Joe Public, Islanders register opening CFU Final Round victories.
By: Randy Bando (ttproleague).
Defender Radanfah Abu Bakr’s early second period goal handed Bmobile Joe Public a 1-0 victory on Wednesday night over fellow Pro League club San Juan Jabloteh in their CFU Final Round clash at the Marvin Lee Stadium.
The lanky Trinidad and Tobago international snuck in at the open far post to knock Trent Noel’s corner from the left side into the Jabloteh net in the 50th minute for the match winner in a very untidy clash.
And in the earlier game of the CFU Club Championship double header, Puerto Rico Islanders whipped Bayamon 3-0 in a one sided Puerto Rican derby.
Islanders which featured Trinibagonians Osaei Telesford and Kendall Jagdeosingh, held a 2-0 advantage at the break following a pair of goals in quick succession by Noah Delgado in the 7th and Nicholas Addlery 33rd minute before Joshua Hansen capped off the 3-0 victory with a 51st minute item.
In the Trinidad derby, Public had a great opening just three minutes into the match when Noel received an over the top pass, and whipped a low ball across the face of goal beating goalkeeper Cleon John only to see Kerry Baptiste just short of meeting the ball for a tap-in.
Jabloteh’s best first half opening came in the 20th minute, however that play was well handled by standout Joe Public defender Carlyle Mitchell who made a timely block on Johan Peltier's attempted shot after a neat buildup by the San Juan club.
Mitchell later missed an open header on goal in the 35th minute heading wide of the goal, after rising high inside the Jabloteh area to meet a free kick from Noel on the left.
Public was at it again, two minutes into the second period but Baptiste fumbled inside the area only to manage a tame shot wide which goalkeeper Cleon John allowed to roll by.
The Jabloteh goalie contained a superb strike by substitute Yu Hoshide with an acrobatic save in the 48th minute.
But two minutes later, Joe Public stole the advantage and what turned out to be the match winner from Bakr.
Jabloteh’s Ataullah Guerra made a desperate effort from outside the area in the 73rd minute but his attempt was high and wide as Jabloteh struggled for the equalizer.
Guerra had another effort in the 86th minute after showing some neat footwork at the edge of the area only to direct the low effort at goalkeeper Marvin Phillip who preserved his team’s 1-0 advantage.
Joe Public will meet Islanders on Friday in Day Two of the CFU Club Championship from 6pm at the same Macoya venue while Jabloteh and Bayamom will play against each other two hours later—from 8pm.
The top three teams will advance into the preliminary round of the CONCACAF Champions League.
Results
Puerto Rico Islanders 3—0 Bayamon FC
Noah Delgado 7', Nicholas Addlery 33', Joshua Hansen 51' ;
Joe Public 1—0 San Juan Jabloteh
Radanfah Abu Bakr 50' ;
Teams
Joe Public—Marvin Phillip, Kerry Baptiste (capt) (Yellow), Hayden Tinto (Micah Lewis 46th), Trent Noel, Gorean Highley (Yu Hoshide 46th), Kareem Young, Nigel Daniel, Makan Hislop, Carlyle Mitchell, Radanfah Abu Bakr, Marcus Joseph (Jevon Morris 85th)
Coach—Derek King
San Juan Jabloteh—Cleon John, Marvin Oliver (capt), Christian Thomas (Sheldon Bateau 64th), Elijah Manners, Ataullah Guerra (Yellow), Robert Primus, Jason Marcano, Johan Peltier (Yellow) (Noel Williams 54th) (Yellow), Kennedy Hinkson (Ronaldo Viana 54th), Joel Russell, Jamal Jack
Coach—Terry Fenwick
CFU Club Championship Final Round
Day Two
Friday, May 7
Joe Public (TRI) vs. Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR)—6pm
San Juan Jabloteh (TRI) vs. Bayamon FC (PUR)—8pm
Day Three
Sunday, May 9
San Juan Jabloteh (TRI) vs. Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR)—4pm
Joe Public (TRI) vs. Bayamon FC (PUR)—6pm
Jabloteh lodges protest over Abu Bakr.
By: Nigel Simon (T&T Guardian).
San Juan Jabloteh has lodged a protest with the Caribbean Football Union over bmobile Joe Public’s use of defender Radanfah Abu Bakr in Wednesday’s Club Champions Cup encounter at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya.
This was confirmed by the club’s chief executive officer, Azaad Mohammed-Khan yesterday.
On Wednesday night, the CFU Club Champions Cup Final Round clash between the two Digicel Pro League rivals, kicked off under a cloud off controversy as Jabloteh coach Terry Fenwick made a complaint to the match commissioner Norris Ferguson that Abu Bakr was illegible for the match having picked up a red card in his team’s final second round match against System 3 of St Vincent and The Grenadines last month.
Mohammed-Khan said his team has sent a formal protest letter to the CFU and pointed to the tournament rules which said players or team officials suspended shall serve their suspension during the following match of the CFU Club Champions Cup, be it in the current edition or any future edition of the tournament or any tournament which may, by virtue of its purpose, substitute the CFU Champions Cup.
However, Derek King, coach of Joe Public said his team was given the green light at the CFU technical meeting on Tuesday for Abu Bakr to play in the match.
“We asked about Radanfah’s availability and was told that all the suspensions were wiped clean from the previous round,” said King. Ironically, Abu Bakr’s 50th minute goal earned Joe Public a 1-0 win in the match.
CFU fines Jabloteh, River Plate, players.
The Caribbean Football Union Disciplinary Committee has handed Digicel Pro League club, San Juan Jabloteh, a fine of US$5,000 while its home venue (any venue within T&T) was placed on probation for a period of six months.
This was revealed in a press release yesterday following investigations into the CFU Club Champions Group D match between Jabloteh and Puerto Rico’s River Plate which ended in an ugly onfield brawl on April 18 at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar.
Overall the CFU Disciplinary Committee handed out US$23,500 in fines to both clubs and players involved.
The lone Jabloteh player to be slapped with a ban was striker Cyrano Glen who was handed a two-match suspension and fined US$500 for his red card expulsion in the encounter.
As was expected, River Plate was handed the heavier fine of US$10,000, while coach Argentine Fabian Zermatten and five of his players were slapped with a total of US$8,00 in fines and bans.
In addition to the fine for River Plate PR, the club was placed on probation for the remainder of the season.
Zermatten was suspended for five matches and a fined US$2,000; Lucas Masilla fined US$2,000 and suspended for six months; Jose Rodriguez fined US$1,000 and suspended for three matches.
Raul Oswaldo Ruiz suspended for five matches and fined US$2,000; Maximiliano Vallejo suspended for three matches and fined US$500 and Jorge Alfredo Gonzales, suspended for two matches and also fined US$500.
