Last night we told you about Woodrow West - whose Honduran team El Progreso won the top league championship in that country on Saturday. The team was established in 1965 and it's the first time they've won it - and Woodrow was their only international player - so, it's not far fetched to say that as the main man in the goal - West was a big part of the success. He came home today - fresh off a victory party last night in Progreso, Honduras. He told us he's happy to be home for Christmas:
Woodrow West
"Thank God that I am back home for the Christmas and I am safe, healthy and strong. It has been a hard challenge for me. The good part about it is that I was crown champion and that's a lot of pressure off me. The fans in Progresso expected that and they are so happy and that made me contended that I know I did a good over there and my team, my coach, everybody is contented and my fans here in Belize as well. That makes me feel good with all the sacrifices that I've made and with all the years that I have been playing here, I have achieved something internationality now."
Reporter
"From the ideas that you had, at that moment that you were leaving. How did they compare to what you saw on the real grounds?"
Woodrow West
"Like I said it's a challenge, because the training especially is different. For couple of months I took a lot of licks physically. I actually almost gave up and come back home, but I stood it out and as the days went by I eventually got stronger and stronger and I enjoyed the training and stuff and I got to know my teammates more, I get to talk to them more and after that I got settled with the team and from there I took off."
Reporter
"The local media back in Honduras describes you as a hero. What does this means to you?"
Woodrow West
"I just did my job. My job is to protect the goal and I did my best. I did all that I could have done and that help the team won the game and I have to give thanks to my teammates, my defensive line."
But that defensive line wasn't around at the end of overtime on Saturday when it came down to Penalty kicks in a thrilling championship final. Only West was in goal at that time - when the Motagua team - in a very uncharacteristic turn - kept missing their penalties. West didn't stop any of them but he told us that he did get into their heads enough to make their shots wide:..
Reporter
"Motagua has always been considered a team that whenever they go to penalties they always win. I mean you all made history of course on Saturday. Did that created a pressure for you when the final whistle of the 120 minutes blew and you were in penalties? Did that statistical point came to your mind that you were facing a team that are good in penalties?"
Woodrow West
"Exactly. The whole week before the Saturday game we were practicing penalties in that same goal that we did the penalties and when the last whistle blow from the extra time, my goal keeper trainer came to me, he had a list of players and he was explaining all these stuff and I had to take all the details at that same moment and it's kind of difficult because a penalty is like a 50/50 chance. What I think the guy that kick the penalty from Tegucigalpa respected me that much, that they know what I am capable of doing and they try to go to the mean corner and that's what cost them to miss. I read the first penalty and think if he had put it where he wanted to put it, maybe I could have touched it or get it out. But I read the penalty and that made me feel great and when he miss, I knew exactly, I know the championship was for us now."
And so now that he's a part of the first Championship for El Progreso - and he's achieved here status in the team's hometown - will he be back with them next season. He told our Freddy Cantiliano that for sure he will:..
Woodrow West
"I made my decision to stay with the club because if I go to another team right now its like I am starting all over again and I am already in the champion league spot which is another challenge for me internationally and after that yes I will make decision to move to another club or bigger club to make bigger money. But right now I am going to stay with the club. Last night I was with my boss and he told me hey West they are calling for you, but he says that he won't let me go either because he have bigger dreams coming up."
West says he will only be in town for 5 days and then has to return to Progreso on Sunday.