By Ivan Orozco
ARLINGTON, Texas - Marius Fausta picked the ball from the back of his net for the third time Sunday.
The 36-year-old goalkeeper watched his defense fall apart in a 5-1 quarterfinal loss to Costa Rica, eliminating Guadeloupe from the Gold Cup.
There would have been two more trips for Fausta, except that a teammate scooped up the ball from the net on the fourth and the ball ricocheted out on the Ticos last goal.
It was the type of night goalkeepers like to forget even if they are not to blame for the goals against. Being on the wrong side of five conceded goals doesn't look good on a resume.
Not when the Gold Cup is Guadeloupe's most important international tournament. Not when potential employers are watching.
It's not a secret that most participating players from Caribbean countries use the Gold Cup as an extensive tryout for clubs outside their countries.
Guadeloupe is one of them.
About half of Guadeloupe's players on the Gold Cup roster play with clubs from their island. Others have earned contracts with European teams. Because the island is a French territory, opportunities to play in French leagues exist.
Half a dozen on the roster play elsewhere in Europe.
Loic Loval plays in Holland with Utrecht, while Mickael Antoine-Curier is a forward for Scottish-side Dundee.
Alexander Alphonse, who scored the Gwada Boys' goal against Costa Rica, and backup goalkeeper Yohan Bus play in the Swiss Super League. David Fleurival is under contract with Belgian club Mons of the Juniper League. Miguel Comminges plays in the English Championship League for Cardiff City.
The players on that list will return to their clubs along with eight others who play in France.
It remains to be seen if and where the nine that play in Guadeloupe will be offered a foreign contract.
It's not always easy to find a club overseas.
Without being part of Guadeloupe's national team program, a player's exposure to the wider soccer world would be limited.
The French national team has priority over Guadeloupe players. Then it's Guadeloupe. But most France-based clubs don't like to let their Guadeloupe players leave for national team duty.
"If they don't want us to go and play with Guadeloupe, they can stop us from going," said Guadeloupe captain Stephen Auvray. "It's a big problem for us but it's first a political problem so we have to try and evolve on the political side."
Auvray, who plays for Vannes in the French second division, said is also a matter of luck.
The 27-year-old spent his teenage years in a soccer academy before signing with a French club.
"It's like any job," Auvray said. "You always need some luck. You always need someone to help you reach where you could play."
Auvray said he has been eyeing USA's Major League soccer for the last four years, but he hasn't received calls from any teams. Still, he hopes to get a shot.
"I'm not going to give up on it," Auvray said. "Maybe God willing maybe something happens that makes it happen."
And he wishes the same for his teammates and all the players back on the island.
"We have a lot of good players in Guadeloupe," Auvray said. "They just have to have the opportunity to play professional. That's why a good performance in this tournament (was) important."
