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Defence Force’s Caribbean campaign lasted just 90 minutes, as they were eliminated after their first outing in the CFU Caribbean Club Shield competition yesterday evening.
The Army/ Coast Guard combination fell 1-0 to Dominican Republic team Atletico Pantoja at the Ergilio Hato Stadium in Willemstad, Curaçao in the second-tier regional competition, which serves as a qualifier for the Concacaf Caribbean Cup.
Photo: Quincy Lopez/ Straffon Images
Defence Force saw a lot of the ball in the contest but were undone by a 78th minute volley by opposing attacker Luis Espinal, against the run of play, which caught goalkeeper Christopher Biggette flat-footed.
“We had the better of the chances and we didn’t take the chances that we got,” said Defence Force head coach Lloyd Andrews. “[…] We got too many chances not to come out winners in this game.”
Ball possession stats notwithstanding, Defence Force’s defeat follows a trend by local clubs in regional competitions over much of the past decade.
Last year, neither TTPFL representative, Defence Force and AC Port of Spain, were able to advance beyond the group stage of the Concacaf Caribbean Cup—the latter team tallied one draw and three defeats.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868
And it is now eight years since a Trinidad and Tobago club, then Central FC, managed to lift the Caribbean trophy.
To better demonstrate the falling standards of the two-island republic’s domestic competition, Pro League clubs won the first six editions of the Caribbean Club Championship between 1997 and 2003. There were then six titles over the following 12 years in the regional tournament.
However, since 2016, no local team has been crowned while a Trinidad and Tobago outfit has not even appeared in a Caribbean final since San Juan Jabloteh in 2017.
Current TTPFL champions, AC Port of Spain, and Police FC will hope to put the red, white and black back on winners’ row when they start their own 2024 Caribbean Cup adventures next month.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868
Police are grouped with Haitian outfit, Real Hope Football Academy, and Jamaican clubs Cavalier FC and Mount Pleasant Football Academy, while AC Port of Spain will tackle Ouanaminthe FC (Haiti) and Dominican Republic teams Moca FC and Cibao FC.
Police face Real Hope at Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica on 20 August while AC take on Ouanaminthe at Estadio Moca 86 in Moca, Dominican Republic on 22 August 2023.
(Squad)
Defence Force (4-2-3-1): 22.Christopher Biggette (GK); 3.Isaiah Garcia, 23.Jamali Garcia (captain), 26.Justin Garcia, 27.Jelani Peters; 6.Kevon Goddard, 12.Isaiah Leacock; 15.Shaquille Bertrand, 13.Rivaldo Coryat, 7.Jelani Felix; 32.Jameel Cooper.
Substitutes: 14.Kendall Hitlal, 37.Cassim Kellar, 45.Dylon King, 8.Brent Sam.
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