By Ivan Orozco

ARLINGTON, Texas -They tried it once. They tried again. And they tried some more until they hit their target -- a large target.

It's like a bulls eye that measures about 180 feet (55 meters) long and 50 feet (15 meters) high and is suspended from a ceiling nearly as high as a skyscraper.

Haiti's players had trouble kicking a soccer ball high enough to hit the giant scoreboard - the world's largest high-definition TV screen -- that covers a large portion of the playing field at the Dallas Cowboys' new stadium.

They tried it during a recent training session. They weren't being rebellious, trying to cause trouble. The Haitians were dared by the man responsible for the creation of the stadium.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones wanted to see if the Haitians could hit the screen.

A couple of players hit the bottom part of the screen, causing stadium visitors to erupt in cheers.

It was a moment the Haitian players might not forget. It's rare that a team from a small Caribbean island gets the chance to train inside a stadium that cost an estimated $1.15 billion to build and holds 80,000 people with room to spare.

Haiti doesn't always get the chance to showcase its talent at a venue that is among the largest stadiums in the world.

But come Sunday, Haiti will have what is its biggest soccer challenge yet. It will have its chance to shine against Mexico in the night cap of a Gold Cup quarterfinal doubleheader.

It will be a match between one of the poorest soccer nation against one of the wealthiest in the region.

"We're dying with enthusiasm to play in this game in this scenario," Haiti coach Jairo Rios said in Spanish. "We're grateful and pleased we have this opportunity."

The large stadiums, the charter flights, fancy hotels and daily allowances are also a rare opportunity for Haiti players.

This is a team that wasn't supposed to be in the tournament. It was invited to replace Cuba, which qualified but withdrew.

"Getting to come here was a blessing from God," Rios said. "We're going to try and get the best out of it."

Haiti players will try to beat Mexico, but also take the opportunity to demonstrate their talents for possible contracts with high-paying clubs.

Rios is hoping this match and the tournament alone can help some of his players and others back on the island begin a journey out of extreme poverty.

Haitian soccer players don't have the luxuries that others in the region have.

Some Haitians not only don't have cash for equipment, they don't have the means for every day essentials.

"Nutrition is terrible with a lot of these players," Rios said. "Some don't eat because they can't afford to buy food. There's no way you can be an athlete if you don't have the proper nutrition."

That's one of many obstacles Rios faces as the coach of a national team that doesn't receive much support from its government. Team resources are scarce. Soccer life in Haiti is hanging by a thread.

Most of Haiti players on the Gold Cup roster play for clubs outside the island and in Europe. Rios said they are well compensated compared to prospects back home.

Others are beginning to make careers in the United States as part of the United Soccer Leagues First Division and Major League Soccer.

Players such as midfielder Jean Alexandre, who is on loan to USL side Austin Aztecs by Real Salt Lake and forward Leonel Saint-Preux (Minnesota Thunder).

Fabrice Noel is another.

The 23-year-old is regarded as one of Haiti's top prospects. He has 10 caps with Haiti. He scored his first goal with the national team against Grenada last week.

Noel plays for the Puerto Rico Islanders. He's made Puerto Rico his home since signing with the club last year and is living comfortably. He had his stint in MLS after being drafted by the Colorado Rapids in 2005 before being waived in 2007.

"I have one year left in Puerto Rico so I'm trying to do my best to move to another level," Noel said. "We want people to know that we can play. We just don't have a lot of help. We don't have agents. We try to sell ourselves in different places. We really have a lot of talent on the team. We just play for a poor country."

Rios is trying to send that message to the rest of the soccer world. That is why he took on this job.

He took over as coach last summer after Haiti was devastated by a hurricane that wiped out most of the island.

Soccer was put on hold. The country received help from FIFA to get its soccer clubs and national team going again. They provided temporary coaches.

Rios was later offered the job.

"I was told the pay wasn't going to be good," Rios said. "I thought money wasn't the issue here, so I went for it. I wanted to help bring change."

Rios said he has not received a paycheck for his services in "quite some time." He said most players make about $400 a month. He said players are taking home $2,000 for participating in the Gold Cup.

"That's an incredible amount of money for them," Rios said. "You won't see them spending much at the shopping malls. They'll make sure to take most of it home."

So why did Rios take the job despite all challenges?

"I love soccer," said Rios, who was coaching a club in Honduras before taking over Haiti. "Soccer has given me so much that I thought I could give back. I fell in love with the island and the people, the players."

Rios, born in Colombia, said he was overwhelmed by the poverty that embraces the island.

He's seen players live in shacks without potable water, no electricity and just enough food not to starve.

"It's something unreal," Rios said. "When I arrived I couldn't bear to see it. But I knew I had to do something and try to change it."

Rios might not change Haiti's national team's economic woes, but he said he's seen improvement on the field.

He said players in Haiti don't know how to manage the technical side of the game. They don't generally pass the ball and play a scheme. They try as individuals, always wanting to keep the ball.

Assistant coach Jairo Ossa said it used to take players 50 repetitions to learn a drill.

"Now it takes only 10," Ossa said. "They're adjusting to what we're teaching."

Players also are adjusting to coaching signals provided by Rios and Ossa, who also is from Colombia.

Most players speak French, English and Creole. Both coaches are fluent in Spanish.

Language is not much of a problem as earning the players trust. Some have opened up to their coaches. Others like to keep to themselves.

"Sometimes they act like 10 or 12-year-olds," Ossa said. "It's something that we're getting used to and we hope to continue to embrace."

But when Haiti players get a chance to kick soccer balls at what could be the world's largest television, they are not shy.