McComie muzzles Caledonia.
By: Lasana Liburd (Express).[/size]
"Close him down! Who you marking? Simple, simple "
Bmobile Joe Public coach Michael McComie's voice resonated around the Centre of Excellence on Tuesday evening. A talkative McComie generally means bad news for his opponents and so it was that Neal & Massy Caledonia AIA left Macoya humbled, stripped of their 2007 Pro League lead and, perhaps, uncertain as to their immediate future.
Caledonia face Vibe CT 105 W Connection in the First Citizens Cup final tomorrow at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella and it is not inconceivable that the "Eastern Stallions" were distracted from their league duties on Tuesday.
But Caledonia coach Jamaal Shabazz might be concerned as to the physical condition and mental appetite of his men as they were outhustled by McComie's street-smart squad.
Even harder to swallow was word of a last gasp 2-1 CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh victory over the Defence Force at the Hasely Crawford Stadium. The combination of results meant that Jabloteh leapfrogged Caledonia to go one point clear in the Pro League standings.
Equally ominous, Connection warmed up for Friday's Cup fixture with an emphatic 4-2 win over Superstar Rangers that included a goal apiece from three of their strikers including Andre Toussaint and Jonathan Frias who were absent for last week's FCB Cup semi-final.
And how did Caledonia warm up?
They lost inspirational St Lucian defender Sheldon Emmanuel minutes before kick off as he failed to shake off a thigh strain and remains a doubt for tomorrow.
And Caledonia 's defensive showing without him did not provoke confidence as Public strikers Gregory Richardson and Kerry Baptiste ravaged their backline on Tuesday.
It might take more than the two days available to restore the confidence of Caledonia stopper Howard Lowe who was utterly violated by his Guyanese compatriot, Richardson.
Although, as McComie explained, Public won the contest in the middle of the field.
"We marked the ( Caledonia ) midfielders man to man and ensured they had no time to play," McComie told the Express. "Caledonia like to play at a low intensity so we worked on increasing the speed of the game and it took its toll on the Caledonia players especially playmaker Marvin Oliver, Conrad Smith and Hayden Tinto.
"Once we took them out, we knew we had won."
McComie, the 2006 Pro League Coach of the Year, is supposedly fulfilling a caretaker role at Public but he felt confident enough yesterday to discuss Public's plans for the Caribbean Club Championship and even next season.
McComie was perhaps a tad presumptuous considering the Warner family's famed impatience with coaches at club and national level. But there was plenty for the present coach to be proud of as he dispatched of Public's fierce rivals with a young squad that contained three new signings.
Former Caledonia strikers Kerry Noray and Kendall Jagdeosingh played the full 90 minutes on the right and left flanks respectively-Jagdeosingh looked especially purposeful-while Tobago recruit Devon Leacock started in central midfield.
It was the shuffled players who shone brightest, though.
Former national midfielder Lyndon Andrews came in for high praise for his work as sweeper where he deputised for the suspended Dale Saunders. McComie would have run the risk of redundancy if he gushed about Richardson.
The speedy Guyanese winger was asked to play up-front after an ankle injury ruled out "Soca Warrior" forward Gary Glasgow for the rest of the season and his returns, six league goals, do not flatter him.
On another afternoon, Shabazz, who doubles as Guyana 's national football team coach, would have been thrilled by the performance of one of his adopted country's assets. On Tuesday, though, he was probably just as terrified as his defence.
Gregory could have opened the score summary after just six minutes as he rolled the ball past opposing goalkeeper Richard Reynolds-yet another Guyanese import-only for Lowe to atone for the error that opened the door in the first place with a last gasp clearance.
But Lowe was nowhere to be found, 15 minutes later, when an unmarked Gregory hammered home from six metres after being picked out by Jagdeosingh's shot-cum-cross.
Gregory nearly increased their lead in the 48th and 49th minutes but, on each occasion, Caledonia central defender Charles Pollard-no points for guessing his nationality-managed crucial interceptions after Baptiste sneaked behind Lowe twice in quick succession.
Pollard was a fraction late in the 55th minute, though, and Gregory's left-footed finish off Baptiste's assist was as emphatic as his celebrations.
Caledonia kept on trying but they were second to every ball and, despite a few spells in possession, never really looked like troubling composed Public custodian Alejandro Figueroa.
Public's 2001 Under-17 World Cup midfielder Terrance McAllister stayed close enough to Oliver to make his girlfriend blush, Smith never got a proper look at the Public goal and Tinto, as he has for much of the season, continued to lose his nerve around the opposing penalty box.
"This (win) has a little more meaning," said McComie. "We were playing against a team trying to maintain first place so they were coming with everything they had I enjoy coaching against Jamaal Shabazz and Jerry Moe because they are two of the better coaches in the league.
"Against them, you have to be tactically sound and very observant. That is one of the challenges I like." On Tuesday, joy was almost certainly a one-way street in Macoya.
Teams
Joe Public: — Alejandro Figueroa, Seon Power, Jason Springer (Keyeno Thomas 50th), Terrance Mc Allister, Lyndon Andrews, Kerry Baptiste, Devon Leacock (Silas Spann 53rd), Kendall Jagdeosingh, Gregory Richardson, Kerry Noray, Arnold Dwarika (capt) (Roen Nelson 68th).
Caledonia AIA: — Richard Reynolds, Charles Pollard (capt), Dexter Franklyn, Howard Lowe, Stephan David, Marvin Oliver, Walter Moore, Hayden Tinto, Conrad Smith, Anthony Abrams (Carlyle Mitchell 76th).
Last Man Standing.
...FCB final pits Connection against Caledonia.
By: Lasana Liburd (Express).
There was a poignant scene in the 1995 action film, "Assassins", when contract killer Miguel Bain (played by actor Antonio Banderos) revealed to fellow hitman Robert Rath (Sylvester Stallone) that he always considered Rath to be his idol. Stallone might have been deeply touched-if not for the fact that Banderos was trying to permanently retire him at the time.
There will be conflicting emotions at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium too as, from 8.30 p.m. tomorrow, Neal & Massy Caledonia AIA try to topple reigning champions, Vibe CT 105 W. Connection, in the 2007 First Citizens Bank Cup Final.
Experienced Caledonia AIA coach Jamal Shabazz, after last Friday's 2-0 semifinal win over United Petrotrin, promised that it would be "a forgone conclusion" if his squad were paired with CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh for the Cup final.
He gushed when asked for his feelings on facing Connection.
"It is a bit of a predicament," Shabazz told Sport Express. "We love the way Connection play, because they play the beautiful way, as we try to play...
"For the good of the game, I would prefer to meet W. Connection."
Cynics may suggest that Caledonia had more straightforward reasons to celebrate avoiding Jabloteh.
Only two points separated Pro League leaders, Caledonia, from second placed Jabloteh after 23 rounds of league com petition (before Tuesday's fixtures) while the two outfits shared a win each and one draw from three meetings this year. In contrast, Connection are yet to defeat Caledonia this season-the records show one goalless draw and a 2-1 Caledonia win at Couva.
But Connection's reputation in cup tournaments demands respect.
At present, coach Stuart Charles-Fevrier's side lie in fifth spot on league form but Connection already hold the only trophy given out this term, the 2007 Pro Bowl, while their remarkable FCB Cup run of seven successive finals and four wins-including the last three editions-is nothing to scoff at.
Caledonia AIA have been around longer but, tangibly, Connection accomplished more with three league titles from eight years of professional football to accompany their cup successes. Connection's dress sense off the field and swagger on it won over neutrals almost from their introduction.
Caledonia also played the attractive, passing game but lacked the resources and mental toughness to compete until the season. There could not be a more satisfying scalp for Shabazz's first major domestic title. Shabazz, like Banderos, is aiming to mix business with pleasure.
But what should football fans make about this supposed feast of "beautiful football"?
"Anyone who says the only important thing is to play beautiful football, well, they are crazy Yes, we liked to play too, but our character to win was 200 per cent."
The speaker was not the dour Italian coach Fabio Capello or his equally dull (on the field, at least) Portuguese counterpart Jose Mourinho but rather enigmatic Dutch striker Johnny Rep, Holland 's leading World Cup scorer and a key component in the 1974 and 1978 national teams that introduced the aesthetically pleasing style referred to as "Total Football".
"With so many great players in one team you make art," said Rep, "you don't mean to, but you do."
It is a lesson that Caledonia are now coming to terms with. Last season, the Stallions attacking quartet of Nigel Pierre, Conrad Smith, Densill Theobald and Hayden Tinto wooed neutrals with flicks and tricks but failed to achieve the bottom line of three points with enough regularity.
There are less individual flourishes from Caledonia this season where their new icon, Oliver, is more interested in the score sheet than showboating while the ruthless personalities of defenders Sheldon Emmanuel and Charles Pollard seem to have successfully imposed their ideologies on young teammates.
For all Shabazz's boasts about art, it is his rugged backline that sets the pace. Caledonia leads the league with the fewest goals conceded, 16, while they progressed to the FCB final on the back of two clean sheets.
Fevrier's troops were more cautious than usual last week too. Once ahead, they rarely committed more than two target men for attacking free kicks and played the last 25 minutes with playmaker Aurtis Whitley as an auxiliary striker.
But, for Connection, Jabloteh are the big game and Fevrier might allow for more adventure tomorrow. Whitley eclipsed Connection's ageing Brazilians last week and, on his semifinal form, would need a watchful eye.
But Caledonia are built for such threats with defender-cum-midfield bolt Dexter Franklyn and the intelligent Stephan David likely to squeeze the "Soca Warrior" for space while Emmanuel-voted "Man of the Match" in both meetings between the clubs this year-is unlikely to be embarrassed by Connection's promising but raw strike duo of Dwight Scott and Kerron Smith.
Connection sweeper Elijah Joseph is as clever as they come but his defensive partner, Brazilian Douglas Da Costa, still looks like a student while Emmanuel has the reliable Pollard for company. The possible weakness at the heart of the Connection defence could be the difference between both teams.
"We are the owners of the First Citizens Cup," said Fevrier, "and we are going to do everything in our power to keep it."
But Caledonia are well equipped to wrench the title from their hands. Stallone outlasted his younger, cocky adversary in "Assassins" but then scripts tend to be tipped in favour of leading actors in Hollywood. Whichever way, Marabella should be the stage for an enthralling struggle tomorrow.
