Harbour into final of Caribbean Club Champs.
By: Jamaica Observer.[/size]
Jamaica's national champions, Harbour View FC, advanced to the final of the Caribbean Club Championship with hard-fought 10-9 penalty-kick win over San Juan Jabloteh of Trinidad & Tobago (T&T) last night. It will be Harbour View's second appearance in the final after capturing the title in 2004 when they defeated compatriots Tivoli Gardens 3-2 on aggregate. Harbour View midfielder Keith Kelly, who only two season ago played for San Juan Jabloteh, scored the winning kick in a tense affair after the game ended 0-0 in regulation and extra time. Harbour View will now play Joe Public of T&T after they defeated US A-League team Puerto Rico Islanders 1-0. The final is carded for today in Port of Spain.
Joe Public, Harbour View in Caribbean Club final.
By: Ian Prescott (Express).[/size]
Trinidad and Tobago's hopes of retaining the 2007 Caribbean Club Championship rest with defending T&T Pro League champions Joe Public, who take on Jamaica's Harbour View in today's final from 7 p.m. at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya.
With last year's winners, T&T's Vibe CT 105 W Connection, opting not to defend their title, Joe Public will hope to be crowned new Caribbean champs and also represent the region in next year's CONCACAF Champions Cup.
On Wednesday night, Joe Public saw off high-scoring Puerto Rico Islanders 1-0 in the late game at the Marvin Lee Stadium, where it took an 81st minute Gregory Richardson goal to get the Eastern Lions past difficult opponents.
Pacy Guyanese striker Richardson was first to react and put in the rebound after Jamaican Roen Nelson had his shot blocked by Joshua Saunders, the outstanding Islanders keeper.
Nelson's run was one of the few times Joe Public had gotten behind the Puerto Rico defence. Goalie Saunders brought off a brilliant save, but parried the ball straight at Richardson.
Later, as the Puerto Ricans went all out to grab the equaliser, Richardson also got ahead of the defenders, but once again Saunders came out quickly to block his shot.
Before getting the all-important goal, Joe Public dodged the bullet on a couple occasions. In the 60th minute, after stripping Kendall Jagdeosingh, Noah Delgado, Puerto Rico's wide right midfielder, drilled a low shot across the dive of Joe Public keeper Alejandro Figueroa, but the shot rebounded off the far upright.
In the 79th, Delgado should have scored when taking down a cross ball about six metres out, but his poor control allowed Figueroa time to smother the shot. Earlier, in the 55th minute, Taiwo Atiento had a clear header from six metres out, but guided Jay Needham's cross over the Joe Public crossbar.
The first half had even less goal-mouth activity, with both teams producing just about three chances between them.
Joe Public, Caribbean club champions in 2000, did much of the attacking in the semi-final, but found a solid defensive team in the United States-based Islanders, a squad made up of Panamanians, Americans, Puerto Ricans and a few Eastern Europeans as well.
David Johnson, the hard-kicking Islanders midfielder, had the first crack, almost catching Figueroa out of the Joe Public goal with a long shot, and later also hit a powerful free-kick wide of the flying custodian in the 28th minute.
Nelson had Joe Public's best first half effort in the 29th, cutting inside and forcing Saunders to push out his low shot. Early in the second half, Kerry Noray caused some panic with a curling left-footer. Subsequently, the Islanders had their best period, but missed the three best chances they created. Wasted opportunities seldom return and given just one really good chance, Joe Public's Richardson grabbed it with relish.
TeamsPuerto Rico Islanders:[/b] - Joshua Saunders (capt), Jonathan Steele, Alejandro Gonzalez (Petter Villegas 64th), Marco Velez, Noah Delgado, Alexis Rivera (Mauricio Segovia 85th), Edwin Miranda, John Krause, David Johnson, Taiwo Atieno (Alberto Zapata 77th), Jay Needham.
TD: - Colin Clarke
Joe Public FC: - Alejandro Figueroa, Kerry Noray, Dale Saunders (capt), Devon Caseman (Gregory Richardson 33rd), Lyndon Andrews, Roen Nelson, Kerry Baptiste, Kendall Jagdeosingh, Seon Power, Keyeno Thomas, Silas Spann.
TD: - Michael McComie
Jabloteh play for third.
By: Ian Prescott (Express).[/size]
The most exciting moments of CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh's Caribbean Zone semi-final in the CONCACAF Club Championship qualifying series was a penalty shootout in which the first 19 spot-kicks were converted, before Jabloteh defender Carlon Murray drilled his effort off the foot of an upright. Harbour View of Jamaica won the tension-filled match 10-9 on penalty kicks, to book a place in tonight's final against Trinidad and Tobago's Joe Public at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya.
One hundred and twenty minutes of hard football failed to break a 0-0 tie before the spot kicks. Runners-up last year to T&T's Vibe CT 105 W Connection, Jabloteh will now play the other beaten semi-finalists, Puerto Rico Islanders, for third place from 5 p.m. today at the Marvin Lee Stadium.
Jabloteh's semi-final against Harbour View was a physical affair, which became progressively dull as the night went on. At best, it was a game of half chances. Jabloteh attacked, while Harbour View massed in defence and largely unsuccessfully tried to hit on the break.
It also did not help that Guatemalan referee Elmer Rodas allowed far too much "extra-curricular" activities, turning a blind eye even when players were down and in pain.
Peter Byers, Jabloteh's burly Antiguan striker who regularly pushes around local defenders, would have been expected to be at home with the activity. But, he did not have a good game.
Regularly caught off side, Byers missed several chances. He could have given Jabloteh a lead in just the second minute, when beating Harbour View keeper Dwayne Miller with a shot from 15 yards, but went just wide of the far post.
The Antiguan also missed a flurry of chances early in the second half. However, when caught between crossing and shooting the ball in the 47th, Byers almost found the top corner of the far post with a curling shot.
The Harbour View squad included Jermaine Hue, Fabian Taylor, Robert Scarlett and defender Christopher Harvey, who have all had stints in the T&T Pro League. Their best chance came in extra-time when striker Keith Kelly got around Jabloteh goalie Daurance Williams, but not defender Cyd Gray. In that same period, Jabloteh substitute Ataullah Guerra forced the Jamaican keeper into a brilliant push after hitting a sideways volley to goal.
TeamsHarbour View FC (JAM):[/b] – Dwayne Miller, Oneil Smith, Richard Edwards, Kavin Bryan (Gregg Taylor 116th), Ricardo Smith, Fabian Taylor, Loxley Thomas (Keith Kelly 90th), Christopher Harvey (capt), Jermaine Taylor, Donald Steward, Jermaine Hue (Robert Scarlett 119th).
TD: - Lenworth Hyde
San Juan Jabloteh (TRI): – Daurance Williams, Carlon Murray, Lester Peltier (Ataullah Guerra 75th), Trent Noel (capt), Khaleem Hyland, Gaeson Gregory (Cornell Glen 106th), Elton John, Ian Gray, Peter Byers (Wendell Joseph 110th), Cyd Gray, Jason Cudjoe.
TD: - Terry Fenwick
CONCACAF Club Championship Semi-Final Results:Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR) 0 vs Joe Public (T&T) 1 (Gregory Richardson 81st)
Harbour View (JAM) 0 vs San Juan Jabloteh (T&T) 0
Harbour View won 10-9 on penalty kicks
In the middle: CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh's Cyd Gray, left, tackles Robert Scarlett and Oneil Lewis, right, of Harbour View in Wednesday's Caribbean Club Championship semi-final at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya. The Jamaican club won 10-9 on penalties after a 0-0 draw. -Photo: Roberto Codallo.
Public challenge: Roen Nelson of Joe Public challenges Puerto Rico Islanders' Panamanian defender Edwin Miranda, second from right, for the ball during the Caribbean Club Championship semi-final at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya on Wednesday. Joe Public will play in today's final after defeating the Puerto Ricans 1-0. -Photo: Roberto Codallo.
