TENSION chomped down hard for more than 90 minutes of Friday's 2005 FCB Cup final, before a penalty shoot-out victory landed one of two hard-battling teams a unique piece of football history.
Vibe CT 105 W.Connection are, and will always be, the first to win three FCB Cup finals in Trinidad and Tobago. Winners in 2001 and 2004, Connection added a third this year. But it was no easy task.
The first 90 minutes of play produced a tension-filled 0-0 draw, after which penalty-kicks earned defending champions W.Connection a 3 -1 victory from the spot over CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella.
To say the match was tight was a blatant understatement.
W.Connection owner David John-Williams had stood silently bent over as he watched the action from the stands.
Like many who felt the tension, he seemed unable to sit back in his seat. Afterwards, the proud owner could not hide his enthusiasm.
"Just watch my eyes and you can tell how I feel. I feel great. I was telling the coach that we played in 17 cup finals and today, it felt like the first one. The butterflies were there. People don't know how important this cup final is," John-Williams declared.
"Give Jabloteh credit. It was two heavyweight champions going at it. It was going back and forth, 90 minutes couldn't separate us.
You know, it's unlucky to lose in a penalty shootout...it could have been W.Connection tonight. But at the end of the game, you have to savour the picture. That's part of the game."
On the night when T&T's two best teams seemed remarkably inseparable, W. Connection found a hero.
An understudy to superb Colombian Alejandro Figueroa for the past two seasons, young Trinidad and Tobago junior goalkeeper Jan Michael Williams was given the starting role by coach Reynold Carrington. And he did not disappoint his coach.
Although he had a good first 90 minutes, Williams left his best work for the penalty shootout. First, the W. Connection keeper stopped Trent Noel's opening kick and also managed to turn aside a firm shot from Jamaican Nicholas Addlery.
Cyd Gray tried to negate the keeper's good form by hitting the ball high into the net, but instead struck the crossbar. Connection's fans were jubilant.
But wait! Referee Ramesh Ramdhan had ruled that the pumped-up young keeper had moved early and ordered the spot kick to be re-taken.
Gray was given another chance, but the pressure was getting to him and he hit his second shot aimlessly over the bar.
All that was left then was for captain Earl Jean to convert his kick, a task which the veteran striker completed with aplomb.
Afterwards, John-Williams had only good words about the wise decision to select the 21-year-old former National Under-17 keeper ahead of the regular custodian.
"Jan Michael Williams...what can we say about this young man. The coach gave him the confidence to play in the final and he came up big. The young man is just 21 years old, but, I tell you, he came up big tonight."
Before losing so unluckily, Jabloteh had settled quicker and had periods in both halves when they were the better team.
Had the game been decided on playing points, Jabloteh would have won. But in a penalty shooutout, they were no match for W. Connection.
Jabloteh's Josh Johnson was a terror on the W. Connection right flank, using his pace to tear past Brazilian William Da Silva Oliveira several times.
And national defensive midfielder Aurtis Whitley immensely enjoyed his return to an attacking role. But when Whitley got off a bullet midway through the half, the stifling defence made sure that he had space only to hit near keeper Williams.
Home team W. Connection also had their moments and had the best two chances of the match. They would have scored had defender Keyeno Thomas' outstretched leg not kept a short pass from Andre Toussaint from reaching teammate Ronaldo Viana.
Toussaint had picked up a deflected shot from his Brazilian teammate Gefferson Goulart, dribbled Jabloteh keeper Daurance Williams, but had gone too far wide to score himself.
And nearing the end of the first half, keeper Williams (D) fended a Clyde Leon cross away from the Jabloteh goal, but straight at Jean. Surprised for a moment, the St Lucia striker could not force the ball into the net.
The second half went much the same way, with neither team getting a clear shot on goal.
Late in the game, the Siparia Rhythm Section were pounding up a storm, but hardly anyone was taking in their pulsating sound.
Amidst growing tension, all attention was focused on the field. Down the stretch, Jabloteh were looking the stronger, forcing three successive corners. It was felt that at anytime one of those crosses could go in, but Jan Michael Williams put his body in harm's way a couple times to stop big Keyeno Thomas.
At any moment, someone would get one in. So we thought.
But then there was first Ramdhan's whistle, penalty kicks, Jan Michael William's heroics and, finally, W. Connection's celebration.