Kenny Thompson, a member of Bermuda's 1992 World Cup qualifying campaign, has his sights set on being a member of the new professional soccer league in the United States when it is launched in 1996.

Thompson was successful at a recent tryout in the Washington D.C. area, one of five players out of an initial 150 who survived the two days of tryouts.

"I felt I did well on the first day and even better on the second,'' said the Howard University junior who is majoring in physical education.

The five successful players from the area were originally due to travel to Florida in January to train with players the organisers of the new league have already identified as the players they want in the league, made up of members of the World Cup, US Olympic teams and top college players. It is not known if those plans will materialise now that the league, which was to start in the spring of '95, has again been delayed.

"Details are sketchy now that the league has been put back to '96,'' said Thompson, though indications are he will be considered once the league does start.

He got the good news about three weeks after the tryout which started with five or six-a-side games and advanced to full games when players' skills in game situations were evaluated.

The other good news is that the start of the league will coincide with with his graduation from Howard University in May, 1996. Thompson, who turns 30 in a couple of weeks, has no fear about the age factor.

And though he went into the tryouts with two strikes against him -- inactivity over the last couple of years and a slight foot injury he suffered the Saturday before the tryout when he played in a match -- Thompson still showed enough to impress the organisers.

"I haven't been playing at all, my last competitive game was at the end of 1992 when I played for Somerset,'' said Thompson.

"It was just a matter of getting in shape. I had always been able to get in shape fairly quickly, I never had a problem with that.'' Thompson said he only decided to go for the tryout about two weeks prior to its date. When the tryout began so, too, did the elimination process.

"They were cutting people after the first half hour,'' he recalled. After the first day about 25 players from the original list remained.

"The whole setup was run very well. For me it was a good experience. I had never been in that situation before.'' Because his eligibility ran out when he returned to college two years ago, Thompson has not been able to play for the University since he has been back.

He has played for a team in the area, in a league he admits that was not that competitive. That did not last long because of his commitment to coaching kids in the area.

"At that time for me I would have rather done the coaching with the kids rather than go out and play in this Saturday league,'' said Thompson.

It is not known if he will turn out for Somerset when he returns home for the Christmas break next month. "I'm not really sure, I've spoken to Josef (Gooden) and Dennis (Brown) about the possibility,'' Thompson said. "But I like the rest, really. I hear Somerset are doing quite well.

"I would just like to stay in shape for whenever this pro situation comes up.''