Go anywhere around the Concacaf region and the name Stern John draws a reaction of respect and admiration. His 70 international goals with Trinidad & Tobago rank him at the top of Concacaf’s all-time scorers, while at club level he was consistently prolific in Major League Soccer (MLS) and English football.
After beginning his national team coaching life with Anguilla, John moved on to Saint Lucia in 2022 and has steadily improved the Piton Boyz, including a six-place climb up the most recent FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings thanks to wins against Curacao and Grenada during the September Concacaf Nations League window.
The same high standards of success that propelled John as a player are now qualities that he is instilling into the Saint Lucia squad. When the second round of Concacaf qualifying for FIFA World Cup 26™ resumes next June, John’s Saint Lucia will take on Curacao yet again with a chance to get themselves in the mix for a top two finish in the group and possible advancement to the third round, which would be a first ever for the island.
In an interview with FIFA, John talked about the strides made in Saint Lucian football during his tenure, his approach to coaching and the memories of playing for Trinidad & Tobago at Germany 2006.
FIFA: How are things going there in Saint Lucia?
Stern John: I’ve been here two-and-a-half years and it’s been a work in progress. I think the FA have been really patient with me in getting me what I need to do the job well. I’ve been able to get some good results, so it’s been fantastic.
Saint Lucia didn’t enter qualifying for Qatar 2022, so what has it been like trying to rebuild this program?
We had to bring back the players to the table and explain to them that this was a new start and that we were going to do things differently, that this is a process and we are going to build a proper team to compete in Concacaf.
Saint Lucia were one of the highest climbers in the latest FIFA ranking. What’s your takeaway of that?
We’ve been able to go to the UK and recruit a lot of players who have Saint Lucian parents. I think all around the world and especially in the Caribbean those players are taking that opportunity to go get international experience, because a lot of these Saint Lucian players are not playing that much football on the islands. They’re not in that environment every day, so one of the keys to our success has been bringing in the international players and then we’re able to gel them with the local players.
Yet in the last window nine of your starting XI against Curacao are based in Saint Lucia. What does that say about you and your staff?
I think the coaching staff has done a fantastic job. The FA has supported me since I’ve been here and allowed us to go into different areas, find players and bring them to play for the national team. Since I’ve been here our program has been running all year round. I think that makes a big difference. Having them in that environment and working on the basics makes a massive difference in terms of them training like a professional player.
What are some of the things that stand out about your team right now?
The first thing I did when I came here was to work with the players on the way we defend and the way we attack as well, and then taking information on board. I think we have come leaps and bounds. We have a lot of players who are match-winners, but we had to get the other side of the game right. I think when you are in the Caribbean a lot of young players only play with the ball. I was able to come in and show them how to play both sides of the game in transition, be solid in defense, be hard to break down and be hard to beat.
How much confidence does that win against Curacao in the Nations League give you for next June’s qualifier?
The guys believe now. It’s been a process getting to this point. I think in the Caribbean we tend to look for overnight success. We were able to build a team and compete with the likes of Curacao and Grenada. I think going into the rest of the games, the guys are full of confidence. In the qualifier against Haiti (2-1 loss), we played very well for 70 minutes but then had a couple defensive mistakes, fell asleep and lost the game. We need to get that part of the game right. When we play together as a team, we’re very organized going forward and in our defensive work, too. That’s the key to our success in advancing.
What would it mean to Saint Lucia to reach the next round?
I think it would be a tremendous achievement for the island, for the FA as well, too. I know my president wants to qualify for a major tournament and I think it would be a really fantastic achievement if we do that, but we are going to take it one game at a time.
With the national team doing so well and sprinter Julien Alfred winning gold in the Olympics, this must be an exciting time in Saint Lucia?
It’s a tremendous feeling. The love that she was being shown; she's the fastest woman in the world at the moment, words can’t express how proud the nation is and how much love they show her. The country came out in numbers and it was a week-long celebration. Credit to her, she’s probably exhausted!
Can you imagine what the celebrations would be if Saint Lucia were able to advance in qualifying or reach the Concacaf Gold Cup?
It would be great. Saint Lucia is a sporting nation. The people support all sports: cricket, football, track and field. You name it, they support everything. If we can do that and qualify for a major tournament, they are not going to sleep again for another week!
When World Cup 26 comes around, it will have been 20 years since you and Trinidad and Tobago played at Germany 2006. What are your memories of that?
I think just getting there is like a dream come true. There are a lot of world class players who have never been to a World Cup and this was us, the smallest country in the world at that time to qualify for a World Cup, getting there. Our coach, Leo Beenhakker, he brought a togetherness within the team, no matter how big or how small you were in terms of where you played at that time. I think for me one of the greatest feelings was my mum came to the World Cup. She is in another life now, but she came to the World Cup and she saw me play in the World Cup.
Is there a particular game you remember with fondness?
I think the game against Sweden when we got the point is the greatest point in the history of the country. If you had told us when the fixture came out that we were drawn against Sweden, you would say you had no chance, but I think we fought and worked our socks off as a team and we were able to get a point against Sweden in our first game. I think that game for me was the pinnacle of my career.
What did it feel like hearing your anthem at a FIFA World Cup?
It brings back goosebumps right now. It was really emotional for me. We grew up in Trinidad watching the World Cup, but you never know if that dream was going to happen and it did. So as a player you pinch yourself knowing that you got to a World Cup.
Can Trinidad and Tobago get back to that World Cup level?
We can. We have talent in abundance in Trinidad. I think we have to get better in our professional league system. Back in those days we had a strong professional league in Trinidad and a lot of the players from around the Caribbean would come to Trinidad and play and it made it stronger, but it’s not that way anymore. We have to do better recruiting international players. Don’t get me wrong, we have the players there, but we need more international experience and players playing at that level.
You played for Trinidad and Tobago, coached Anguilla and now are at Saint Lucia. How important is it to you to represent the Caribbean region as a whole?
I think for coaches like us it’s important that we do well and really give back to the Caribbean. Myself and my backroom staff put a lot of work into what we do and we take it very seriously. I think the better we do, it will give more Caribbean coaches and Caribbean ex-players a chance to coach in the Caribbean. There are coaches who can do a great job, they just need the opportunity.
SOURCE: FIFA.com