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Trinidad and Tobago Pro League club W Connection FC will be fighting for their Caribbean Club Championship survival on Friday evening when they tackle Jamaica’s Arnett Gardens FC from 8pm at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva.
Connection lost 0-1 to Haiti’s Real Hope Football Academy in Group A action yesterday while Arnett Gardens played to a goalless draw with Dominican Republic outfit, Club Atletico Pantoja.
(Courtesy Nicholas Bhajan/CA-Images/Wired868)
Only the top two clubs from that quartet will advance to the semifinal round and onwards to the CONCACAF Champions League or its second tier, League for Central American and Caribbean clubs.
Fellow Pro League outfit Central FC are in Group B where they will face Haiti’s Racing FC, the Dominican Republic’s Atlantico FC and Jamaica’s Portmore United FC from Friday 9 February in the Dominican Republic.
Real Hope, founded in 2014, celebrated their Caribbean Cup debut on Wednesday with a famous scalp as they edged the four-time regional champions, Connection, on the latter’s home turf. Former Haiti National Under-20 player Jeudy Thompson got their lone goal after just two minutes.
However, veteran Connection coach Stuart Charles-Fevrier is confident his team will bounce back to qualify.
“It was a really disappointing evening for us from the point of view that we had so many chances and didn’t end with a win […] or even a draw,” Fevrier told the TT Pro League. “We definitely should not have lost the game. Clearly we were the better team but our finishing let us down.
“We have two games left and I am confident we are capable of achieving the [necessary] results.”
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
Connection are led by Trinidad and Tobago international defender Alvin Jones and include 2014 Caribbean Under-20 Championship winners Akeem Garcia, Kevon Goddard, Jesus Perez and Kadeem Corbin. Garcia and Goddard both won the 2017 Pro League title with North East Stars.
Central, who had a mid-table finish last season, are sponsored by Lollabee Group of Companies and HydroTech Limited for the upcoming Caribbean competition and they also recruited heavily with Carlyle Mitchell, another Trinidad and Tobago international defender, expected to wear their colours along with Darren “Chucky” Mitchell and Keron Cummings.
(Teams)
W Connection: 18.Julani Archibald (GK); 16.Alvin Jones (captain), 5.Triston Hodge, 15.Jesus Perez, 2.Kurt Frederick, 3.Gerard Williams, 6.Kevon Goddard, 7.Akeem Garcia (17.Jevaughn Humphrey 64), 9.Kadeem Corbin (19.Briel Thomas 66), 23.Kennedy Hinkson (8.Jameel Antoine 79), 99.Marcus Joseph.
Unused substitutes: 33.Jason Belfon (GK), 14.Quinn Rodney, 21.Ronell Paul, 26.Isaiah Garcia, 30.Shaquille John.
Coach: Stuart Charles Fevrier
Real Hope FA: 1.Odelus Louis Valendi (GK); 3.Bissainthe Bicou (20.Cineus Renel 80th minute), 4.Edmund Patrick, 5.Jean Eyma (Capt.), 6.Dunel Blaise, 7.Nerlin St. Vil (11.Schneider Desamours 80th minute), 9.Ronaldo Damus, 10.Jeudy Johnson (12.Exavier Naldory Joseph Rams 91st minute), 14.Wendy St. Felix, 15.Denilson Pierre, 22.Jean Jackinto.
Unused substitutes: 25.Max Djivenel Fleuricien (GK), 2.Paul Fernandes, 13.Phlippe Junior Toussaint, 16.Vertus Wolf.
Coach: Sonche Pierre
Referee: Oscar Macias (MEX)
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
2018 Caribbean Club Championships
Group A
[Games played at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva](Wednesday 31 January)
Arnett Gardens FC 0, Club Atletico Pantoja 0;
W Connection 0, Real Hope Football Academy 1 (Jeudy Thompson 2).
(Copyright Allan V Crane/CA-images/Wired868)
Upcoming Fixtures
(Friday 2 February)
Real Hope FA (HAI) v Club Atletico Pantoja (DOM), 5pm;
W Connection FC (T&T) v Arnett Gardens FC (JAM), 8pm.
(Sunday 4 February)
Arnett Gardens FC (JAM) v Real Hope FA (HAI), 5pm;
W Connection FC (T&T) v Club Atletico Pantoja (DOM), 8pm.
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Like is Haiti time now ….. What they doing different ?? Lasana Liburd
They are taking time to develop players. And it seems that we stopped over the last decade or more.
The clubs should surely take their share of blame for that too.
..And the players too. They settle for average standards disguised as “elite” level too readily. Really mediocre players want to call for thousands of dollars when they cannot be relied on to perform consistently from play to play..
Esmond Is not what they doing is what we are not doing Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world without any infrastructure we have 7 stadiums almost every school or community has a grounds but no programs no leagues no nothing month after month year after year on top of that you have a bunch of dinosaurs and dumbasses running football who are either brain dead or incompetent
Well said Guys….
I’m glad Kadeem Corbin is back at this level though. Hope he is committed to his football again.
Sounding familiar.This team from T&T???
..The Dominicana team is very dangerous even if they did not score in their opening match..
I’m surprised that Cibao didn’t qualify after they whipped our clubs last year. Sounds like there is a football revolution happening in the Dominican Republic that we need to be mindful of.
..Another “baseball and boxing” country to overtake us. That has been in the cards for some time now..
All I know is that they have a vastly experienced coach in Albert Benaiges
https://www.cibaofc.com/player/albert-benaiges/
Lasana, we ent even mindful of what going on with football in we own country, much less for our competition.
Nigel, Cibao won last year and played some good football. They beat Central and Jabloteh. I thought they were Dominican Republic’s super team. But then they didn’t even qualify from their country this time? Papa!
During last year CFU Group stage it was the Dominicans U20’s that surprised Jamaica partially causing them not to qualify for CFU U20 Finals in Curacao
..People. Listen. The Caribbean is on the march and we marking time. Long gone are the days when we could take CFU members for granted. We playing around while they wukkin..
Sure looks that way. I notice that there are essentially just three Caribbean nations involved though. Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti.
Rawle, where is Guyana? And what about Suriname? Shame.
..Now, WC was the better team vs Real Hope and could still qualify. Arnett Gardens had little to offer but a few muggings evenly distributed over the duration of the match and were lucky to finish with a draw and ten men. Atletico Pantoja is the team WC must watch closest now I think..
Lasana Liburd I think the Guyanese team is in the second tier of the competition. Under this new structure, teams from Guyana dont qualify as professional clubs.
Dominican Republic(DR) have 10 million people, Haiti have another 10 million..so on that island you have a tremendous player pool. The Dominican teams already have many Haitian players or players of Haitian descent living in the DR. With what these countries are doing and what we are not, the future is not promising.
Rawle I understand. Do you think that helps?
Sean we are using our advantage in truth. Or maybe we already lost it.
Our last boast was that at least our clubs always win the Caribbean titles. Well we lost last year and if we don’t set that right this time…
Our last hope is the women’s senior team.
Lasana Liburd OF COURSE NOT! Guyana doesnt have a chance to have professional clubs, and it means that our teams in the Elite League will have NOTHING to play for.
Rawle, as far as I am concerned this new CONCACAF League thing is a form of segregation.
Trinidad ent saying anything because we believe we will be in tier one due to finishing in the Hex. But for how long is the question!
..Honestly, I expect nothing from Central when they play the other group in Dominicana. Our grip at club level is slipping. I expect nothing from the women either. Is not magic, you know..
Lasana Liburd this is where it also highlights just how divided CFU is as part of CONCACAF, especially having more seats in CONCACAF than anyone else. The CFU seems voiceless and people playing along for personal gain. This is doom for countries like Guyana and sadly, the administration here wouldnt see that
Keith the women at least have the know-how in their ranks thanks to an aging group of players who know how to win matches. That gives us a shot at least.
After that crop, we will have a tough time reasserting ourselves.
Rawle, there are turkeys voting for thanksgiving here. Just like in cricket.
Well Atlético Pantoja just put a 3-0 cut tail on Real Hope FA
..As I said. They are a damgerous team and WC will need to beat them to qualify..
Dominican Republic launched their first professional league 3 years ago and look to be pumping a lot of finances and resources into it. So we could probably expect even more from them in the next few years
Connection had a nice knock, especially in the second half, but either the final ball was terrible or the finishing was terrible. In some cases, the poor finishing was down to poor technique. Physically, they were outmuscled many times, and out-hustled. In any event, I think they can advance as well, provided they don’t slip up against the Jamaicans.
You saw the other two clubs?
Nah, ah didn’t ketch de first match.
I won’t underestimate the Dominican Republic side.
Nigel Myers…you in tnt ??..or saw the match on tv ??..where ??
Dey streaming de matches live on YouTube and Facebook. I posted de link yesterday before de game.
Nigel Myers oh…ok
Lasana Liburd The DR side has 4-5 south americans. I always told these Trinidad league need foreigners from outside the immediate region to give more dimensions to their game
Simone, we used to have players from Brazil, Colombia, Nigeria, Botswana, Sierra Leone, Panama, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Haiti etc.
I always recomendad Mexicans because plenty of good players are very cheap there and in the Liga Premier there is an age limitation (U25) which means past that age if they are not established enough to play in Ascenso they are on the market. Britto can tell you the Liga Premier is tougher than TT Pro so you can get some good players which bring the Mexican style…good technique, plenty endurance, fighting every ball like it’s the last one
The top player for the last few years in Guatemala has been a player who couldn’t establish himself enough in Ascenso. Please see his incredible stats https://us.soccerway.com/players/agustin-herrera/17274/
This is another one who never even played in Ascenso. He went straight from Liga Premier to Guatemala https://us.soccerway.com/players/carlos-kamiani-felix/87019/
These two guys arrived in Guatemala to stay employed and making little money. Now they are paid $10,000/month
And i forget GKs a notorious weak link in Trinidad except for Hislop. A GK like this in Mexico is free https://youtu.be/EJgWjsgw5dk