Caledonia KO Connection; Central survives bruising Police battle

Pro League bigwigs DIRECTV W Connection and Central FC both left the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva aggrieved at getting the boot last night as the Pro Bowl competition took an unexpected twist in the semifinal round.

In only one case did that mean elimination, though.

Photo: Central FC star Willis Plaza yells in pain after taking a blow to his knee against Police FC in the Pro Bowl semifinal. Plaza was replaced at halftime. (Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
Photo: Central FC star Willis Plaza yells in pain after taking a blow to his knee against Police FC in the Pro Bowl semifinal.
Plaza was replaced at halftime.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

Defending champions W Connection lost their final chance at a domestic trophy this season after a shock 5-4 defeat to Caledonia AIA on penalties. While, in the second match of the Couva double header, Central edged Police FC 1-0 in a bruising affair that saw both of their strikers leave the field injured and their coach, Terry Fenwick, ejected for dissent.

At this rate, it might be difficult for either of local football’s big two to get excited about next Friday’s Caribbean Cup semifinal assignments.


Caledonia, with all due respect, bettered only St Ann’s Rangers in the League standings this season while they finished six places and 22 points behind Connection. And, at the risk of being unkind, their 32-year-old playmaker Conrad Smith is probably more prolific on the dinner table than on the football field these days.

And yet Caledonia and Smith both capitalised on a listless Connection squad to book their first berth in a cup final for two years.

Both teams traded early blows as Mekeil Williams put Connection ahead in the third minute after the “Eastern Stallions” failed to deal with a corner kick. And Guyanese poacher Pernell Schultz pulled Caledonia level again in the 11th minute with a clever, composed finish after a pass from captain Kareem “Tiny” Joseph.

Photo: Caledonia AIA scorer Conrad Smith is congratulated by teammate Keyon Edwards (top) and Pernell Schultz (right) after his strike against W Connection in the Digicel Pro Bowl semifinal. (Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
Photo: Caledonia AIA scorer Conrad Smith is congratulated by teammate Keyon Edwards (top) and Pernell Schultz (right) after his strike against W Connection in the Digicel Pro Bowl semifinal.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

Joseph, another Caledonia veteran, produced the goal of the night in the 37th minute, as he ran on to a brilliantly measured Nathan Lewis pass before slapping into the far corner from just inside the opposing box.

Smith, who made up for his decreased mobility with good hold-up play and distribution, doubled Caledonia’s advantage in the 56th minute after he pounced on an awful Alvin Jones backpass to embarrass Connection.

Inevitably, Caledonia’s legs went and two late close range strikes by Shahdon Winchester and Hashim Arcia brought the defending champions level before the final whistle.

But the “Savonetta Boys” did not make the most of their reprieve, as Winchester struck the post while all other nine kickers converted to give Caledonia an unlikely trip to the Pro Bowl final.

Incidentally, Caledonia’s last final was against the then newly formed outfit, Central FC, in March 2013. The “Eastern Stallions” won that encounter 2-0 to become the first club to retain the TTFA FA Trophy in over a decade.


Central were in no mood to reminisce, though, as they wrestled with their own skeletons.

Photo: Referee Rodphin Harris (right) makes his point to Central FC goalkeeper Jan-Michael Williams during the 2013 First Cup semifinal. Central won 5-3 on penalties against W Connection. (Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
Photo: Referee Rodphin Harris (right) makes his point to Central FC goalkeeper Jan-Michael Williams during the 2013 First Cup semifinal.
Central won 5-3 on penalties against W Connection.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

The “Couva Sharks” have been divided over the last week, as a bonus dispute over their unpaid Pro League winnings pitted players and staff against administrators as well as each other.

But if there is anything that could unite Central other than Couva foe, W Connection, it would be referee Rodphin Harris.

Two years ago, in a First Citizens Cup semifinal fixture against Connection, Harris ejected Jason Marcano for abusive language, just 13 minutes into the match, and Fenwick followed on a similar charge in the second half.

Central prevailed then on penalties and went on to claim their first crown but the ill-will never evaporated. Not on the club’s side, at least.

There was little in the way of goalmouth action between the two teams last night. Willis Plaza took his chance brilliantly in the sixth minute as he hesitated long enough for Police custodian Adrian Foncette to commit himself, before lifting the ball over him and into the back of the net.

At the other end, Police failed to muster a single shot on target and rarely threatened apart from Kareem Freitas’ dangerous free kicks into Central’s 18-yard box.

Photo: Central FC striker Willis Plaza (centre) prepares to drive past Police FC goalkeeper Adrian Foncette (left) while defender Jibiri McDavid looks on in the 2015 Pro Bowl semifinal. (Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
Photo: Central FC striker Willis Plaza (centre) prepares to drive past Police FC goalkeeper Adrian Foncette (left) while defender Jibiri McDavid looks on in the 2015 Pro Bowl semifinal.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

But the Police tackling was loose and liberal, if not reckless. And, by the final whistle, the Sharks would have been craving ice packs not champagne bottles.

Playmakers Ataulla Guerra and Marvin Oliver were both hobbling while Plaza was substituted at halftime following a knock to his knee. But Plaza’s replacement, Dwight Quintero, fared worst of all as he was stretchered off in the 62nd minute with a gash over his shin bone and taken straight to the hospital for three stitches and an x-ray.

National Senior Team coach Stephen Hart and Olympic Team coach Zoran Vranes, who were both present, must have watched the match through their fingers. Quintero is an Olympic Team triallist while Plaza is a regular Senior Team player and, a month and a half before the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Guerra is the only fit playmaker Hart has left.

“There was a gash above (Quintero’s) shin that was an inch and a half wide and a centimetre deep,” Central physio Sheldon Scipio told Wired868. “We asked the referee to look at his condition. But he refused and said his job was just to get the game restarted.”

Not for the first time, Fenwick also failed to last 90 minutes with Harris as he was ejected for dissent in stoppage time after a rough challenge on Oliver.

Photo: Police midfielder Shaquille Nesbitt (bottom) tackles through Central veteran Marvin Oliver to win the ball. Referee Rodphin Harris awarded a throw. (Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
Photo: Police midfielder Shaquille Nesbitt (bottom) tackles through Central veteran Marvin Oliver to win the ball.
Referee Rodphin Harris awarded a throw.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

“There is no room for that sort of incompetence in football,” said Fenwick, who vowed to lodge a protest to the relevant authorities.

Underpaid, unloved and over-kicked, in their estimate, Central are finding life as champions to be tougher than they might have expected. But they can still sign off in style with Caribbean Cup and Pro Bowl trophies still at stake.

That is if, considering the internal and external struggles, they still have the stomach for it.

(Teams)

Caledonia AIA (4-4-2): 1.Shemel Louison (GK); 12.Kareem Joseph (captain), 16.Pierre Hitner, 23.Jamil Joseph, 22.Jameel Neptune; 27.Nathan Lewis (25.Anthony Charles 84), 26.Nicholas Marcano, 9.Keyon Edwards, 18.Trayon Bobb; 4.Conrad Smith (30.Domini Garnett 81), 28.Pernell Schultz (29.Mickaeel Gordon 68).

Unused substitutes: 34.D’Eandre Villaroel (GK), 2.Kyle Mack.

Coach: Jerry Moe

 

W Connection (4-2-1-3): 18.Julani Archibald (GK); 39.Alvin Jones (20.Christian Rodriguez 71), 19.Leslie Russell, 5.Mekeil Williams (captain), 36.Triston Hodge; 3.Gerard Williams, 8.Yhon Reyes (27.Shannon Gomez 61); 14.Hashim Arcia; 65.Neil Benjamin Jr (40.Jomal Williams 61), 9.Shahdon Winchester, 12.Jerrel Britto.

Unused substitutes: 22.Aquelius Sylvester (GK), 13.Devaughn Elliot, 26.Maurice Ford, 28.Aikim Andrews.

Coach: Stuart Charles-Fevrier

 

 

Referee: Keon Yorke

Photo: Caledonia AIA utility player Nicholas Marcano (right) celebrates after his successful penalty against W Connection in the Pro Bowl semifinal. (Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
Photo: Caledonia AIA utility player Nicholas Marcano (right) celebrates after his successful penalty against W Connection in the Pro Bowl semifinal.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

Pro Bowl semifinals

(Fri May 15)

Caledonia AIA 3 (Pernell Schultz 11, Kareem Joseph 37, Conrad Smith 56), W Connection 3 (Mekeil Williams 3, Shahdon Winchester 77, Hashim Arcia 88) at Couva;

*—Caledonia won 5-4 via a penalty shootout;

Central FC 1 (Willis Plaza 6), Police FC 0 at Couva.

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About Lasana Liburd

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.

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27 comments

  1. Of course not I know where he is as well

  2. Conrad Smith and Kareem Joseph, I know you’re not going to take that kind of talk! 🙂

  3. W. Connection were off point badly to me last night. Caledonia scored 2 good goals, while the third was a giveaway. Caledonia were consistently creating chances but failed to convert some. Central vs. Cali could get very interesting.

  4. Both Central and Police put in rough tackles, it was a rough game all around..cursing at the referee is also never a good move..

  5. Kerry Fernandez
    Yo, when was this?

  6. Roneil K Walcott its time the local referees know the price of shoddy work…….turkey is probably the best example…..I’ll pay for their tickets

  7. Crystal is no way as bad as Harris. The Sharks encounter with Harris last season was way worst than this season in relation to ejecting players.

  8. I thought crystal sobers was bad…….rodphin u take win….hope FIFA promotes u to ref a fenerbache vs galatasaray game.

  9. Congrats to the sharks!! Showing the hearts of a champion in dealing with their diffculties both on an off the field! And well done Cali finish strong!!

  10. Yea! He use to ref most if not all Connection games. Now like he take a liking to the Sharks. Not!!

  11. And like he shows up in every big game we have to play

  12. You’re so right Lasana! Every time Harris do a match for Central I pray especially for Guerra because I know how arrogant he can be especially playing against the lawmen. Can’t talk too hard to Harris at all, but he’s not consistent when dealing with horrid tackles. Very disappointed with him. We need consistency in the game.

  13. Referees need to do a better job at protecting players mannn…

  14. It seems that the only thing that Rodphin Harris really care about is being spoken to. Anything else is fair game.
    I don’t think Police were trying to injure players. I think. He just needed to tell them to calm down and try and take charge. And he just let everything go.

  15. They mash up my guys boi! Really hope they recover soon.

  16. It was ridiculous, the tackle on Dwight ripped the socks (the sock is now useless), moved his shin guards, and left a wound with flesh coming out. he referee refused to look at the wound, and was only interested in calling a stretcher or asking the player to resume play.

    I thought Safety was first on the list for referees.

  17. lol… these lawmen letting their day jobs spill over into night work… #policebrutality hahahaha… on a real tho… it aint funny when we have Gold Cup coming up and Molino out Plaza and doubtful…

  18. Hmmmm so nasty police played last night? I myself is out on injury so had not the opportunity to see the game. I was wondering why Plaza was sub. Thanks to the article and just seeing a response from Central FC I now know. Really hoping the Sharks ain’t faced with a Bayern Munich situation in the finals as well as the CFU tournament. I was told that Guerra is doubtful as well. Good read Mr. Liburd now I have a true picture of what went on. Kudos to Caledonia for surviving at spot kicks after relinquishing a 3 one lead.

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