Joe Public returns to Group Stage.

[Flex]

Joe Public returns to Group Stage.
Concacafchampions.com.

MACOYA, Trinidad - Kerry Baptiste scored for a second time in eight days and led Joe Public to a 4-2 victory over Brujas Thursday night that sent the Trinidadian side into the Group Stage of the CONCACAF Champions League.

It was the second time in three years that Joe Public has advanced out of the Preliminary Round, winning 6-4 on aggregate to enter Group B along with the Columbus Crew, Municipal and Santos Laguna.

Baptiste scored with a 25-meter effort in the eighth minute to inspire Joe Public, who stunned the New England Revolution 6-1 on aggregate in 2008 to reach the league phase.

Brujas had the better of play and chances early, limiting Joe Public to only a moment of possession in the offensive third in the first seven minutes. But less than a minute later, Baptiste took a ball from Hayden Tinto 30 meters from goal, turned and took one touch before launching a right-footed shot that streaked into the upper right corner.

Carlyle Mitchell and Micah Lewis added goals in the 39th and fourth minute of first-half injury time to all but end Brujas' hopes.

Joe Public will try to avenge its last trip to the Group Stage, where it lost five of six games and was outscored 15-3.

Brujas, which lost both its opening games in the Costa Rican Apertura - including Sunday's 5-2 defeat to Puntarenas, has not won in 12 competitive matches, dating back to a 4-2 league victory over Herediano on March 6.

It took the initiative from the opening kickoff, sending a cross through the goal box in the second minute, testing Joe Public keeper Glenroy Samuel with a cross into the area by Andres Nunez in the fourth minute and creating two corner kicks in the first six minutes.

But Baptiste's goal with Joe Public's first foray at goal changed the momentum. Despite a header off the crossbar by Bryan Vega in the 30th, Joe Public doubled its lead eight minutes laster.

Trent Noel - whose goal in injury time last week gave Joe Public a 2-2 draw in Costa Rica - lofted a free kick into the area, where Mitchell leaped unmarked to knock it down past keeper Danny Carvajal, who had come off his line but failed to reach the ball.

Lewis appeared to put Joe Public comfortably ahead just before halftime, taking a couple of touches of a ball served to him by Jevon Morris, getting a fortunate bounce into the area and getting one final touch under Carvajal.

Yosimar Arias converted from a deflected free kick on the edge of the arc to pull Brujas within 3-1 in the 63rd, and Nunez added a penalty 72nd after Keion Goodridge was called for shoving Christian Lagos as the Brujas substitute raced to get on to the end of a cross by Yendrik Ruiz.

But Andre Toussaint ended Brujas' last hopes four minutes later, easily knocking in a ball slowly rolled across the area by Lewis. Joe Public will open the Group Stage at home on August 18 against Santos Laguna.

Brujas 2 v. 4 Joe Public.
Josimar Arias 63, Andrés Nunez 72 (Pen) ; Kerry Baptiste 8, Carlyle Mitchell 39, Micah Lewis 45, Andre Toussaint 76.

Teams

Joe Public: - 22.Glenroy Samuel, 8.Trent Noel, 19.Carlyle Mitchell, 20.Makan Hislop, 3.Keion Goodridge (Yellow 71), 4.Kerry Baptiste (capt) (28.Marcus Joseph 75th), 7.Hayden Tinto (11.Andre Toussaint 76th), 14.Kareem Young, 10.Yu Hoshide, 34.Jevon Morris (Yellow 57), 27.Micah Lewis (17.Nigel Daniel 79th - Yellow 90).

Coach: Derek King (Trinidad & Tobago).

Brujas: - 12.Danny Carvajal, 14.Andrés Nunez, 15.Heiner Mora (23.Yendrick Ruiz 46th), 2.Roy Smith, 13.Brandon Poltronieri, 21.Keylor Soto, 10.Josimar Arias, 26.Fabricio Chavarría, 9.Pablo Brenes, 32.William Sunsing, 22.Bryan Vega (27.Cristian Lagos 59th - Yellow 82).

Coach: Jose Torres (Costa Rica).

VIDEO Highlights: | Joe Public v. Brujas |

Officials:

Referee: Valdrin Ledgister (Jamaica).
Assistants: Stephen Brown (Jamaica).
Assistants: Mark Sullivan (Jamaica).
Fourth Official: Neil Brizan (Trinidad & Tobago).

General Game Stats

Joe Public  v  Brujas
Shots on goal 5 - 6
Shots wide 4 - 5
Fouls 11 - 8
Corner Kicks 3 - 6
Offsides 1 - 1
Possession 51% - 49%

[andre samuel]

Well done to Derek King and to players @ Joe Public!  Keep the proleague flag flying!!

Three group games for me to go 

ah love it!!

[Flex]

2010 CONCACAF Champions Cup

Wednesday
18:08:10, 8:00pm, Joe Public (TRI) v Santos Laguna (MEX), Marvin Lee Stadium

Thursday
26:08:10, 10:00pm, C.S.D. Municipal (GUA) v Joe Public (TRI),  Estadio Mateo Flores

Group A

GP W D L F A D PTS
Cruz Azul  0 0 0 0 0 0 +0 0   
Real Salt Lake  0 0 0 0 0 0 +0 0   
Toronto  0 0 0 0 0 0 +0 0   
Arabe Unido  0 0 0 0 0 0 +0 0

Group B

GP W D L F A D PTS
Columbus Crew  0 0 0 0 0 0 +0 0   
Joe Public  0 0 0 0 0 0 +0 0   
Municipal  0 0 0 0 0 0 +0 0   
Santos  0 0 0 0 0 0 +0 0

Group C

GP W D L F A D PTS  
Saprissa  0 0 0 0 0 0 +0 0   
Marathón  0 0 0 0 0 0 +0 0   
Monterrey  0 0 0 0 0 0 +0 0   
Seattle Sounders  0 0 0 0 0 0 +0 0

Group D

GP W D L F A D PTS
FAS  0 0 0 0 0 0 +0 0   
Olimpia  0 0 0 0 0 0 +0 0   
Puerto Rico Islanders  0 0 0 0 0 0 +0 0   
Toluca  0 0 0 0 0 0 +0 0

[Observer]

Very well done 

[100% Barataria]

Groups C and D look like groups of death, so group B isn't bad at all....

[D.H.W]

rel good teams dread  impressive

[Sando]

Joe Public need a solid defender if they are to have any chance and where the hell is Marvin Phillip, this Glenroy Samuel fella kind of nerve wrecking.

Flex found a good player for them, probably JP's best player is de Japanese fella, Yu Hoshide.

[Sam]

Brujas have some decent players in they squad, but they been around a long time, I remember Roy Smith, Soto, Pablo Brenes and Sunsing playing for Costa Rica.

This must be de first time a T&T team ever eliminate a team from Costa Rica at club or country level.

And must be de first time we ever score 2 goals in Costa Rica too when JP tie them 2-2 last week

Maybe Tallman could clarify.

Well done JP.

[Kingk]

http://www.concacaf.com/page/CL/Video/HighlightsDetail2/0,,12813~2112738,00.html

[Controversial]

good game  now its time for them to top the group, watch out for micah lewis

[Big Magician]

well done JP

[vb]

Brujas have some decent players in they squad, but they been around a long time, I remember Roy Smith, Soto, Pablo Brenes and Sunsing playing for Costa Rica.

This must be de first time a T&T team ever eliminate a team from Costa Rica at club or country level.

And must be de first time we ever score 2 goals in Costa Rica too when JP tie them 2-2 last week

Maybe Tallman could clarify.

Well done JP.

I was thinking the same thing.
And this is at altitude to boot. Not as bas as Mex. City but still around 1200 metres.

I think Strike Squad scored two goals against them in 1989 but they were ruled off side 

VB

[Deeks]

Of all the teams in Conccaf, CR like they have a jinx on we. I think they are the first team we ever play for WC(I stand to be corrected). That was for  66 WC. We never beat them. They always find a way to beat us. That goes for club and national team.

[che]

Of all the teams in Conccaf, CR like they have a jinx on we. I think they are the first team we ever play for WC(I stand to be corrected). That was for  66 WC. We never beat them. They always find a way to beat us. That goes for club and national team.

not this time.