The Vibe CT 105 W Connection Football Club should be renamed FC Hollywood. Surely, not even local playwright Raymond Choo Kong has directed such stirring drama brimmed with moments of tragedy, comedy and inspiration.
The Pro League outfit take a 2-1 lead over Club Deportivo Guadalajara into the second and final leg of the 2007 CONCACAF Champions' Cup quarterfinal fixture, which will be held in Mexico on February 28.
But the score sheet was only the "how" and such a mundane retelling of the events at Marabella would surely displease Connection technical director Stuart Charles-Fevrier.
A Champions' Cup semifinal berth was at stake.
The 4,000 odd local fans who turned up expected a testing examination by the visitors from Guadalajara, who prefer the nickname "Chivas"-which is Spanish for "goats".
The Mexicans have already won this competition and are ranked 24th in the world by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS),
But the south Trinidad-based club made the plot even more complex by sacrificing numerical advantage, and conceding the opening goal before roaring back to steal a memorable victory.
"I want to keep my feet on the ground because it is only halftime (in the two legged fixture)," said Connection owner David J Williams. "But it was a very emotional result for me."
If Williams' feet were on the ground when substitute Jose Seabra struck the winning goal, he might have been the only non-Mexican at the Manny Ramjohn who was not suspended in mid-air.
The finale was inspired but it does the script an injustice to ignore the plot's more formative stages.
After a cagey opening quarter-hour, Connection central defender Devon Drayton sent an abysmal back pass meant for goalkeeper Jan-Michael Williams. It was intercepted instead by Guadalajara striker Sergio Santamaria.
It was the very type of childish error that Fevrier warned about in his pre-match sermons. Williams handled outside the penalty area in the 20th minute to avert Santamaria's goalbound shot but was promptly ejected by Jamaican referee Courtney Campbell. Striker Dwight Scott, 22, gave up his place to allow substitute goalkeeper Kerwin Beckles to stand-in for Williams (JM).
"If we had gone a goal down so early," said Connection captain Earl Jean, "it would have been really hard to get back in the game."
If Williams (JM) was the act's martyr, Drayton was quickly becoming its villain after a calamitous start.
An aimless defensive header and comical miskick later and the Marabella audience lost patience with its jester.
"Sub the ras! Sub the ras!" sang one section of the crowd.
Guadalajara coach Jose De La Torre saw blood in the water and, four minutes before the halftime interval, replaced his right back Antonio Patlan with winger Alberto Medina to stretch the hosts.
Fifteen minutes into the second half, Guadalajara got their reward as the aptly named Omar Bravo opened the score summary with a close-ranged header from an accurate left side Ramon Medina cross.
Fevrier promptly sent on attacker Andre Toussaint to loud applause but, unknown to much of the ground, the St Lucia-born coach had already introduced his hero.
Seabra has been a dependable steward since he joined Connection, seven years ago, but it was on Tuesday night that the Brazilian made his most searing impression.
Seabra was fortunate to win a corner kick, 11 minutes from time, as Mexican defender Diego Martinez knocked the ball off the Connection player only for it to ricochet off his own shins and spin out of play.
From the resulting set piece, Seabra controlled at the edge of the area and weaved past two opponents before winning another deflection, which looped the ball over Guadalajara goalkeeper Luis Michel.
Jean, who stands at five foot six, timed his jump perfectly to beat his marker and head into an empty net. The Connection bench deliriously celebrated the rebirth of the affair.
But it was merely the appetiser for an even tastier second item.
Toussaint and Jean combined, on this occasion, to create space for Seabra who needed one touch before slapping his volley into the far corner.
It was arguably the Pro League's best moment since CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh whipped United States' Major League Soccer (MLS) team Chicago Fire 5-2 in a 2004 CONCACAF quarter-final first leg match.
"I was overwhelmed when the second goal scored," said Williams, who founded the club in 1999. "The Manny Ramjohn Stadium just erupted. It was the first time I ever experienced the home crowd respond like that."
Drayton, who was involved in the creation of the second goal, also enjoyed a revival of sorts.
"Rasta! Rasta! Rasta!" the crowd sang, as if to atone for their early barbs.
Fevrier must now conjure up an encore for the second leg in Mexico.
"We have experience in Mexico," he said. "So, we know what to expect."
For much of Tuesday night, the Manny Ramjohn gathering had no idea what was coming next and it was reminiscent-although on a more illustrious stage-of Connection's first league triumph, six years ago. In 2001, Connection needed a three goal win away to Joe Public and again suffered an early expulsion and surrendered the opening goal before recovering to win 4-1.
The last St Lucian to bring such theatre to these shores was Nobel Prize laureate, Derek Walcott.