Caledonia AIA, winner of the 2012 Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Championship, and Digicel Pro League Champion and CFU Club Championship runner-up W Connection, will both be in action in the Concacaf Champions’ League tonight.
Connection will host Xelaju MC of Guadeloupe from 8pm at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium while Caledonia will visit Major League Soccer (MLS) club Seattle Sounders from 10pm at the CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington. Connection, Xelaju MC and Mexican club Chivas Guadalajara are in Group 8 while Caledonia, Sounders and Honduran club CD Marathon are in Group 4.
The format of the 2012-2013 Concacaf Champions’ League leaves no room for error with only the top team from each group advancing into the final eight.
“We are going to push (our players) to give more because really and truly, T&T is out of the World Cup (qualifying), we are out of the Olympics. So the next best thing is the Concacaf Champions’ League,” said Caledonia technical director/head coach Jamaal Shabazz.
Shabazz said the performances of Connection and Caledonia were important to the future of T&T football. “We are the representatives of T&T and the Caribbean in the Concacaf Champions’ League, so we have to do well.”
Connection’s St Lucian born assistant coach and former player, Earl Jean, shared a similar outlook. The ex-St Lucian international striker said, “Caledonia and W Connection are in important situations. We are penetrating barriers by going up against the biggest clubs in North and Central America.
We can do well and show that the Caribbean and T&T football isn’t dying and that we are still on the football map. “It’s also important that we go out and do well to show the public, because we need the support as a young and growing (TT Pro) League.
It’s not just win games, but show quality football because we are entertainers. We want to create entertainment for everyone, even the person who is stressed out after work and need something to enjoy and relax his mind.”
W Connection
Goalkeepers: Jan Michael Williams (captain), Aquelius Sylvester and Andre Marchan;
Defenders: Akeem Benjamin, Akil Clark, Kern Cupid, Daniel Cyrus, Kurt Frederick, Jelani Grosvenor, Kemuel Rivers, Joel Leslie Russell and Elijah Joseph.
Midfielders: Rennie Britto, Matthew Woo Ling, Jamal John, Joevin Jones, Kerron Cummings, Clyde Leon, Christian Viveros, Andrei Pacheco, Anthony Parris, Andre Quashie, Silvio Spann and Gerard Williams.
Forwards: Hasim Arcia, Matthew Bartholomew, Jerrel Britto, Shahdon Winchester and Stefano Rijssel.
Caledonia
Goalkeepers: Glenroy Samuel and Collin Edwards.
Defenders: Nuru Abdullah Mohammad, Radanfah Abu Bakr, Aubrey David, Walter Moore, Collin Nelson, Aquil Selby, Kemron Purcell and Kareem Joseph.
Midfielders: Stephan David (captian), Keyon Edwards, Cornelius Stewart, Trayon Bobb, Abdullah Phillips, Nathan Lewis and Sheldon Holder.
Forwards: Conrad Smith, Trevin Caesar, Jamal Gay and Pernell Schultz.