Anthony Vassallo's dream

Morris Dalla Costa writes about the promise and ambition of young Maltese footballer, Anthony Vassallo. From Canada's London free Press:

..His grandparents live on Gozo, a small island just off Malta. He lived with them for a year but having to take a boat on a daily basis to train was difficult. He moved to Birkirkara, the biggest city in Malta. He lived with another young player but he has since moved to play elsewhere. Now Vassallo lives with a group of Canadian students..

There is a tendency to discount the value of playing in a small country like Malta. Located in the Mediterranean Sea, it is the smallest European Union nation in population and area...Malta has played the Canadian national team twice and won both meetings. "They are a lot more serious about football here than in Canada," said Vassallo. "People talk soccer all the time. They follow the English and Italian leagues. It's a good atmosphere...Leaving friends and family behind to live in a small country is a small price to pay to eventually make his dream of playing professional soccer a reality.

And whatever success Vassallo has will offer hope to others looking to do the same thing. "Of course, I want to play somewhere else," he said. "Many players in Malta are a little old fashioned. They want to stay here and play here and not take any risks. I want to move on, take some risks. I want to play in a higher professional league."...