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Pro League frontrunners DIRECTV W Connection and Central FC will aim to get Trinidad and Tobago back into the CONCACAF Champions League when they start their CFU qualifying matches this week.
Connection, the reigning Pro League champions, face the Guyana Defence Force, Antigua’s SAP FC and Jamaica’s Waterhouse FC on Wednesday April 15, Friday April 17 and Sunday April 19 respectively at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
Central, the current Pro League leaders, are making their debut in this competition in Guyana where they will tackle Suriname’s Inter Moengotapoe and Guyana’s Alpha United on April 17 and 19 respectively.
Last year, for the first time in 10 years, no Trinidad and Tobago clubs advanced to the CONCACAF Champions League after Defence Force and Caledonia AIA were both eliminated in the CFU’s preliminary group stage.
Caledonia AIA drew with Inter before being crushed 4-0 by Waterhouse in Haiti while Defence Force were booted from the competition after a 2-0 loss to Alpha United in Guyana.
Connection, who are led by Trinidad and Tobago international defender Mekeil Williams, aim to settle the score against a Waterhouse team that bettered Panama’s Tauro FC in the 2014/15 Champions League despite failing to advance from their group.
“At the start of the season I told the players one of (our) main goals this season is the preparation for the CFU tournament,” said Connection coach Stuart Charles-Fevrier. “We have won this competition before and take it very seriously since it’s an opportunity to market the club and for the players to test themselves against the best in the Caribbean and, by extension, CONCACAF.”
From left are teammates Darren Mitchell, Jason Marcano and Kevon Villaroel.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
Central team administrator Kevin Jeffrey said the “Couva Sharks”, who will be marshalled by a “Soca Warriors” trio of Ataulla Guerra, Willis Plaza and Jan-Michael Williams, are confident of success in their first go on the regional stage.
“Of course, any game at this level will have its challenges,” said Jeffrey, “but the team is confident of winning through to the final round.”
Central will offer live updates of their contests on the club’s Facebook page.
If Connection and Central both top their current groups, they will meet in the Caribbean Club Championship semifinal on May 22. The winner will qualify automatically and contest the regional final on May 24 while the loser must win a third-place play off to advance.
The other two Caribbean groups are:
Group 3: America FC (Haiti), Montego Bay United FC (Jamaica) and SV Excelsior (Suriname).
Group 4: Don Bosco FC (Haiti), Helenites Sporting Club (US Virgin Islands), Unite Sainte Rose (Guadeloupe) and Lyford Cave Football Club (Bahamas).
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
“Strangely, it will be harder to qualify for the final round than qualify for CONCACAF,” said Jeffrey. “In the final round you can lose a game and still qualify in the third place play off. But in the group stage, a loss will almost certainly mean you will not progress.”
Fevrier’s 18-man squad for this week’s CFU action includes: Julani Archibald, Aquelius Sylvester; Mekeil Williams (captain), Maurice Forde, Shannon Gomez, Christian Viveros, Kurt Frederick, Triston Hodge; Gerard Williams, Alvin Jones, Christian Rodriguez, Yhon Stiven Reyes, Jomal Williams, Hashim Arcia; Shahdon Winchester, Neil Benjamin Jr, Jerrel Britto and Akeem Garcia.
New Central FC coach Terry Fenwick will be accompanied to Guyana by: Jan-Michael Williams, Javon Sample; Kaydion Gabriel, Akeem Benjamin, Marcelle Francois, Elton John, Jamal Jack, Kevon Villaroel, Keion Goodridge; Leston Paul (captain), Sean de Silva, Marvin Oliver, Jason Marcano, Darren Mitchell, Nathaniel Garcia, Ataulla Guerra, Willis Plaza and Dwight Quintero.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
CFU Group Stage fixtures
(Wed Apr 15)
Alpha United v Inter Moengotapoe, 4 pm, Group 1, Providence Stadium, Georgetown;
SAP FC v Waterhouse, 5.30 pm, Group 2, Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva;
W Connection v Guyana D/Force, 8 pm, Group 2, Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva;
(Fri Apr 17)
Central FC v Inter Moengotapoe, 4 pm, Group 1, Providence Stadium, Georgetown;
Guyana D/Force v Waterhouse, 5.30 pm, Group 2, Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva;
W Connection v SAP FC, 8 pm, Group 2, Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva;
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
(Sun Apr 19)
Alpha United v Central FC, 4 pm, Group 1, Providence Stadium, Georgetown;
Guyana D/Force v SAP FC, 3.30 pm, Group 2, Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva;
W Connection v Waterhouse, 6 pm, Group 2, Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva.
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Haha, hard luck.
The generator is at least bad luck. The music isn’t.
Study the generator running continuously for 2 hours Lasana…I need earmuffs
There is a music speaker box at full blast right in the media section. Now bear in mind that 95 percent of the stadium is empty and they could have set up virtual anywhere else.
I’m not going to try and endure that for an hour til kick off and probably through halftime as well for work.
Good luck to Connection and I hope you win. But I will just run the score from this match. Wired868 will not cover it.
Crunch time for these teams now
Lol thanks
Good luck Earl Jean……till we meet again in the league #sharks
Don’t like w connection but once you are reppin for tnt u have my support. Come on sharks let’s win in guyana #football #championsleague
But Spain has winter breaks and England believes in its Boxing Day fixtures. Culture counts I think.
Earl we will have to soon,football itself is a culture and it comes with a cost so if we don’t change our attitude towards the situations we will continue saying the same thing year in year out
Lasana youll are so right….I keep stating that the league has to go back to the original schedule, we are at a disadvantage for the premier competition. …lets understand we have a culture difference and the football cannot compete with carnival, easter and Christmas season. ..we need to do what is necessary to help the game…and a change of schedule is needed
Well said Earl Jean! Great experince 4 d younger players!
Good luck to central fc to…its important that our teams keep up the dominance of caribbean football. ..its a welcome for central…to the event but truly hope the young guys on both teams enjoy the experience. …nothing beats playing at the highest level in the region. ..we both have to defend the trinidadian flag….always an honor. ..
Thanks Kirwin
I think both central & connection will qualify @ d cfu & do fine @ concacaf as well.
Good luck to you and your team Earl Jean.
The Concacaf champions league starts in August. And the pro league starts in late September. Ridiculous to me. It is something I plan to raise formally soon.
The fight continues
Suicide for our football on the whole Lasana when your main league finishes 2 months before the Confederation’s biggest competition.
ProLeague season out by May 22nd, look trouble now.
Kirwin Weston, they changed our football schedule. It means Pro League clubs in their pre-season are playing Mexico and MLS teams in midseason. That is suicide.
Consider how some MLS teams do against Premier League clubs in July. I guarantee if those teams met in October it would be a blowout.
It will be interesting to see how Central does, I think they can dominate and easily qualify…they’ve got depth and players with experience to do so
Definitely. It can help widen our pool by giving players like Jerrel Britto, Alvin Jones, Sean De Silva, Leston Paul, Darren Mitchell and so on a chance to show what they can do at this level. Valuable experience. Both teams must qualify.
Need to get up there and perform as well. I thought we were on the ascendancy when Joe Public, Jabloteh, and Connection pulled off victories against good clubs, but don’t know what happened.
Crucial that we qualify for Concacaf Champions League for me.
Congrats