WHEN the Charlotte Eagles arrive in Bermuda next week for Wednesday’s showdown with the Bermuda Hogges, one person will be more than just an interested spectator.Former national team goalkeeper, Dwayne (Streaker) Adams, will be closely watching to see how the second-place Eagles do against the Hogges in the United Soccer League’s Division Two game.

Adams was between the posts for the Eagles for three seasons from 2001 to 2004 and he said yesterday: “I was looking at their roster and I still know about 50 percent of the players — I have either played with them or they were coming for trials. It will be good to see them play — I will be there — front row and centre!”

Adams said of his time with the Eagles who were then in the USL ‘A’ League: “It was the best time of my soccer career. We won the national championship.”

And he is also looking forward to meeting up with Eagles coach Mark Steffens. “I hope to get together with him and some of the guys while they are here. He is a great guy to play for — he is very personable, easy to talk to and very honest. He demands the best out of you.

Steffens himself is hoping to meet up with his former keeper. The coach said this week: “He (Adams) was a very good player for us — and he is also a very nice fellow. I hope we can get together when we come down there. We loved having him here — he is a great keeper.”

Adams, who resigned as coach of North Village in April after serving two seasons in the hot seat, is now back playing again.

But this time the 34-year-old is keeping goal for Arsenal of the Island Soccer League.

“I am having a great time,” he said of the smaller version of the game.

And he is heartened by both the Bermuda Hogges and ISL starting up this year.

“Both of them can only help develop the game in Bermuda. Players will start to take a more professional approach to the game and they will also be in better shape. Players will get sharper as time goes on especially in that professional environment.

“With the amateur approach some players have that ‘do not care’ attitude. Now their attitude has to be a lot better. One thing about the professional leagues is that you are accountable for your actions — that is one of the biggest differences. Our players have to adjust to that now.”

Playing for Arsenal has also rekindled his love for the game.

“It is a smaller but quicker game and that is working in my favour. It is a lot of fun. The other night there were 24 shots. Usually (in 11-a-side) you may have five or six shots to deal with. Now you get 24 in one night — it keeps you very busy.”

Adams etched his name in the record books in his debut season at Bernard Park after coaching the Reds to the coveted triple crown two seasons ago.

But at the end of this season Adams said his decision to quit was based primarily upon his inability to motivate the players around him. While Eagles coach Steffens knows Adams well, he doesn’t have that much knowledge about the Hogges.“But we are really excited about coming to Bermuda — and also for the Hogges to be in the league. We fly in on Tuesday and play on Wednesday night — I just wish we could take a few extra days there instead of just flying in and then out again,” said.

While the Hogges have only one point from three games, the Eagles have played seven — won five and lost two and sit second from top behind the Richmond Kickers.

And tonight they host the Cincinnati Kings at Waddell Stadium.

Last weekend they played two away matches against New Hampshire Phantoms winning both.

Bermuda have only one point from three matches and have played not even half the games that the other teams in the 10-team league has played.

Steffens said that while the Eagles have three foreign players, they will not be making the trip to Bermuda “because of visa problems”.

He said: “We are not at full strength.”

One of the players is from Colombia while the other two are from Zimbabwe.

And while he is happy to see foreign players in the league, he said that one of the reasons for the league is to develop American players.

“Part of this league is developmental. So our country, the US, is trying to develop some American players so that our national side gets stronger and stronger. That is why there is a rule that an American team in the league can only have seven (foreign) players and only five on the field at one time. And I think (the policy) is working. The American boys are getting an opportunity to play. After all most of our players don’t make teams in Europe.”

The Charlotte Eagles are also different than any other team in the league in that they are part of a missionary organisation.

“Many people do not know that. We are owned and operated by an organisation called Missionary Athletes International and we have offices in Los Angeles and Chicago, which has an amateur team — it is a feeder team for the Charlotte Eagles.

“We also have offices in the Ukraine and the Czech Republic. It is very unusual. We started off doing a lot of soccer camps — Christian camps.

“We taught the kids about the Bible during break-time and it went over so well and the parents wanted positive role models like our coaches — especially with all the negative role models going on in this country.

“It really took off and we said let’s see if we can put a team together. We did and played in an amateur league and won that. Then we decided to try it at the professional level and we did that and it has been relatively successful.”

The Eagles have also played in the USL First Division for three years before dropping back down to the second tier.

“The main thing is that we feel we invest in the youth — we bring in players that have a lot of character and try to be real sportsmen and good role models — we fell it really impacts the youth who we work with.” Steffens has coached the Eagles for 11 seasons.

Co-owner of the Hogges, Paul Scope, said in the lead-up to the match:<\p>“Training is going fine, but the players are looking forward to playing again after a long break. We have had two inter-squad practice matches but also with the addition of some Somerset players and we also hope to play the Island Game squad over the weekend.”

Scope admitted that the loss of Domico Coddington will hurt. He broke his foot and is now in plaster. “He may miss most of the season which is a real shame for him as a fully fit Domico would have been a player to watch in the USL Division two.”

Scope did say that Kwame Steede has been looking good in training and “could well feature against Charlotte”.

Scope has had a look at the Charlotte Eagles and was impressed. “I did see Charlotte play in their sesason opener when they defeated CP Blatimore 4-0. They are a very good side, certainly the best team yet to visit us. They have been going for 14 seasons and made the playoffs 12 times. Last year they finished second in the regular season and then made it to the play off final, falling 1-2 to the Richmond Kickers. The current league table has a familiar look about it with Richmond first and Charlotte second but that could all change this weekend as Richmond have a tough away game against Western Mass and Charlotte are at home to Cincinnati where they have a 100 percent record.”