W Connection beat Cali to claim FCB 2007 title.

[Flex]

True Champions !
By: Randy Bando (ttproleague).[/size]

Say it four times in a row, W Connection! W Connection! W Connection! W Connection!

That’s the chant heard around the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium on Friday after defending First Citizens Cup champions W Connection completed a beaver-trick of the prestigious title. A pair of second half goals by Dominican Republic striker Jonathon ‘Fana’ Frias stunned a determined Caledonia AIA on the night for a fifth overall record of the title.
W Connection walked away with the first place prize money payout of $60,000.00 in front of the largest turnout of spectators recorded at any venue.
Credit must be given to Caledonia AIA after the Morvant based team strongly supported by their traveling fans put of a blissful peformance.
The ‘Stallions’ took away the second place money payout of $30,000.00 in what was a keenly contested final.
The match began with non stop end to end action as Caledonia tried to control the pace of the game.
W Connection didn’t back down but took time adapting to the early pressure applied by the ‘Stallions’.
However the ‘Savonnetta Boys’ had the first real attempt on goal when in the 23rd minute midfielder Aurtis Whitley held up the play for a bit before setting up a charging Andre Toussaint whose first-time blast was parried away by goalkeeper Richard Reynolds.
Four minutes later Caledonia’s Conrad Smith pulled his trigger from distance but the end result skidded wide of goalkeeper Marvin Phillip’s upright.
W Connection then lost the services of Brazilian centre-back Douglas Da Costa who dislocated his shoulder for the second time in a month. He was replaced by a more attacking option, Hughton Hector.
Caledonia’s Conrad Smith had another decent effort in the 40th minute after receiving a cross from Marvin Oliver but unfortunately the attacking midfielder he was denied by a very sturdy upright.
Smith’s miserable night continued when in the final moments of the first period he chipped the ball over bar from inside the area under pressure by defender Christian Viveros—both teams retiring at the half goalless.
Soon after the break a couple of tactical changes were made by both coaches but it was W Connection’s Stuart Charles Fevrier who would have said that he pulled the masterstroke.
Substitute Janathon Frias who replaced the inexperienced Keeron Smith had poked the ‘Savonnetta Boys’ ahead in the 58th minute.
Frias sent the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium in uproar after he latched on to a Whitley through-ball to beat the Caledonia defence and slot the ball under goalkeeper Reynolds for a 1-0 advantage.
Caledonia’s closest opportunity of an equalizer came from continued pressure by midfielder Marvin Oliver inside the W Connection area—but the dreadlocked player only managed to tamely header the ball into the arms of goalkeeper Phillip.
All wasn’t well for Caledonia AIA without key players including regular skipper Sheldon Emmanuel who wasn’t match fit for the clash.
W Connection continued to take advantage of the situation with midfielder Aurtis Whitley showing his brilliance in the middle of the park combining well with striker Jonathon Frias.
Frias then completed his double in the 70th minute aided by Whitley again. Frias used his pace and firm finishing to double the ‘Savanetta Boys’ lead 2-0 as all Caledonia AIA hopes seemed lost. Despite a couple of late close attempts by Marvin Oliver, when the final whistle was sounded, it was W Connection and their supporters who all screamed…we are the champions!

Teams

Caledonia AIA:[/b] — Richard Reynolds, Charles Pollard (capt), Walter Moore, Stephan David, Sterling Arjoon, Howard Lowe, Dexter Franklyn (Anthony Abrams 46th), Uz Taylor (Marcus Ambrose 74th), Conrad Smith (Abdallah Phillips 74th), Marvin Oliver, Hayden Tinto.

Coach – Jamaal Shabazz

W Connection: – Marvin Phillip, Elijah Joseph (capt), Clyde Leon, Nickcolson Thomas, Christian Viveros, Aurtis Whitley, Douglas Da Costa (Hughton Hector 39th), Kerron Smith (Jonathan Frias 46th), Jose Luiz Seabra, Ronaldo Viana (Gerrard Williams 69th), Andre Toussaint.

Goal Scorer — Jonathon Frias 58’, 70’.

Technical Director – Stuart Charles Fevrier

Match Referee—Neil Brizan

Player of the Match—Aurtis Whitley (W Connection)
 
Caledonia AIA  v  W Connection

 0  Goals  2
 4  Shots on Target  7
 8  Shots Wide  4
 0  Offsides  1
 5  Corners  1
 10  Fouls  9
 1  Yellow Cards  3
 0  Red Cards  0

[ZANDOLIE]

Whitley playin ball.

[Themanfriday]

Whitley is on fire!!!

[Tallman]

Ah find dat trophy looking like one ah dem oil lamp.

[Midknight]

Ah find dat trophy looking like one ah dem oil lamp.

ent?

[Sando]

W Connection walked away with the first place prize money payout of $60,000.00 in front of the largest turnout of spectators recorded at any venue.
Credit must be given to Caledonia AIA after the Morvant based team strongly supported by their traveling fans put of a blissful peformance.

As I said, South does support !!!!!!!!!!! and now they beat up a north team to win de cup..... AIA had a few supporters travelling in they Maxi, but south fill de stadium.... it had nuff party at de game too.

Where Morvant man.......  Guyanese AIA flap up.....

I am surprise that Withley got man of the match when it was sub Jonathan Farias who scored the double to win the game...

Mannie Rahjohn is the place to be !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[morvant]

still get second place small thing

we do not loose for even in defeat there is a valuable lesson learned so it even's it up 4 us

[Sam]

That Jonathan Farias fella have a bright future, ah feel Connection will export him soon....

Caledonia missing Sheldon Emmanuel alone and that made a difference it seems. They played without a prolific striker too how do they expect to score goals. Even though Conrad Smith decent, but Tinto and Abrams cant score goals..... they not prolific especially Tinto, he can play a better wing, Caledonia went with a defensive line up, they fraid de Connection...

W Connection did good here..... congrats.....

I hope to see Arima United in the near future. Time we take de throphy East !!!!!!!! but big up to South, and they crowd is a welcome news..... I have one question though, the writer said "W Connection walked away with the first place prize money payout of $60,000.00 in front of the largest turnout of spectators recorded at any venue  - ..... how big was that crowd ? and how could it be the biggest... maybe he meant the biggest the PFL ever saw ??

[andre samuel]

Whitley playin ball.

Whitley is on fire!!!

I read this article and was very confused, Whitley was very absent from this game and caledonia controlled the midfield.  Only in the second half did we realise that Whitley was playing.

Those two passes were his only contribution to the game and it was followed up with 10 really bad passes.

Marvin Oliver looked ok, but he played alone up front and everything that caledonia did upfront went through him.  He still fought hard though.  

Hayden Tinto played a gem last night, his pace is amazing and he must be in the national set up, even if it is just for the experience.

He is our very own little aaron lennon!!

ah love it!!

nb: it was announced that there were 9,800 at the game. 

[dcs]

That Farias fellah only come on second half....eh think he do enough to win man of the match.
Walter Moore for Cali play good on the wing. Whitley play a lil lax but if he would just up his urgency a lil bit he could have a bigger impact.

Connection play counter attack well....Oliver was a good target man but they were too one-dimensional looking for him.  He should have scored at least one in the ending...if Cali had score in the first 20 mins when they were pressing Connection might have open up.
Good game an real nice crowd (as seen on the station "C")

[ZANDOLIE]

Whitley playin ball.

Whitley is on fire!!!

I read this article and was very confused, Whitley was very absent from this game and caledonia controlled the midfield.  Only in the second half did we realise that Whitley was playing.

Those two passes were his only contribution to the game and it was followed up with 10 really bad passes.

Marvin Oliver looked ok, but he played alone up front and everything that caledonia did upfront went through him.  He still fought hard though. 

Hayden Tinto played a gem last night, his pace is amazing and he must be in the national set up, even if it is just for the experience.

He is our very own little aaron lennon!!

ah love it!!

nb: it was announced that there were 9,800 at the game.

Hmmm. How he win man of the match then? I also noticed another article on the Jab-Petrotrin game heavily biased in favor of Jab and I say they thoroughly dominate. but when yuh chek the stats they told a different story.

[WestCoast]

Ah find dat trophy looking like one ah dem oil lamp.

ent?

we should start ah thread about funny trophies
allya see de F1 trophy
I find it does look like de ting de mechanic does put under ya car when he draining ya oil

[Big Magician]

channel 4 just show de game....some good moments but littered with some poor football....

farias is a cut above any TnT based forwards...and i saw this in the U-20 qualifiers here like 8 months ago...

[lil damo]

Tinto was a cut above the rest, showing glimpses of real class. I've never seen him play until last night and I was shocked that he is still in the Pro League. Is he inconsistent or something because he should be playing on the wing or attacking midfield for some professional side in England.

[weary1969]

Tinto looked good in Jan 4 d Digi Cup.

[Lower St. John]

Back home checking out the Pro-League for the first time.  It was really a big surprise to see the crowd.  Real good for local football, reminds me of 20 plus years ago.  South really came out and it had nuff ladies at the match.  To be honest the quality of the sights in the stands was better than the quality of football on the field.  The game for the most part was boring.  Plain talk bad manners.  Caledonia should have scored at least 2 clear cut goals in the first half and pretty much took the fight to W Connection in the first half.  AIA no. 9, forgive me for not knowing his name, simply ta ta down the place hitting the post and missing one and ones with the keeper.  At the end of the first half Caledonia right back injured his thigh muscle and was substituted.  It was hard to believe one substitution made such a big difference in AIA play but the same no. 9 came back in the midfield and the service up front was absent in the second half.  Whitley played decent but not necessarily worthy of a man of the match.  I myself would have given the goal scorer the award.  Toussaint played the most ta ta on the field.  In the end W. Connection took their chances in the second half and deserve the victory but AIA was not totally outplayed.  I was really disappointed with the overall standard but maybe I had my hopes too high and was away too long.

Blessed