Top flight football is set to make a thrilling return to Mahaica Oval this Saturday as Pro League rookie outfit, Point Fortin Civic, hosts giants DIRECTV W Connection at the Point Fortin venue from 3.30 pm in the quarterfinal round of the First Citizens Cup.
Connection and Point Fortin are in first and second place in the Pro League standings respectively and separated by just goal difference after two rounds of league matches. But the two local football clubs have much more in common than that.
Ten of the 14 players used by Point Fortin in its weekend 1-0 win over North East Stars, including goal scorer Bevon Bass and captain Kelvin Modeste, have represented Connection at either youth or senior level or both.
It was arguably a case of quid pro quo. Connection’s first captain, when the club turned professional in 1999, was present Civic coach Reynold Carrington.
Carrington was part of a $75,000 transfer wrangle, 14 years ago, that also included defender David Atiba Charles and utility player Wesley Webb, who all left Point Fortin for Pro League football with Connection.
Carrington is also a former assistant coach for the “Savonetta Boys.”
In the other quarterfinal matches, defending First Citizens Cup champion team, Caledonia AIA, will play Defence Force on Monday September 30 in the second match of a Marvin Lee Stadium double header in Macoya from 8 pm. In the earlier fixture at 6 pm, San Juan Jabloteh will tackle the winner of a playoff between Police and St Ann’s Rangers.
Police and Rangers, the Pro League’s two bottom clubs at present, meet from 6 pm on Friday September 27 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
The final First Citizens Cup quarterfinal fixture pits Terry Fenwick against his former assistant coach Angus Eve as Fenwick’s Central FC and Eve’s North East Stars square off from 8 pm at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on Friday.
At stake in this knockout competition is a $100,000 first prize and a $20,000 consolation for the runner-up.
Mahaica Oval is expected to be in the eye of the storm.
First Citizens Cup Quarterfinals
(Fri Sep 27)
Police FC v St Ann’s Rangers, 6 pm, Hasely Crawford Stadium,
Central FC v North East Stars, 8 pm, Hasely Crawford Stadium,
(Sat Sep 28)
Point Fortin Civic v DIRECTV W Connection, 3.30 pm, Mahaica Oval,
(Mon Sep 30)
Police/Rangers v San Juan Jabloteh, 6 pm, Marvin Lee Stadium,
Defence Force v Caledonia AIA, 8 pm, Marvin Lee Stadium.
Lasana Liburd is the managing director and chief editor at Wired868.com and a journalist with over 20 years experience at several Trinidad and Tobago and international publications including Play the Game, World Soccer, UK Guardian and the Trinidad Express.