Her build and her pronounced thighs make Leslie Ann James stand out. So much so that her Trinidad and Tobago national team-mate, goal-keeper Lisa Jo Ramkissoon, calls her the female Roberto Carlos.
James, 22, is hoping in some measure to emulate the play of the hard-kicking Brazilian. Two weeks ago, members of the Oakville Vipers from Canada might have thought they were facing the Brazilian himself when James ran in five consecutive goals in the Trinidad and Tobago women team’s 6-0 whipping of the Canadians at Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar.
Able to kick with both feet, James used power and speed to overcome the stunned visitors. Like the powerful Roberto Carlos, James also proved her prowess at the free-kick. Spotting the ball near the corner flag, she beat Canadian goal-keeper Anna Violu all ends up.
She would also emulate the Real Madrid defender by scoring twice with her left foot, the first coming when she dribbled two defenders and hit home with her left and the other coming when she met a pass with a first time drive.
James would also score from the penalty spot as she rounded off an excellent day’s work. She considers her five-goal performance her best showing in a national team jersey.
Hailing from Chaguanas, James began playing football as a 13-year-old with Central United. There she linked with sister Stacey James, cousin Marva James and Keisha Brown in an up-and-coming Central United squad who were attracting the attention of top clubs Petrotrin, Rossi Potentials and Vandykes.
It was her love of running which first attracted her to football.
“Football had a lot of running in it,” she said. “That is why I started playing football.” When the Central club started to fall apart two years ago, James made the move to Eastern Lions Joe Public, where she notched 18 goals and was named Most Valuable Player last season. James has also done well at senior level. A national player for the last four years, she made her debut as an 18-year-old at the Pan American Under-21 Championships.
She has also had stints with the Trinidad and Tobago senior national team at consecutive CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cups in 2000 and 2002. The last Gold Cup was a bitter-sweet memory for James.
Like the rest of Trinidad and Tobago, James felt that T&T had scored a victory of sorts when holding world champions, the United States, to a 3-0 scoreline.
“The game with the United States showed that we had narrowed the gap. The United States beat us 3-0... when we played them in 2000, they beat us by 11 goals.”
But after the opening high, James’ tournament crashed in the worst possible way when she was sent off in Trinidad and Tobago’s 4-2 loss to Panama.
The infringement, she explained, was an accident. “It happened because she was so small. When I raised my hand, my elbow accidentally struck her in the face and I was sent off. I cried,” she confessed. “It hurt me bad.”
The Gold Cup expulsion was not the only disappointment that James has had to deal with in recent times.
She was on top of the world when earning a scholarship to Iowa Central Community College, USA. However, the scholarship was just a partial one and after playing one semester of football, James had to return to Trinidad because of financial difficulties.
But in the time she was in the United States, she made enough of an impression to convince Mississippi State University to promise her a full scholarship, once she finished her two years of study at the community college.
While in Iowa, James scored 25 goals that season, was selected to the First Regional team and was nominated for the All-American squad.
She was particularly pleased by the response of the Americans to women’s football and the interest shown by scouts.
Despite the setback, she is not brokenhearted by not having the financial means to continue her studies.
“I am still grateful for the experience. I hope to get another scholarship so that I can go back to school to learn electrical engineering and physical education.”
In the meantime, James has enlisted in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) programme, while continuing to train with the senior national team.
James is also an avid football fan and is often seen at Trinidad and Tobago Pro League matches, where she tries to pick up a few tips from the top players.
She admires the work rate of W.Connection midfielder Reynold Carrington and, on the international scene, is overawed by the silky skills of French midfielder Zinadine Zidane. Like Zidane, she has also achieved a little celebrity of her own after her five-goal feat against the Canadian Vipers.
“Everyone had been congratulating me... telling me ‘good work, keep it up’. It’s nice to get this kind of support from friends, neighbours and even people you don’t know.”
James says it has spurred her on towards a greater goal.
“I want to be the best player in the national team, but I have to work harder to achieve that. One thing I want everyone to know is that scoring the five goals will not be going to my head... I’m not so.”