Aaron's neither down nor out.
Sealy looks for better at Kansas.
By Shaun Fuentes (TTFF Media)National Olympic team player Aaron Downing is keeping his head up these days and continues to vie for a place in the starting team for Belgium Third Division club Royal White Star Woluwe FC
The 20-year-old Downing has had to look on at countryman Matthew Bartholomew enjoying a good run for the club with four goals. Bartholomew is now a regular starter and has pushed the team up to the promotion zone. But head coach Charles Chapelle has not given Downing the chance for the first team, leaving the former W Connection attacker to run out only for the Reserves.
"I haven't been playing with the first team but with God giving me the strength, it's made me worked really hard and I'm seeing the progress over this period," Downing said.
"The process has been a good one and knowing that both myself and Matthew are still somewhat young. It's encouraging to us that we can be out here developing our game. We are learning more about the game everyday," said Downing who is currently playing a left midfield position for the team.
"I have actually scored and set up a few goals for them but my first aim is to get into the first team."
Downing said that Sheffield United have continued to keep an eye on them in Belgium but there have also been offers from Ireland and Hungary.
"Our contracts here ends in 2010 and we are more focused on developing our game and hopefully moving on to better things at the right time,"added Downing who had a stint with Scottish club Falkirk a few years ago before a leg injury ruled him out for some time.
MLS waive two T&T players Two of this country's United States players were waived by their American Major League Soccer clubs last week as the start of the new MLS season approaches.
Defender Andrei Pacheco who joined Columbus Crew last season was one of them being told to look elsewhere as the club no longer required his services and he would be available to the thirteen other clubs. He was among four players released.
Columbus made the moves to get under the league's 28-man roster limit (eight senior players and 10 developmental players) and salary limit for its 18-man roster. The Crew's roster currently features 17 of the 18 senior players permitted, as well as all 10 developmental players allowed.
Meantime, fellow T&T defender Osei Telesford, troubled by injury last season, was also waived by Chicago Fire. He played just two games last season and was among five players told they could look elsewhere by Chicago.
Kansas City Wizards striker Scott Sealy, Collin Samuel and Julius James, recently drafted by Toronto FC are among the T&T players remaining on MLS rosters. Sealy, coming off a solid season previously said his intentions were to move on to better things.
"The last season was up and down. I started off well being as sharp as I could remember but then the ankle injury put me off for a while. I played like eight consecutive games after that but things never really went right," said Sealy who ended the season with a quad injury, playing with it heavily strapped.
"I was able to score some goals at the end of the season but I was never one hundred percent. Hopefully this season going into my last year on contract, I can put some pressure on the coach or the General manager to come up with a contract that I am happy about or look at my options abroad. There were some clubs that showed some interest after last season so we'll see how it goes. Right now my aim is to have a good season for Kansas," Sealy added.
See Sealy's interview from February.
