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San Juan Jabloteh coach Keith Jeffrey predicted a 3-0 win over Club Sportif Moulien in Caribbean Club Championship action yesterday evening in St Vincent. He came close, as the “San Juan Kings” strolled away with a 4-1 result over the Guadeloupean team that virtually assured them of a berth in the final round.
Jabloteh lead the group, with a maximum six points from two matches, and boast a healthy goal difference of +12. At present, Moulien and hosts System 3 Sport Academy have goal differentials of +1 and +3 respectively.
Jabloteh won 3-2.
(Courtesy Chevaughn Christopher/Wired868)
Jabloteh face System 3 tomorrow and the Vincentian team might have their tails up after an emphatic 9-2 win over St Maarten club, Flames United, last night. Jeffrey is unperturbed though.
“No, [I am not worried],” the Jabloteh coach told Wired868. “They are poor on defence.”
Did he have a victory target in mind for the host team then?
“Yeah, 4-0,” said Jeffrey.
It has been pretty straightforward for Jabloteh so far on their return to Caribbean competition. The top three teams from the region will go on to play in the CONCACAF Champions League and the Kings are a heartbeat away from joining Caribbean champions and Pro League counterparts, Central FC, in the last qualifying stage.
Jeffrey admitted that his job was made a bit easier thanks to the advice he got from fellow Pro League coaches prior to leaving for St Vincent.
Moulien, he said, were no pushovers and it was the Guadeloupeans who scored first last night.
(Courtesy Chevaughn Christopher/Wired868)
“The Guadeloupe team were organised and they are a tricky team in the final third,” said Jeffrey. “They have very good kickers of the ball—whether it is a dead ball or a moving ball. And if they get any room down the byline to cross, your keeper can’t move because of how good the delivery is. If you don’t close them down from 25 yards out, you will be in trouble.”
The key to Jabloteh’s recovery, according to Jeffrey, was fitness, work ethic and decisive offensive play.
“We pressed high up the field and were able to reap the results,” said Jeffrey. “We are at a level of fitness now where we are able to press for long periods. During the Pro League season, we could have pressed for maybe 20 minutes. But after some rest and good preparation, we can play at a higher intensity for longer periods.
“So that makes us a more dangerous team going forward.”
After falling behind to a 13th minute opener by Moulien, Guyana international winger Vernon Mills equalised in the 17th minute before a double from Panamanian attacker Jairo Lombardo gave Jabloteh a two goal lead.
There was a hiccup as captain and midfielder Damian Williams was ejected in the 70th minute for elbowing an opponent. But, even with 10 players, Jabloteh stretched their advantage with a goal from Soca Warriors winger Nathan Lewis in the 85th minute.
(Courtesy Chevaughn Christopher/Wired868
Jeffrey made just one change to the starting team that defeated Flames United 9-0 on Wednesday, as veteran Guyanese goalkeeper Andrew Durant came in for the injured ex-Trinidad and Tobago National Under-23 custodian Javon Sample.
He promised at least three changes to his squad for the final affair, though, with Trinidad and Tobago National Senior Team winger Tyrone Charles set to start along with former Warriors Kadeem Corbin and Keyon Edwards.
They are likely to replace the suspended Williams and attackers Mills and Lombardo, who are both carrying injuries.
(Team against Club Sportif Moulien)
San Juan Jabloteh (4-3-3): 35.Andrew Durant (GK); 18.Jevon Morris, 24.Adrian Reid, 6.Akeem Benjamin (17.Josiah Trimmingham), 12.Kion Joseph; 11.Damian Williams (captain) [Red card 70], 5.Elijah Manners, 9.Keithy Simpson (10.Tyrone Charles 65); 27.Nathan Lewis, 16.Jairo Lombardo (Tyrone Charles), 14.Vernon Mills (Micah Lansiquot).
Coach: Keith Jeffrey
(Courtesy Chevaughn Christopher/Wired868)
Caribbean Club Championships
(Wednesday 8 March)
San Juan Jabloteh 9 (Keithy Simpson 11, 51, 60, Nathan Lewis 21, 40, 44, Jairo Lombardo 57, Tyrone Charles 72, Jamal Gay 81), Flames United 0 in St Vincent;
Club Sportif Moulien 4, System 3 Sport Academy 0 in St Vincent.
(Friday 10 March)
San Juan Jabloteh 4 (Vernon Mills 13, Jairo Lombardo 20, 68, Nathan Lewis 85), Club Sportif Moulien 1 in St Vincent;
System 3 Sport Academy 9, Flames United 2 in St Vincent;
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/CA-images/Wired868)
Upcoming fixtures
(Sunday 12 March)
Club Sportif Moulien vs Flames United in St Vincent;
System 3 Sport Academy vs San Juan Jabloteh in St Vincent.
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The Apertura and Clausura is a must if you only have 10 teams competing. That way every team plays 18 regular season games per tournament, 36 per season.
Hence the reason why our bootleg Profesional league and the owners really needs to stop exploting our players and start to pay them the real professional monies the same like what my police and soldiers receives each month which is $10,000 a month in order to raise the standard of the league and compete against the real professional teams in the real football countries. . Them really good yes.
It might be that some clubs just can’t raise the money to pay them better eh. That isn’t the same thing as exploiting.
Need sponsors and fans
Well it will only remain on the same level of being the Caribbean Champions eh, until they all really get their acts together. Them really good yes.
My question remains, why there are almost no fans? Are people simply not attached to their town or region like in other countries?
Some teams have pulled over 1,000 fans when they play within their communities Simone.
So there we go. Who is insisting in playing in the national stadium?
The community grounds need upgrading. Sometimes the surface isn’t good for football. Or, more likely, there are no lights there for evening or night games.
Sometimes there are issues with dressing room and security too. Or no fence or infrastructure to charge fans.
Many home grounds in Central America have the same problem. Makes sense to play during the day if so.
For me the sooner they move to home grounds, add relegation, bring a bit of latin american players, and move to a Apertura and Clausura schedule, the sooner the league will become more competitive and generate some money
And the problem to really get at least $ 1000- 3000 fans to the stadiums was also the lack of the real profesional marketing stratigies by the profesional teams and the only team that was really trying their bestest to do so was Central F. C. and that was because of the one and only Kevin Harrison who came from a real professional football contry,England and knows how it is down. Them really good yes
I’d agree with that last comment Simone. We have had some Caribbean players with the ability to bring out fans in the past too.
With regards to the latin american players, we have had some good ones, a few excellent ones and more than a few forgettable ones.
We just need added quality to make league more competitive, wherever they come from.
You will be amazed what the exchange USD to other currencies like Bolivar has done. Being paid in USD or TT would become attractive even at small salaries
Virtually assured of qualification to the final stage. Although I feel they will struggle vs the likes of Central, Puerto Rico FC, and the Dominican side Cibao in the final round.
Well, they just need one win to advance in that round. Why do you think they will struggle though? T&T teams have an excellent record in Caribbean competition.
True, should rephrase it to ”struggle” in terms of competing for the one spot available for the real CONCACAF CL with all the MLS/Liga MX teams.
Puerto Rico FC on paper are the strongest outfit in this competition, they have a fully professional environment and play in a league stronger than any in CFU. Central will no doubt get the better of San Juan. I liked the look of Cibao in their CFU games, (admittedly they were playing weak teams), very attacking unit and invested in a few decent South American players, I predict them to cause an upset or two.