Continuing where they left off against the Houston Dynamo, W Connection wasted several goalscoring chances and ultimately paid the price as they suffered a 2-0 loss to Panamanian club Arabe Unido at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
Goals were scored by Luis Cesar Fraiz (28') and Abdiel Arroyo (61') respectively. W Connection's next and final Champions League match will be against Houston Dynamo on September 25th.
Results
Arabe Unido 2 v W Connection 0
Fraiz 27
Arroyo 60
Teams
W Connection: - 21.Alejandro Figueroa, 24.Joao Ananias, 4.Daneil Cyrus, 2.Kurt Frederick, 10.Joevin Jones (capt) (Yellow 51), 19.Leslie Russell (17.Jamal Clarence 64th), 14.Hachim Arcia (65.Neil Benjamin 68th), 6.Celio da Silva Santos, 3.Gerard Williams (Yellow 62), 31.Jerrel Britto, 26.Stefano Rijssel (40.Jomal Williams 56th).
Coach: - Stuart Charles Fevrier
Arabe Unido: - 1.Miguel Lloyd (Yellow 37), 30.Harold Cummings, 6.Rigoberto Niño, 9.Abdiel Arroyo (21.David Daniels 84th), 4.Luis C. Fraiz, 12.Jose Gonzalez, 5.Paul Roderick (11.Enrico Small 87th), 10.Orlando Rodriguez (14.Humberto Ward 53rd), 88.Alejandro Velez, 3.Fidel Caesar (capt), 8.Ángel Patrick.
Coach: - Jair Palacios
Referee: - Trevor Taylor
Venue: - Hasely Crawford Stadium
Video: - W Connection vs Arabe Unido Highlights
Standings
P W D L F A P
Arabe Unido 3 2 0 1 6 3 6
Houston Dynamo 2 1 1 0 2 1 4
W Connection 3 0 1 2 1 5 1
Arabe Unido defeats wasteful Connection 2-0 in crucial CCL clash
ttproleague.com
DIRECTV W Connection's attempts to advance out of the Concacaf Champions League group stage struck a dead end on Thursday night after the Trinidad and Tobago club suffered a 2-0 defeat against visiting Arabe Unido.
Connection were disappointing in front of goal, but the same couldn't be said about the Panamanians at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
Left-back Luis Fraiz fired Arabe ahead in the 28th minute and forward Abdiel Arroyo doubled the advantage by the 60th minute to secure the victory.
Meanwhile Connection, which was defeated 3-1 by Arabe in Panama on August 8 and drew 0-0 with Houston Dynamo on August 20 in Trinidad, now sits at the bottom of Group 1 with just 1 point and out of the race for a quarter-final spot.
Forward Jerrel Britto had three early opportunities for Connection; first flicking a Stefano Rijssel cross wide of the far post in the 8th minute; hitting wide in the 16th minute; and wide again in the 19th minute with goalkeeper Miguel Lloyd at his mercy.
The "Savonnetta Boys" looked promising in the early moments despite the fact that Arabe goalscorer Arroyo had three early efforts himself.
Jose Gonzalez then broke the offside trap in the 23 minute for Arabe and had a try at goal but goalkeeper Alejandro Figueroa was unbeatable. And a minute later the Connection goalie thwarted an effort by Fidel Caesar.
But Figueroa was beaten four minutes later, for a 1-0 Arabe advantage, when Fraiz free on the left, slammed an early strike into the roof of the far netting to complete a play which started from a throw in on the right.
Connection had a 34th minute opportunity to level the score but a free Britto was late to react when a Joevin Jones free-kick which deflected to him at the back post.
Later, a minute inside the second half Britto was involved again, this time with a well weighted low cross behind the defense and past the gloves of a fully stretched Llyod, but Rijssel's slidding attempt at the back post was late.
Connection's failure to find the back of the net continued in the 59th minute when Hashim Arcia volleyed overbar from the edge of the six yard area from a substitute Jomal Williams' head-on inside the area.
The Stuart Charles Fevrier coached-Connection then conceded its second item on the hour mark when Arroyo, who was set free by an excellent through-ball on the counterattack, out-raced defender Leslie Russell from 25 yards out and held his composure against a recovering defender and Figueroa to slot into the net.
Charles-Fevrier responded by adding a fourth striker in debuting Jamal Clarence, and later attacking midfielder Jomal Williams for striker Arcia, however the "Savonnetta Boys" failed to get back into the game.
Former Connection goalie Lloyd, now a mainstay in the Arabe lineup, pulled off a great save in the 91st minute, thwarting a deflected Jones' free-kick.
And in the third and final minute of time added on, Clarence slammed a low effort just wide.
Moments earlier Connection were lucky not to concede in the 76th minute when a neat heeled pass by Rigoberto Nino allowed Angel Patrick a go at goal, and in the 89th minute substitute Enrico Small found the root of the upright.
In the end Arabe, jumped to the top of the group with 6 points, two ahead of Dynamo (4 points) which defeated them 2-1 in the first leg on August 27.
"First we have to thank God for this victory," said Arabe's Colombian coach Jahir Palacios during the post match media briefing.
"It was against a hard team. They are very good technically, very good physically, and very fast. I had to tell my players to move the ball around a lot."
Palacios also said that Connection were a lot more aggressive than when both teams met in Panama.
Arabe will next host Dynamo on October 24 to wrap up their group fixtures.
Arabe eliminates lively Connection from Champions League.
By Lasana Liburd (wired868).
DIRECTV W Connection followed Caledonia AIA out of the 2013/14 CONCACAF Champions League last night as the “Savonetta Boys” were eliminated from the confederation’s showpiece club competition in the group stage.
There was, arguably, some consolation in the manner of Connection’s exit as they produced a lively performance that was not reflected in the 2-0 result enjoyed by Panamanian club, Arabe Unido, at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port of Spain.
Caledonia was slapped around on its home ground by Guatemala’s CSD Comunicaciones and Mexico’s Deportivo Toluca who collectively scored eight goals to one conceded against the “Eastern Stallions” in Port of Spain.
In contrast, Connection created more scoring opportunities than Houston Dynamo in a goalless draw in August and, last night, in defeat to Arabe. But they wasted every chance. It is a recurring theme.
Since age caught up with gifted St Lucian striker Earl Jean, the Savonetta Boys only once has a Connection striker cross the 20 goal mark. And, crucially, Connection managed just one league title since its pure number 9 called it a day, six years ago.
The bustling, diminutive Dominican Republic international Jonathan Fana managed 26 goals in all competitions in 2009. But coach Stuart Charles-Fevrier has been unable to develop or poach a player with that predatory instinct ever since.
Fevrier must have gazed longingly towards Jean, who is now his assistant coach, last night as Connection created a handful of good scoring opportunities within the first 15 minutes.
Twice, Jerrel Britto dragged his shot wide while captain Joevin Jones delayed and was closed down by the Arabe defence.
At times, it seemed as though Connection was using four strikers. Jones, who plays left back for Trinidad and Tobago, is nominally the club’s offensive midfielder but he has a tendency to push right alongside Connection’s three attackers and then take his sweet time getting back to the engine room.
Gradually, more Connection players seemed to be sucked into offensive positions in a vain effort to help find that goal, which their neat passing and attacking movement deserved.
And, just as the Savonetta Boys seemed more dangerous than ever, Arabe scored.
Luis Fraiz, Arabe’s left wing back, burst into acres of free room down the flank and surprised goalkeeper Alejandro Figueroa with a spanking, angled drive into the far corner in the 28th minute.
Connection’s Brazilian right back Joao Ananais was so far removed from his defensive duties at the time that he might as well have been enjoying a drink in the VIP lounge.
Connection should have equalised, seconds into the second half, as Surinamese winger Stefano Rijssel failed to make true contact with a low, raking right side Britto cross. Then Hashim Arcia missed the best opportunity of the night as he leaned back and launched his volley overbar from 10 yards after Britto cushioned a header into his path.
And, 15 minutes after the resumption, Arabe got its insurance item as striker Abdiel Arroyo got away from Connection defender Leslie Russell on the break and rounded Figueroa to score.
It might have been three too as Humberto Ward danced away from a challenge and sent fellow substitute Enrico Small clear, in the closing minutes, but Small lifted his effort over the Connection goalkeeper but against the base of the far post.
Connection has released Italian striker Mirko Delia due to persistent knee problems while Fevrier appears skeptical of Colombian attacker Yefer Lozano’s nerve and physique in such testing conditions. The club’s other attacking options, Yhon Reyes and Camilo Ortega (both Colombian), have barely featured this season and Andrei Pacheco jumped ship for Point Fortin Civic FC.
Fevrier sent on 24-year-old Juma Clarence, who is back from an unsuccessful spell with Turkish club Hacettepe, and 18-year-old Neil Benjamin. Both are former Trinidad and Tobago national youth players. But Benjamin was a peripheral figure and although Clarence managed one decent effort on the turn, it was wide of the target.
“Clarence has barely played over the last three years,” said Fevrier. “So he is bit rusty. We have to give him time.”
Connection’s bid to advance to the knockout stage of the Champions League was out of time, though. In the five year history of the revamped CONCACAF competition, no Pro League team has ever advanced from its group.
Defence Force and Caledonia will hope for better luck in the next edition of the Champions League in 2014.
(Teams)
W Connection (4-1-1-1-3): 21.Alejandro Figueroa (GK); 24.Joao Ananais, 19.Leslie Russell (17.Juma Clarence 64), 4.Daneil Cyrus, 2.Kurt Frederick; 3.Gerard Williams; 6.Celio Da Silva; 10.Joevin Jones; 31.Jerrel Britto, 14.Hashim Arcia (65.Neil Benjamin 68), 26.Stefano Rijssel (40.Jomal Williams 56).
Unused substitutes: 18.Julani Archibald (GK), 7.Silvio Spann, 15.Mekeil Williams, 25.Christian Ocoro Viveros.
Coach: Stuart Charles-Fevrier
Arabe Unido (3-4-1-2): 1.Miguel Lloyd (GK); 30.Harold Cummings, 3.Fidel Caesar (captain), 6.Rigoberto Nino; 8.Angel Patrick, 5.Paul Roderick (21.David Daniels 84), 88.Alejandro Velez, 4.Luiz Frais; 12.Jose Gonzalez; 10.Orlando Rodriguez (14.Humberto Ward 53), 9.Abdiel Arroyo (11.Enrico Small 87).
Unused substitutes: 13.Alexander Andreve (GK), 2.Reynaldo Anderson, 15.Brayan Flores, 26.Felix Gondola.
Coach: Jair Palacios
CONCACAF Champions League
(Thu Sep 19)
W Connection 0, Arabe Unido 2 (Luis Fraiz 28, Abdiel Arroyo 61) at Port of Spain.