2012 Lucozade Sport Goal Shield Thread.

[Tallman]

Goal Shield kicks off tomorrow
By Kern De Freitas (T&T Express)
 
"It's all about goals."

That's T&T Pro League CEO Dexter Skeene's take on the 2012 Lucozade Sport Goal Shield, which kicks off tomorrow at Manny Ramjohn Stadium in Marabella and Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain from 6 p.m.

The Pro League, which launched the 2012 Goal Shield at the VIP Lounge of the Hasely Crawford Stadium yesterday, is adding a few incentives to spice up the tournament, with the winners earning, in addition to a starting winners' prize of $20,000, additional cash prizes for each goal scored in the different rounds of the competition.

The champions will collect $1,000 for each goal scored at the quarter-final stage, $2,000 for each semi-final goal, and another $3,000 for goals in the final.

For the runners-up, they get $500, $1,000 and $1,500 for each round, respectively, in addition to the $10,000 second prize. There will also be a spectator's competition, with three fans in a shootout to win $500.

Sponsors Lucozade Sport have also upped the ante, increasing their sponsorship this year from $70,000 to $80,000. They are also targeting the fans, with one lucky patron winning a trip to England to watch a Premier League match of their choice.

Teams for the competition have been drawn for the quarter-final round on the basis of their final Pro League positions, with defending champs North East Stars facing Pro League runners-up T&TEC in the second match of a double-header at "Manny Ramjohn" from 8 p.m.

The earlier match at Marabella, kicking off at 6 p.m., will feature 2011-2012 Pro League winners W Connection against St Ann's Rangers.

At Hasely Crawford Stadium, Caledonia AIA come up against Police from 6 p.m., while the most mouth-watering clash of the "quarters", between Defence Force and San Juan Jabloteh, will kick off at 8 p.m.

At the launch, Skeene thanked the sponsors for their continued support in the current difficult economic climate and singled out team owners David John-Williams of W Connection, Caledonia AIA's Jamaal Shabazz and North East Stars' Darryl Mahabir for their continued support of the Pro League.

Lucozade brand manager Keenan Henry reiterated his company's support of the Goal Shield, saying the fans are also an integral part of football.

"We may forget a great pass, or a great save, or even a great cross, but we'll always remember a great goal," Henry said. "In other words, the Lucozade Sport Shield is not only for players to push themselves, but also for the fans and spectators to have the most memorable experience."

Fixtures

Tomorrow’s quarterfinals

Venue: Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella

W Connection vs St Ann’s Rangers, 6 pm - (A)
T&TEC vs North East Stars, 8 pm - (B)

Venue: Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo

Caledonia AIA vs Police, 6 pm - (C)
Defence Force vs San Juan Jabloteh, 8 pm - (D)

Semifinals

April 20

Winner A vs Winner D
Winner B vs Winner C

Final

April 27

[Sam]

Is it Manny Ramjohn Stadium or Mannie Ramjohn Stadium  ?

[soccerrama]

It's Mannie Ramjohn Stadium

[Sam]

Thanks  soccerrama

It have some real asshole writers in Trinidad boy.....

[Flex]

Lucozade Sport to send lucky spectator to the English Premiership.
ttproleague.com.

One extremely lucky Lucozade Sport Goal Shield spectator at this season’s Final on Friday 27 April and a guest of his/her choice will win a trip to England to view an English Premier League match of choice next season with all expenses paid by Lucozade Sport.

This was revealed at the official launch of the 2011-12 season Lucozade Sport Goal Shield on Wednesday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium VIP Lounge.

Keenan Henry, Brand Manager Caribbean, Lucozade Sport explained, “We have decided to focus even more on the fans and spectators (this season).”

Added to the $80,000 in sponsorship for the Goal Shield knockout tournament which is in its third season, the Lucozade Sport— also the official sport drink of the English Premier League—has thrown in what could be dubbed the most attractive supporter prize in Trinidad and Tobago football.

“Lucuzade Sport is a global brand and the brand is most prominent at the English Premier League as the official sport drink in the most popular football league in Europe,” said Henry.

“This is where we at Glaxcosmithkline have decided, we are pleased to share that one lucky spectator who attends the final (of the Lucozade Sport Goal Shield) on Friday 27 will have an opportunity of a grand prize for a memorable experience of attending an English Premier League game of their choice during the next season with all expenses paid. The winner will be allowed to be accompanied by one guest. We are offering this prize to say thanks to our loyal fans and supporters because without them our league and by extension our local football will not grow.”

The Lucozade Sport Goal Shield kicks off on Friday 13 April with defending champions DIRECTV North East Stars against Digicel Pro League runner-up T&TEC FC in the quarter-final round from 8pm at Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, and two hours earlier (6pm) at the Marabella venue League champions W Connection are against bottom of the table St. Ann’s Rangers with the match-ups decided by positions finished in the League.

At the Hasely Crawford Stadium in other quarter-final match-ups, third positioned Caledonia AIA will take on seventh positioned Police FC from 6pm and fourth positioned Defence Force against last season’s finalist Adam’s Construction San Juan Jabloteh from 8pm.

The semi-final round will be contested on Friday 20 April.

[Football supporter]

W.Connection 0 - 1 St Anns Rangers (Modeste pen 5")

Caledonia 1 - 0 Police  (Gay 66")

T&TEC 1 - 1 North East Stars  (De Leon 5".     Power 67") T&TEC won 4-3 on pens

Defence Force 4 - 1 Jabloteh  (Baptiste 50", Serries 57", Roy 70" Belgrave 77".      Jamerson 27")

[Sam]

NE Stars really disappoint me this season bro.....

W Connection got kicked out by Rangers..... WOW !!!!!!

[Tallman]

Rangers boot Connection out of Lucozade Sport Goal Shield, Caledonia edge Police
ttproleague.com

St. Ann’s Rangers and Caledonia AIA both advanced into the semi-final round of the 2011-12 Lucozade Sport Goal Shield with slim 1-0 victories over recently crowned Digicel Pro League Champions W Connection and Police FC respectively on Friday night. 

Four minutes into the match Connection handed Rangers a penalty and midfielder Devon Modeste made mistake a minute later burying the kick past goalkeeper Aquilius Sylvester for the 1-0 advantage which the St. Ann’s club surprisingly defended till full time at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium.

And at the Hasely Crawford Stadium striker Jamal Gay (66th minute) scored the lone item to secure Caledonia’s place in the semi-final round with the 1-0 result against Police.

Rangers will meet Defence Force (4-1 winners over San Juan Jabloteh in their quarter-final clash) on Friday 20 April in the semi-final round while Caledonia are against T&TEC FC (4-3 penalty winners over defending champs North East Stars following a 1-1 full time result).

It was a back pass by midfielder Clyde Leon to central defender Joel Leslie Russell that Rangers striker Hector Sam hustled the ball before he was pulled down inside the area by Russell and referee Neil Brizan didn’t hesitate to award the penalty kick.

Rangers opted to sit back and defend their one goal advantage and had a decent opportunity by Elijah Belgrave who was denied by the crossbar after an excellent run of play later in the half.

Meantime W Connection’s Shahdon Winchester was the most difficult for the Rangers defense, however after the Trinidad and Tobago U23 forward spilled just wide in the 37th minute and forced a good save out of Mattis five minutes before the break. It was the travelling St. Ann’s club headed by Coach Dean Pacheco that pulled off the stops.

Rangers, which finished at the bottom of the Digicel Pro League Championship, pulled off a hearty defensive performance playing ten players behind the half line and limited Connection to its best effort measured superbly by Mattis against a Joevin Jones strike in the 83rd minute.

Teams

W Connection—Aquelius Sylvester, Clyde Leon (capt.), Elijah Joseph, Joel Leslie Russell, Gerrard Williams, Kenaz Williams (Johan Peltier), Jomal Williams (Kemuel Rivers), Joevin Jones, Shahdon Winchester, Jerrel Britto, Hashim Arcia (Neil Benjamin)

Coach—Stuart Charles Fevrier

St. Ann’s Rangers—Shane Mattis, Akil Clarke, Devon Modeste, Hector Sam, Mikhail Awai, Kareem Young, Elijah Belgrave, Cameron Roget, Theon James,

Coach—Dean Pacheco

2011-12 Lucozade Sport Goal Shield
Quarter-Final Round results

W Connection 0—1 St. Ann’s Rangers
Devon Modeste 5’

Caledonia AIA 1—0 Police FC
Jamal Gay 66’

T&TEC FC (4)1—1(3) North East Stars
Brenton De Leon 5’  ;  Seon Power 67’
(T&TEC won 4-3 on penalties)

Defence Force 4—1 San Juan Jabloteh
Christon Baptiste 50’, Levi Serries 57’, Richard Roy 70’, Josimar Belgrave 77’  ;  Devon Jamerson 27’

[Flex]

Soldiers overwhelm Jabloteh in Cup.
By Lasana Liburd (wired868).

Adam’s Construction San Juan Jabloteh coach Earl Carter leaned against his bench on Friday night and waited to be put out of his misery at Port of Spain’s Hasely Crawford Stadium.

The Movie Towne cinema was barely 400 metres south of the Jabloteh goalpost. But there was to be no Hollywood ending for this Coach Carter in the 2012 Lucozade Sport Goal Shield.

For the final 20 minutes of the knock out fixture, the Defence Force team was in full control of the facility and Jabloteh had conceded its constitutional right to contest the combined army/coast guard troops.
The final score read 4-1 in favour of Defence Force and coach Ross Russell’s men will now advance to the semi-final round alongside T&TEC FC, Caledonia AIA and St Ann’s Rangers.

In truth though, the regiment’s advancement wasn’t nearly as straightforward as the result suggested.
“We didn’t allow Jabloteh to play in the second half,” Russell told Wired868.com. “We pressed them higher up the pitch and we denied them space in the midfield and forced them to play the ball long.”
The Jabloteh coach told a slightly different tale.

Read More

[Errol]

Excellent report by Lasana !!

Keep up the good work.

 

[loyalist]

when do highlights of these games made available....it seems as highlights are very hard to get for football in trinidad...

[Tallman]

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[Flex]

T&TEC eager to meet Caledonia.
ttproleague.com.

"Our guys have a score to settle against Caledonia,” said T&TEC FC head coach Dexter Cyrus in anticipation of Friday’s Lucozade Sport Goal Shield second semi-final clash against Caledonia AIA from 8pm at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium.

And in the first semi-final clash at the Marabella venue, Defence Force will take on St. Ann’s Rangers from 6pm.

T&TEC are coming off a hard-fought 4-3 penalty win over DIRECTV North East Stars following a 1-1 draw in the quarter-final round last week, while Caledonia edged Police FC 1-0 to book its spot in the quarter-final round.

Caledonia, in chase of its third piece of silverware this season after coping the First Citizens Cup (defeating T&TEC in the Final) and the FA Trophy (defeating W Connection in the Final), were also major deciding factor in T&TEC’s second position finish in the Digicel Pro League Championship.

T&TEC(39 points) fell to a 2-3 defeat against Caledonia in its final League match three weeks ago after needing just a point to lift the title. The slip in the end by T&TEC saw Connection defeat Police 8-1 to lift the League title with 40 points.

“I like these types of matches,” continued Cyrus, looking ahead at Friday’s match.

“If we were fresh (against Caledonia) we would have won the League. We now have sufficient time to prepare for them,” added the T&TEC coach who maintained that the League fixtures which saw his side play two matches in three days was to blame for his side failure to lift the title.

“We are really looking forward to Friday’s game (against Caledonia). We have been very consistent this season. We were actually the most consistent team finishing second in the League, First Citizens Cup and Toyota Classic. We are in a position now to win on Friday and reach another Final and go on to actually win silverware,” he said.

The T&TEC coach went on to explain that while Caledonia has a very attack, the Morvant/Laventille side’s defense is very exploitable.

Commenting on his team’s 4-3 penalty win over North East Stars, Cyrus said it didn’t matter how the much needed victory came.

“Another loss (coming off our final League match defeat against Caledonia) would have really hurt the players and the club. Just the mere fact that we bounced back was more important than anything.

The players were down a bit and we had to shake off that rust. Now that we have gotten it out of the way, we are actually in a better position to win on Friday and I am very confident that we can get the win.

North East played a good game. I thought they have a really calm football about them coming from the back with (Charles) Pollard and (Seon) Power partnering eachother in defense. But they weren’t really a problem against our goal although equalizing. It’s just that we have the problem of muffing at early chances,” he ended.

Lucozade Sport Goal Shield
Semi-Final Round
Friday 20 April 2012

Mannie Ramjohn Stadium
Defence Force vs St. Ann’s Rangers—6pm
T&TEC FC vs Caledonia AIA—8pm

 

[soccerrama]

Caledonia, in chase of its third piece of silverware this season after coping the First Citizens Cup (defeating T&TEC in the Final) and the FA Trophy (defeating W Connection in the Final), were also major deciding factor in T&TEC’s second position finish in the Digicel Pro League Championship.


Caledonia defeated W Connection in the semi final of the FA &  defeated Defence Force in the final!!!!

[soccerrama]

Defence Force     4    St. Ann's Rangers 1    Richard Roy (57’), (84’), Josimar Belgrave (64')
                                                               Jerwyn  Balthazar (81)
                                                                --------------------------------------------------------------
                                                               Cameron Roget (59’)


T&TEC   1        Caledonia   3                  Kevon Neaves (63’ penalty),
                                                              --------------------------------------------------------------
                                                           Coneal Thomas (13’own goal), Devon Jorsling (47'),
                                                           Atualla Guerra (70’)

I wonder what Cyrus' excuse will be now, because he did worse now that his team was well rested and with more time to prepare. As a matter of fact they did much better against the same Caledonia when he claimed that they were tired having to play 2 matches in 3 days, because in that match they were leading 2 -1 with 20 minutes left & let it slip when they just needed a draw to claim the Championship but failed, however in last night's game they never led at any time and for the majority of the game they were always trailing by 2 clear goals. And for those who claimed that Caledonia was paid by W Connection, what say them now?
In the 3 league matches they defeated Caledonia once and were defeated twice by Caledonia, Caledonia also defeated them in the FCB Cup final and now Caledonia have beaten them in this Cup semi final.

     

 

[Tallman]

Caledonia one match away from a third title this season
ttproleague.com

Caledonia one match away from a third title this season

First Citizens Cup and FA Trophy winners Caledonia AIA are one match away from lifting a third title this season, and the club’s first ever Lucozade Sport Goal Shield.

The Morvant/Laventille club will take on Defence Force from 8pm at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in the Final of the Lucozade Sport Goal Shield on Friday 27 April coming off last Friday’s 3-1 semi-final win over T&TEC FC at the very same Marabella venue.

T&TEC went down a goal in the 13th minute from an own goal when a long throw-in from the right by Nuru Abdallah Muhammad was mistakenly lifted over an advancing goalkeeper Akini Adams and into the back of the net by defender Corneal Thomas under pressure by Caledonia forward Devorn Jorsling.

T&TEC fought back and in the 26th minute midfielder Marcus Joseph, who later crashed a powerful effort onto the crossbar in the 77th minute, lifted a shot just too high against Caledonia goalkeeper Zane Coker after a neat exchange of passes with Andre Toussaint.

The Caledonia goalie then made an excellent blockout denying Joseph moments later to preserve the Morvant/Laventille club’s advantage into the break.

Two minutes into the second period Caledonia made it 2-0 when Jorsling slammed a shot to the left of Adams after meeting Mekesi Lewis’ squared pass around the six yard area.

T&TEC then received a lifeline in the 61st minute when referee Rodphin Harris pointed to the spot after Caledonia wingback Walter Moore pulled down Sylvester Teesdale inside the area.

Midfielder Kevon Neaves made no mistake from the spot slamming a powerful left-footed strike past Graham to reduce the deficit 1-2.

However in the 70th minute T&TEC were two goals behind again, this time falling to a well placed low strike by Ataulla Guerra who shook off his challengers just outside the area before burying the effort past a hapless Adams for a 3-1 score which lasted till the final whistle.

Caledonia, 1-0 winners over Defence Force in the FA Final last month, defeated Police FC 1-0 in the quarter-finals of the Lucozade Sport Goal Shield while Defence Force registered a total 8 goals already in the tournament defeating both Adam’s Construction San Juan Jabloteh (quarter-final) and St. Ann’s Rangers (semi-final) 4-1 which promises an entertaining final.

Lucozade Sport Goal Shield
Semi-Final Round
St. Ann’s Rangers 1—4 Defence Force
Richard Roy 57’, 84’, Josimar Belgrave 64’, Jerwyn Balthazar 81’  ;  Cameron Roget 59’

T&TEC FC 1—3 Caledonia AIA
Kevon Neaves 63’(pen)  ;  Coneal Thomas(own goal) 13’, Devorn Jorsling 47’, Ataulla Guerra 70’

T&TEC FC—Akini Adams(gk), Sylvester Teesdale(capt.), Corneal Thomas(Yellow Card), Jay-son Joseph, Brenton De Leon(Kerron Benito 46th minute), Marcus Joseph, Andre Toussaint, Bevon Bass(Simeon Augustus 75th minute), Kevon Neaves(Kerry Baptiste 65th minute), Akeem Adams, Aubrey David

Coach—Dexter Cyrus

Caledonia AIA—Zane Coker(gk), Stephan David(capt.), Nuru Abdullah Muhammad(Kedar Roderick 59th minute), Collin Nelson, Trayon Bobb, Makesi Lewis(Keyon Edwards 72’)(Yellow Card), Walter Moore(Yellow Card), Jamal Gay(Micah Lewis 80th minute), Ataulla Guerra, Devorn Jorsling, Radanfah Abu Bakr

Coach—Jamaal Shabazz

[Tallman]

Pacheco blames concentration lapses for Rangers LSGS exit
ttproleague.com

St. Ann’s Rangers head coach Dean Pacheco’s dream of handing the club’s owners Richard Fakoory and Richard Piper their first title at the Pro League level disintegrated last Friday in the semi-final round of the Lucozade Sport Goal Shield at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium.

After holding Defence Force to a goalless first half, Rangers conceded four times and scored just once, exiting the tournament 1-4 on the heels of a surprising 1-0 win over former winners and current Digicel Pro League Champions W Connection in the quarter-final round on Friday 13 April at the same venue.

Double goalscorer Richard Roy first fired the soldiers ahead in the 57th minute before Cameron Roget leveled the scores 1-1. However Rangers went on to concede in the 64th(Josimar Belgrave), 81st(Jerwyn Balthazar) and 84th(Roy) minutes.

“We played to plan in the first half and got some chances which we didn’t convert,” said an unhappy Pacheco.

“And in the second half we lost concentration and didn’t keep to plan. Some of our players started to play their own game and not to the plan of the team. We even had some goalkeeping blunders. Basically we lost focus and discipline.”

However Pacheco who fielded goalkeeper Shane Mattis, Akil Clarke with the armband, Kareem Moses, Alonso King, Hector Sam, Elijah Belgrave, Devon Modeste, Mikhail Awai, Theon James, Cameron Roget, Nicholas Valentine and substitutes Jemel Berot and Kerron Alexander said he wasn’t totally disappointed.

He added, “After the game the messages coming back from other coaches and people who witnessed the match applauded how we played in the first half. So if we had stuck to the plan in the second half the result could have gone our way. But we had a lot of young guys in our team so I’m not totally disappointed that we lost.”

[Tallman]

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[Flex]

Caledonia AIA win Goal Shield.
By Ian Prescott (Express).

Caledonia AIA have now won three major trophies this season - and the season-ending Courts Pro Bowl is still to come.

The Morvant-Laventille based club had already won the First Citizens Cup and the FA Trophy, before adding the Lucozade Sport Goal Shield to a growing trophy cabinet with their 3-1 defeat of Defence Force in the Friday's final at Hasely Crawford Stadium.

Caledonia captain Stephan David was also voted Most Valuable Player, while Defence Force striker Richard Roy scored the most goals in the tournament. Defence Force, which was without the services of key players Kevon Carter, Corey Rivers, Anton Joseph, Ronald St Louis, Keston Williams and Sean Narcis all due to work commitments.

The final was won within the first five minutes of the second half, when Caledonia struck twice within a minute. First, striker Jamal Gay flicked in a corner-kick in the 49th, and then Makesi Lewis' breakaway pace set up Guyanese left-back Walter Moore for an easy conversion from the centre of goal.

The teams had begun the second half balanced at 1-1, although Defence Force dominated possession in the first 45 minutes. And just five minutes after the restart Caledonia were ahead 3-1 and cruising.

Earlier, Caledonia survived an opening minute onslaught, but won a penalty in the third minute when Defence Force keeper Kevin "Barthez" Graham took down striker Devorn Jorsling in the penalty box. Kareem "Tiny" Joseph stepped up to convert the penalty and give AIA a 1-0 lead.

It could all have gone so different for Defence Force, who had their opponents under siege with four tries at goal in the opening minute through Josimar Belgrave (twice), and strikers Richard Roy and Ross Russell Jr. Caledonia AIA 'keeper Zane Coker and his defenders were scrambling in all directions to keep the ball out of the net, but after surviving they launched into a swift counter-attack and won the penalty.

Defence Force pressed for the remainder of the half and dominated possession, but looked vulnerable to the odd Caledonia counter-attack. Finally the Army pressure bore fruit in the 40th minute when Roy powerfully converted Jerwin Baltazar's crossball with a downward header from the centre of the goal.

It was a well-deserved equaliser. But after the brilliant start to the second half, Caledonia were comfortably in control, and might have added a fourth when left-midfielder Lewis broke clear of the defenders, had Graham not deflected his shot for a corner-kick.

Defence Force looked jaded for much of the second half, and tried to retrieve the situation in the final ten minutes of the match. It was in those tension-filled moments that the work of referee Michael Ragoonath came under scrutiny.

The match official did not distinguish himself and some of his decisions were hotly disputed. Defence Force wanted a penalty when the onrushing Coker got nowhere near the ball and instead bundled Roy over, who had controlled Kerry Edwards' cross in the penalty area. Ragoonath dismissed their claims. There was another controversial moment during a free-kick.

Moreso, the official must take some blame for his lack of action during a moment that eventually led to the late dismissal of both Jorsling and Defence Force central defender Curtis Gonzales, after the men got into a physical confrontation. Ragoonath did not take charge of the situation when Jorsling menacingly confronted Gonzales a first time, after the defender had put in a heavy tackle.

Jorsling confronted Gonzales a second time and pushed the Army man, who retaliated. Following a fracas between the teams, both men were sent off, and continued the dispute all the way to the dressing room. The bad blood saw Defence Force only reluctantly taking part in the presentation ceremony; for Caledonia it was a chance to toast another success.

Teams –
 
Caledonia AIA: - Zane Coker; Radanfah Abu Bakr, Nuru Muhammad (Kemron Purcell 78th), Colin Nelson (Ataullah Guerra 50th), Kareem Joseph; Stephan David (capt), Keyon Edwards, Makesi Lewis, Walter Moore; Devorn Jorsling, Jamal Gay (Abdallah Phillips 70th).

Defence Force: - Kevin Graham; Rodell Elcock, Devin Jordan, Aklie Edwards, Marvin Jones (Kerry Joseph 69th); Curtis Gonzales, Jerwyn Balthazar, Ross Russell Jr, Jahvon Neptune (capt) (Levi Serries 81st), Josimar Belgrave (Balondemu Julius 60th); Richard Roy.

Referee: - Michael Ragoonath.

[Flex]

Caledonia defy soldiers and local stereotypes.
By Lasana Liburd (wired868).

On Friday 27 April 2012, over a dozen Caledonia young men faced a combined army/coast guard battalion near Movie Towne in Port of Spain and whipped the soldiers in front of a few hundred witnesses before sauntering into the night with new silverware and $36,000 in prize money.

The assailants will not be cowering. The soldiers can meet them again any time. They need only find a vacant football field and match officials.

It was a sporting contest after all; the 2012 Lucozade Sport Goal Shield final, to be exact. And there has been no better team in Cup competition this season than the Morvant/Laventille-based Caledonia AIA.

In Friday’s football final at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Caledonia shot down Defence Force 3-1 to add the Goal Shield to the TTFF FA Trophy and First Citizen’s Cup titles that were already secured.

Sport Minister Anil Roberts was present while Lucozade brand manager Keegan Henry presented the super-sized trophy to the self-titled "Eastern Stallions." It was a pity there was only a small crowd from Caledonia's maligned neighbourhood to see their flag bearers applauded off the field by representatives from the government and business community.

Morvant/Laventille can do with some feel-good stories. It might not be a stretch to suggest that young men and women from other depressed communities, like Bagatelle, would have enjoyed this too.

But the Pro League is still searching for the pulse of a nation that rarely fills sporting venues. And even Lucozade's promise of an all-expense paid trip for two to England along with tickets to a Premiership match and accommodation to a randomly selected spectator did not entice the dormant sport fans.

So, there was a delicious irony when the lucky winner was announced.

Ricardo Theodore lives in New York but is on a short vacation in Trinidad to visit his father in Carenage. And he made the most of the poor attendance at the final to win a trip of a lifetime.

Read More

[Flex]

Fevrier: D/Force lacked penetration.
By Lasana Liburd (wired868).

Yesterday’s final of the Lucozade Sport Goal Shield at the Hasely Crawford Stadium was not, in my opinion, a typical Caledonia AIA versus Defence Force game.

The venue was familiar, the coaches were familiar, the teams were familiar but it was difficult in my view to recognize the tactics employed on the night.

In the first five minutes of the match, Caledonia got their noses in front thanks to a well taken penalty. But for the rest of the first half, the Morvant/Laventille men never found any consistency as their normal passing game was absent.

Not surprisingly, they hardly posed any problems for Defence Force up until the half-time whistle.

In the first five minutes of the game, Defence Force had two good goal scoring opportunities and they surprised everyone who knows these two teams well by controlling play territorially for most of the first half. It was they who took the game to their opponents and they deserved their equaliser, which came five minutes before half time.

Read More

[Tallman]

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