One week from today, T&T Pro League champions Defence Force will get the chance to book their spot in the CONCACAF Champions League for the first time.
The Army/Coast Guard combination were drawn against Haitian club Tempete FC and the teams will do battle in the first Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Championship semi-final next Wednesday at Guyana National Stadium from 6 p.m.
The other "semi" will feature Guyanese club Alpha United and Puerto Rico Islanders, who will vie for the other final berth up for grabs from 8 p.m. The final and third place playoff will be two days later.
With only three spots in the Champions League up for grabs, the winners of those matches will automatically qualify for the CONCACAF club tournament, while the losing teams will play for third place and the final available slot.
Defence Force are the only T&T club left in the CFU competition after the other qualifiers, Pro League runners-up Caledonia AIA, were knocked out by Tempete 3-2 via a penalty shootout. Caledonia lost 1-0 at home and reversed that result in Haiti, then lost on penalties.
Defence Force coach Ross Russell admitted that of the remaining teams, the Haiti club might pose the biggest challenge to his squad's ambitions.
"It's a more technical game, because the Haitians are very hard to play against," Russell told the Express yesterday. "We saw them play against 'Cale' (Caledonia).
They are a little bit on the rough side, so we've got our work cut out for us. We know they are going to come (at us) with a lot of heart, seeing that they reached this far."
Defence Force warmed up yesterday with a 1-0 victory against the T&T Under-23 team, with striker Akil Pierre netting the winner.
For much of the last decade, the Army—who won the previous version of the CONCACAF Champions Cup in 1985—have been in the football wilderness.
But in 2009 they claimed the First Citizens Cup and followed that up last season with the League title. Getting to the Champions League would be the perfect next step in their comeback.
"This opportunity I think for our guys is great," Russell pointed out. "(For) the last 11 years we haven't been in the trophy column. Right now we seem to be doing everything right and we're getting there."
Presently, Russell's biggest problem is a selection headache, with most of his players fit and raring to go and enthusiastic about getting a spot on the final 18-man squad. And he is banking on his team's cohesiveness to get them past Tempete.
"I think teamwork (is our biggest strength). Once we stick together and work our butts off I think we'll be alright," he said.
"Right now we want to follow in the footsteps of (T&T clubs) W Connection and Joe Public (who previously competed in the Champions League).
They didn't do as well as the country would have wanted, but I think they represent (Trinidad and Tobago well). Joe Public reached the group stage.
"We're hoping to go a little bit further and we would like to go all the way," said Russell.