country problem affecting Bermudian soccer -- and he's delighted to be losing nine players to the national squad this week.

Rebello, whose team started off their 1999 league programme with a 2-1 triumph over Dandy Town to keep them top of the Coca Cola First Division, said the call from their country would do his players nothing but good.

Without naming the culprits, national coaching supremo Clyde Best has criticised the "selfish'' club coaches who have made his job harder by refusing to release their players for national squad training sessions.

But Rebello said his players' involvement in Bermuda's two matches against Antigua, last night and tomorrow, would be beneficial to Vasco.

"To have nine guys in the national squad, that is a lot, but to me it's a blessing,'' said Rebello.

"It helps to keep them motivated and the chance to play for their country is something for them to aim for. And they'll get to see a different style of coaching with Clyde Best.'' Last season Vasco dominated Bermuda football, winning the triple crown -- the First Division title, the FA Cup and the Friendship Trophy -- as well as the Dudley Eve Trophy.

Rebello said his biggest problem this season had been to motivate his players and keep them hungry enough to keep on winning.

"The nucleus of the team has stayed together and we still have quality players, but now they have basically won it all in local soccer it's hard for them to keep focused.'' Rebello said there had been "a lot of soul-searching'' over the Christmas holiday period after Vasco had failed to retain the Dudley Eve.

"They've come out of it prepared to defend what they won last year,'' he added.

The joyous celebrations between players and the Vasco bench which greeted Sunday's win over Dandy Town at St John's Field indicated the importance of the victory.

Rebello said: "That is a step in the right direction towards retaining the title, because Dandy Town are real contenders and now there's a four-point gap between us and them.'' And he was pleased with the way his players had responded to conceding a controversial penalty for handball by Wayne Augustus and having Tafari Outerbridge sent off with 20 minutes remaining.

"The linesman flagged for handball by a Dandy Town player before the penalty incident and if the referee didn't give the first one he should not have given the second. All we ask is for referees to stay with the play and to be consistent.

"After the sending-off we had to play a more defensive game, but I thought the players showed a lot of character to come through.''