Dropped by Dutchman Leo Beenhakker, Cornell Glen is using his dismissal from the Trinidad and Tobago national football team as motivation to score goals for his American club, Columbus Crew, and also to appeal to the Dutchman to re-consider his decision.
While Trinidad and Tobago were beating Guatemala 3-2 in a World Cup qualifier on Saturday, the former "Warrior' was on fire for the Crew. Scoring one goal and creating the other two, Glen was named Fox Sports Honda MVP of the round of Major League Soccer (MLS) matches played last weekend. He led his team to a commanding 3-0 win over Chivas USA at the Home Depot Centre in Carson, California.
Using his breathtaking pace, Glen broke through the left side of the Chivas USA penalty area at least three times, scoring his team's opening goal by putting the ball through the legs of the goalkeeper, and later drawing desperate defenders before teeing up two goals for team-mate John Wolyniec.
Glen's pace gave him at least two other chances, which were stopped by Chivas keeper Sergio Garcia.
Afterwards, Robert Warzycha, the Crew's interim coach, spoke highly of Glen's contribution.
"Cornell is fast and when he's into the game, he's one of the best players on the field."
Playing alongside Glen paid dividends for striker Wolyniec and he too had only good things to say about the Trinidadian, who served him two goals on a platter.
"Cornell is so fast and I just have to be confident that he's going to beat his man and try to put myself in a good spot and see where the ball ends up and try to put it away," said Wolyniec.
"When you have three forwards and the guys on the outside have as much speed as Cornell and Marcus (Storey), if you get the ball to them early, it's off to the races."
Glen, who was a consistent threat in Chivas' third of the field, is playing with a mission. He said that his aim is to once again make Beenhakker pay attention to what he is doing.
"I'm trying to get back in form and score some goals to get back on the national team and also to make it to the playoffs," said the Trinidad and Tobago national. "That's what's driving me right now."
The young striker has registered just one goal for the Trinidad and Tobago national team. But in his time at local professional club CL Financial Jabloteh, he led them to consecutive league championships in 2002 and 2003, scoring 11 goals in 2002 and then raising his tally to 26 a year later.
Glen also spent two years with Adsanjonese in Portugal.
He moved to the United States after catching the eye of the Americans when scoring a first half hat trick against the Chicago Fire to carry Jabloteh to a 5-2 win, in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal series in Port-of-Spain.