Puerto Rico's skipper says his side can win both

Puerto Rico skipper Marco Velez believes the pride of playing for their country after years in the international wilderness can inspire his side to two victories over Bermuda this week.

Velez, 27, has only played once for Puerto Rico. The bulk of his team-mates have never represented their country at all.

But the national team, which hasn't played for two-and-a-half-years, is undergoing a renaissance as they build towards a World Cup qualifier against Dominican Republic next month.

And Velez is convinced they can get the new era off to a good start with consecutive victories over Bermuda tonight and on Friday.

"I'm pretty confident with the players we have that we can beat them (Bermuda) both games.

"That's why we came here, we didn't travel all this way thinking we would lose.

"I don't know too much about them. They probably have a good team as well. We just have to go out and do what we have been practicing and we should be okay."

Velez, one of the few homegrown stars of his country's professional team the Puerto Rico Islanders, said he always felt like he was representing his country when he pulled on the Islanders shirt in the American A-League.

But he said it felt good to be part of a truly homegrown national team playing international football again.

"I've always wanted to play for my country but for certain reasons we haven't had an opportunity.

"It's a little frustrating but we can't do anything about it. Hopefully we can have good years ahead of us.

"It's good to be part of a good system and a good team. We are pretty excited to be back.

"We've got a few professional guys and a lot of young guys that are not that experienced. "But the guys that have the experience can teach the young guys what they need to know."

He said football was taking off back home in Puerto Rico and big things were expected of the national side.

"It's our first game in a while and we have to work hard and show our country we are getting better. We can do good things in the next couple of years.

"The Islanders (pro side - Puerto Rico Islanders) have been around for four years now and we are getting more fans than any other sport. It has helped us a lot to have that team, there.

"People are paying more attention to it and they are probably expecting us to do well."

Colin Clarke, who coaches both the Islanders and the Puerto Rico national team, said the squad had been galvanized by a sense that a genuine national programme was starting to come together for the first time in years.

"I was talking to some of the older ones and they were disappointed that the time had passed them by.

"International football hasn't been around for their best years and now things are starting to pick up as they are getting older.

"But now we have a chance to build a team and make sure it is here for years to come. "We've got some good young players and we want to get the ball down and play. This is what the country needs, something for everybody to reach for and aspire to.

"Playing for your country is special."