities. At the end of the day though, I think we all want the best team out there, so whether I’m there or not, I’ll be supporting either way but yes surely I’m looking forward to getting back home for the next match,” Spann said.
The former National Under 23 and St Benedict’s College skipper seemed thrilled on the news of Beenhakker’s appointment.
“I left the weekend after he was announced as coach and I think it was a big piece of news for all of us. To have a coach of his track record coming to work with us is a major plus. With all respect to Coach Bertille (St Clair), the new change is hopefully going to give us the added burst to get to Germany,” Spann ended.