Soca Warriors Online (SWO) recently caught up with Houston-born and current Dynamo Academy goalkeeper Johan Welch and managed to shoot a few questions at the shot-stopper.
Welch is one of T&T's latest foreign-born recruits. There are currently 2 of them on the Men’s National Under 17 team with the other being Andre Fortune, T&T's top goal scorer in the recently concluded U-17 World Championship Qualifiers in Panama.
Though a bit small in stature, the talented teenager stands tall between the sticks and has already had a few great performances for T&T. One notable performance was against Panama in T&T’s last match before exiting the U-17 tournament.
Welch currently attends Strake Jesuit High School and is the son of a Houston born mother, Michelle and a Trinidadian father from Port of Spain, named Garth. He has two siblings Garrett (17) and Daniel (14), both of whom also play and love soccer. His father, a city worker also coaches at the Dynamo Academy on his spare time.
Johan meantime was spotted during the 2012 Dallas Cup tournament when he ran out with the Dynamo outfit. Members of visiting T&T based team (SKHY Football Academy) were introduced to him and took note of the player’s outstanding ability. He was later invited to trial for the National Under 17 team and before you know it he staked his claim as T&T's number one between the uprights.
Now being away from the national team for a while, Johan has been playing catch-up with his school studies. In spite of this, he still managed to take a moment from his busy school schedule to answer a few questions for Soca Warriors Online.
1. Johan, prior to playing for the Trinidad and Tobago National Under 17 football team did you ever visit Trinidad and Tobago? If yes, how was your visit and what was your general impression of the country?
JW: The first time I went to Trinidad and Tobago, it was Christmas of 2008. We arrived in Port of Spain without our luggage as it was left in Houston due to the overbooked flight. We stayed with my Auntie Gail and Uncle Charles at their house in Victoria Gardens. My first impression was that the island was beautiful, people were friendly and the atmosphere was relaxing. On our first day we went to Maracas Bay (Beach) with family and friends. The waves were amazing, the sand was soft and the Bakes n Shark was to die for. We stayed in Maracas that evening and spent the night walking the beach and dancing at a local hang-out. After returning to Port of Spain, my Aunties prepared an unbelievable spread full of curried mangos, roti, macaroni pie and other delightful treats for Christmas Eve. The next morning, we caught a flight to Tobago piloted by my Uncle Richard. My aunts had rented a house on the Atlantic side of Tobago. The next two days were spent on the beach playing soccer and climbing coconut trees. We also took a boat out to snorkel and visited a surrounding island. After snorkeling, we came back to the house to eat our final dinner at a local Chinese restaurant. On the way to the restaurant, we had an encounter with a friendly bat in the car which led to panic and a quick exit upon arrival. The next morning, we returned to Trinidad to spend our final night with the family. I fell in love with Trinidad and Tobago and knew it was a place I would return some day.
2. I've heard that you were part of the U.S National U-17 men's youth program and obviously you could have been given a chance to play for them in the near future. How were you recruited by T&T and was the decision to join the Junior Soca Warriors hard seeing that you were already part of the U.S. set-up.
JW: I was identified by the T&T coach playing in the Dallas Cup. Soon after, I was contacted by the coaching staff and was asked to come to Trinidad to train with the team. Playing for the T&T team was a decision that I considered very seriously. I had been called up by the US National Team in the past and played in several tournaments. I did feel like this decision would affect my ability to play with the US National Team in the future. I made my final decision to play with the T&T team due to several factors. I always had dreamed of returning to Trinidad and Tobago and once I was able to train with the T&T team I knew the team was full of talent, passion and promise. It kept me close to my roots as well.
3. Was it hard for you to adjust to your new teammates, coach and country, if so to speak?
JW: In the beginning it was difficult to understand the native accent. That was probably the most challenging aspect as my teammates and the coaching staff embraced me from my first visit. I never felt Trinidad was a new country for me as it was just an open connection from birth and I felt at home as soon as I stepped on Trini soil.
4. In my humble opinion you were clearly the man of the match against Panama. T&T had taken the early lead, but Panama rallied and ended up winning the game. In your opinion, where did you feel we went wrong?
JW: I felt that the team didn't hold anything back in terms of effort and passion. One of the problems that were evident from the beginning of the match, was the intimidation that was felt by most of our players due to lack of experience. I felt Panama had a large advantage playing on their home turf. I knew it was going to be a challenging game, but I never expected the Panama team to have so many talented players and be so composed on the field. Truthfully, I do not think we could have done anything more on the field, especially with all the problems we had leading up to the game. Our left back (Maurice Ford) was suspended from the game for yellow cards which shook the back line. Many of the starters and key players suffered from injuries from previous games as well and were not able to play to their full potential.
5. Can we expect to see Johan and possibly your older brother suit up for the T&T U-20 team in the future?
JW: Everyone in Trinidad and Tobago can definitely expect a return from both of the Welch brothers for the T&T U-20 team. My brother is an extremely talented center back and I would not be surprised if he was selected for the U-20 team.
6. Playing at the international level is a totally different experience. What exactly did you learn and would you say that your game has improved as a result of this experience?
JW: One of the most important things that I have learned from playing international football is that you can’t worry about all the things going on around you. You have to focus on your game. When it all comes down to it, you and your teammates are the only ones fighting on that field for your country. The fans aren't fighting, the commentators aren't fighting, and the media isn't fighting. That is the reason that we are called Soca Warriors. We are the Warriors in the arena for everyone to see!
7. You are currently connected to the Houston Dynamo Academy. There is a Trinidadian goalkeeper coach there as well by the name of Errol Lovell. Are you familiar with him and did he help you with your game? Errol was a T&T national goalkeeper as well. On another note, seeing that you are now a full international player, how did your Houston teammates and coaches treat you when you got back from Panama?
JW: I knew Errol before even joining the Dynamo Academy. Errol is a good friend of my father and he coached me for a short period of time before joining the Dynamo Academy. He helped me a lot with the small details in my game, which makes a huge difference in developing as a young player. When I returned home from Panama, many of my teammates and coaches congratulated me on the way I played. I guess I can say that I am treated differently, but I still never think of myself any differently than before.
8. Tell us a bit about your older brother?
JW: My brother's name is Garrett. He is 17 years old and is an extremely talented athlete. Garrett works extremely hard in everything he does and football is no exception. Garrett is the starting center back for the U-18 Dynamo Academy. He is one of the most consistent players that I have ever seen and he has all the abilities to be one of the best center backs to go through the Dynamo Academy.
9. Who would you say is responsible for helping you to be the player you are today?
JW: One of the persons who is responsible for making me into the goalkeeper I am today is James Crowder. He taught me many things that improved my game tremendously. I trained with James very few times, but when I did I learned so much. Another person responsible for impacting my abilities is Nathan Thackeray. Nathan is now the goalkeeper coach of the Houston Dynamo Academy and a huge influence in every aspect of my game. Nathan challenges me every day and I have never had a goalkeeper coach work me harder. I have a lot of respect for both Nathan and James and I would never be where I am today without them.
10. What are your future plans as far as football (soccer) goes? I know you would like to break through on the Dynamo’s first team one day and take it further, maybe Europe?
JW: I will continue with the Dynamo Academy until playing Division 1 soccer for a University in the U.S. I hope to sign with the Dynamo first team after completing my studies. My ultimate dream is to one day play for Chelsea FC.
11. Who would you say is your idol and which player/s do you admire the most? Which team is your favorite, both internationally and at Club level?
JW: My idol is Iker Casillas, because of his focus and leadership skills on and off the field. My favorite international team is Spain since 2008 Euros. My favorite club team is Chelsea.
12. Have you ever visited the Soca Warriors Online (www.socawarriors.net) and if yes, what are your thoughts?
JW: I have not visited the website as yet.
13. To all the fans out there who follow you, would you like to say something to them?
JW: I appreciate your continued support and love. Without it, we would never have played so hard. Thank you for all the support, I hope we can make you guys proud of us one day.
14. T&T played the U.S. National U-17 team in Florida in preparation for the qualifiers in Panama and I assume you played both games (4-0 L and 2-2 T). Was it hard to play against your country of birth and possibly some of your former teammates? As you may already know, the U.S team did not qualify for the finals either, were you surprised?
JW: It wasn't difficult to play against the U.S. even though I knew most of the players because these games were more focused on preparation for the qualifiers. I gained a lot of respect for the Trinidad and Tobago team after playing the U.S. the first time because of their attitude and humility. In the second game, we played extremely well and shocked the U.S. I was surprised the U.S didn't qualify, but it just goes to show you that anyone can win on any given day.
15. In your opinion, which one of your T&T teammates has the potential and talent to be a top player one day?
JW: One of the things that I noticed in this team is that even though there are so many good players on this team, they are all part of one team. I see a lot of players on this team that have the potential to be a top player. I can never predict the future or tell you that someone is going pro, but there were players that played extremely well in the qualifiers. I hope they get the support to continue playing football and developing their game and skills.
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