MLS star Kalif Alhassan eyeing Black Stars

After watching the national team play under his noses in the USA against Chile on Wednesday, Kalif Alhassan who plays for Portland Timbers in Major League Soccer (MLS), is motivated more than ever to also earn a call-up to play for the Black Stars in future.

Alhassan was more inspired after seeing MLS colleagues Patrick Nyarko and Dominic Oduro make their respective debuts for the Black Stars. Back in January even as his club’s preseason training got underway, the 21 year old also kept a close eye on the Black Stars campaign at the recently-completed 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.

“I thought we did quite good. It’s one of those things when everybody counts on you, sometimes you get overrated. I would say it is ok we lost because we made some mistakes, but next time we’re going to do good,” Alhassan had told his club’s official website on the Black Stars’ 4th place finish.

A regular for Timbers in his debut season last year, the Ghanaian winger started very strongly becoming only the third player in MLS history to record an assist in each of his first three career home games. Alhassan also played a total of 32 matches (starting 27) and finished the campaign with six assists while coming inches away from notching his first career goal on more than one occasion.

It’s those few inches, and perhaps the realization of added depth in the midfield, that is pushing Alhassan to work harder this preseason.

And after scoring with a curling shot inside the far post in the Timbers' 1-1 preseason friendly draw with San Jose earlier this week, Alhassan is fired up for Timbers’ 2012 MLS nationally-televised opening night meeting on March 12 against Philadelphia Union who finished third in the Eastern Conference in 2011.

“Everybody is trying to get a spot now. So, everybody is trying to work on their stuff. I think I need to do more. Coach already knows what I can do, so I’m trying to do more so I can get a (starting) spot,” the 21 year old Ghanaian is praying.