Connection whip Puerto Rico Islanders 4-1 to reach CONCACAF Champions’ League.
ttproleague.com.
Winger Rennie Britto scored twice and set up another as W Connection hammered Puerto Rico Islanders 4-1 in the Caribbean Football Union Club Championship semi-final round on Tuesday night.
The victory secured Connection’s place in the CONCACAF Champions’ League and set up an all Trinidad and Tobago CFU Club Championship Final with Caledonia AIA which kicks off from 8pm on Thursday at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium.
Caledonia defeated United Soccer Leagues(USL) PRO club Antigua Barracudas 2-0 with second half goals by Radanfah Abu Bakr and substitute Devorn Jorsling in the earlier semi-final at the Marabella venue.
And in the second contest, Digicel Pro League Champions W Connection made easy of the North American Soccer League (NASL) club PR Islanders.
R. Britto fired Connection ahead 1-0 in the 27th minute with a superb curling effort which left a fully stretched Islanders goalie Richard Martin beaten at the far netting.
Martin was earlier tested in the 10th minute pulling off a save against a strike from distance by Connection left wing back Joevin Jones, and made another shutout in the 45th minute denying a solid strike by R. Britto.
Connection then doubled its advantage 2-0 by the 57th minute completing an excellent buildup with Jerrel Britto holding off a defender on the left and blasting a shot past Martin.
A minute and a half later strike teammate Hashim Arcia tamed a shot into the hands of Martin after slipping past a his marker inside the area.
Islanders were lucky not to concede another in the 62nd minute when midfielder Clyde Leon shaved a shot just wide of the upright with a strike from distance.
However the visitors sank to another item in the 66th minute as Connection celebrated a 3-0 score in spectacular fashion with R. Britto completing his double by latching onto a perfectly placed Arcia through-ball and finishing over an advancing Martin.
Islanders didn’t give up the fight with former Connection striker Jonathan Fana Frias and substitute Gregory Richardson, also very familiar with Trinidad and Tobago club football, creating problems for the home-side.
The visitors finally pulled a goal back in the 72nd minute with a superb half volley by substitute Joshua Hanson taking comfortably inside the area and hitting past goalkeeper Jan Michael Williams at the near post for a 3-1 score-line.
But the goals didn’t stop there.
In the 90th minute Arcia deservingly got his name on the scoresheet to complete the score 4-1 by finishing into an exposed net and had R. Britto to thank after the winger unselfishly opted to the open striker following a good breakthrough.
Connection, four time (2001, 2002, 2006 & 2009) CFU champions, now looks ahead to Thursday’s Final, while Barracudas and PR Islanders will take on eachother in the third place fixture from 6pm.
The CFU champions will join a group that includes Major League Soccer (MLS) outfit Seattle Sounders and Honduran club, Marathon. Seattle employs Trinidad and Tobago U23 attacker Cordell Cato and US striker Eddie Johnson.
The CFU runner-up will face top Mexican side Chivas de Guadalajara and Guatemalan team Xelaju, while the CFU third place joins David Beckham’s MLS club LA Galaxy and El Salvador’s Isidro Metapan.
Results
W Connection 4—1 Puerto Rico Islanders
Rennie Britto 27', 66' Jerrel Britto 57', Hashim Arcia 90' ; Joshua Hansen 72'
W Connection—Jan Michael Williams (capt.), Elijah Joseph (Yellow Card), Akeem Benjamin, Rennie Britto, Clyde Leon, Gerard Williams, Kern Cupid, Hashim Arcia (Yellow Card), Andrei Pacheco (Johan Peltier 88th), Jerrel Britto (Christian Viveros 77th), Joevin Jones
Coach—Stuart Charles Fevrier
Puerto Rico Islanders—Richard Martin, Noah Delgado (capt.), Giovanni Edward (Yellow Card) (Cesar Garcia 71st), Jarad Van Schaik (Gregory Richardson 62nd), Nicholas Addlery (Joshua Hansen 70th), Jonathan Frias Fana, Justin Fojo, David Foley, Richard Martinez, Jay Needham, Anthony Vazquez
Coach—Adrian Whitbread
Caledonia qualifies for CONCACAF Champions’ League
How high would Caledonia AIA lift the bar this season, remains the question as the Morvant/Laventille club continues to ride success.
On Tuesday night the club added to already its most successful season by securing its berth into the CONCACAF Champions' League—a lifelong dream of the Jamaal Shabazz coached Caledonia—by reaching the Final of the Caribbean Football Union Club Championship.
Second half goals by defender Radanfah Abu Bakr in the 64th minute and substitute Devorn Jorsling in the 87th minute secured a comfortable 2-0 win over USL PRO outfit Antigua Barracudas in the CFU semi-final round at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium.
Caledonia will meet second semi-final winner and fellow TT Pro League compatriot W Connection in the Final on Thursday from 8pm at the same Marabella venue.
Connection now also into the CONCACAF Champions’ League reached the CFU Final by trashing two-time defending champs Puerto Rico Islanders 4-1 on Tuesday night.
Rennie Britto found the back of the net on either side of the half (27th and 66th minutes) against the Puerto Ricans and set up another in the 90th minute which was converted by striker Hashim Arcia; and Connection’s second in the chain of goals was scored by U-23 striker Jerrel Britto in the 57th minute.
Islanders’ lone item came in the 72nd minute from a well taken strike by substitute Joshua Hansen, however it wasn’t enough of a comeback by the USL division one club.
Islanders and Barracudas will meet from 6pm on Thursday in the crucial third place playoff of the CFU tournament with the winner advancing into the CCL which begins at the end of July.
The CFU champions will join a group that includes Major League Soccer (MLS) outfit Seattle Sounders and Honduran club, Marathon. Seattle employs Trinidad and Tobago U23 attacker Cordell Cato and US striker Eddie Johnson.
The CFU runner-up will face top Mexican side Chivas de Guadalajara and Guatemalan team Xelaju, while the CFU third place joins David Beckham’s MLS club LA Galaxy and El Salvador’s Isidro Metapan.
Barracudas vs Caledonia Match Play Caledonia had a smell of goal just two minutes inside the match however a tardy effort by striker Jamal Gay clattered into a Barracudas defender after meeting Cornelius Stewart's pass from the right.
Caledonia’s Guyanese goalie Ronson Williams then mishandled a tame low freekick from distance by the Antiguan side in the 6th minute, giving away a corner which later proved little threat.
The Digicel Pro League third place finisher and winner of the First Citizens Cup, FA Trophy and Lucozade Sport Goal Shield domestically, then had its first real attempt on goal in the 15th minute.
Striker converted into midfielder Keyon Edwards had a crack from outside the area missing the crossbar by a couple inches when he connected to a loose ball which was threaded through two Barracudas defenders by Gay.
The home side then won a set piece some 24 yards out after a foul on attacker Trevin Caesar, however right wingback Kareem Joseph curling effort was too high to trouble goalkeeper Molvin James.
Following a goalless half the second period continued with little efforts at goal until the introduction of Jorsling in the 56th minute.
Seconds after replacing U-23 forward Caesar, the T&T international forced Barracudas goalie James into action with a low strike from just inside the area.
James’ goal was under threat again in the 62nd minute with attacking right-back Kareem Joseph finding the side netting.
Caledonia finally broke the deadlock 1-0 in the 64th minute when a well placed cross by talented Stewart was headed into the back of the net powerfully by Abu Bakr, leaving James shattered.
However James rebounded to deny Joseph in the 73rd minute and measured a fine strike by Jorsling 11 minutes from time, but was beaten a second time in the 87th minute.
Jorsling slapped in Caledonia second from side the area for a 2-0 finish overcoming an unyielding effort by Barracudas.
Results
Antigua Barracudas 2—0 Caledonia AIA
; Radanfah Abu Bakr 64', Devorn Jorsling 87'
Antigua Barracudas—Molvin James, Lawson Robinson, George Dublin (capt.), Akeem Thomas, Tamorley Thomas (Yellow Card) (Luke Blakely 75th), Quinton Griffith, Peter Byers, Stefan Smith, Kimmoi Alexander, Kerry Skepple (Yellow Card), Orlando Mitchum (Yellow Card) (Matthew Aldred 67th), (Ranja Christian 77th)
Coach—Thomas Curtis
Caledonia AIA—Ronson Williams, Stephan David (capt.), Walter Moore, Kareem Joseph, Nuru Abdullah Muhammad (Yellow Card), Radanfah Abu Bakr, Keyon Edwards, Cornelius Stewart (Nathan Lewis 74th), Trayon Bobb, Trevin Caesar (Devorn Jorsling 56th), Jamal Gay (Conrad Smith 80th) (Yellow Card)
Coach—Jamaal Shabazz
