“It’s a question now that we’ve got to be more determined than worry,” explained Caledonia AIA Technical Director Jamaal Shabazz following last Wednesday’s 0-0 draw against visiting CD Marathón at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Concacaf Champions’ League.
Despite earning just one point against the Hondurans, Shabazz said his team proved that Trinidad and Tobago clubs aren't much distance away from the top Concacaf clubs.
He added, “With a little more belief, fitness and a lot more organization, I think we are still in with a chance.”
Caledonia seated with just one point after two games in Group 4 definitely needs a lot of belief and maximum points from its remaining two matches to keep alive a mathematical chance at this stage, as only the group leader advances into the quarter-final round of the Concacaf Champions’ League.
Caledonia, which suffered a 3-1 defeat in Washington on August 2 against United States Major League Soccer club Seattle Sounders, hosts the Americans from 8pm at the Ato Boldon Stadium on Thursday 30 August and then away to Marathón on Wednesday 26 September.
The MLS club with three matches in hand boasts 3 points, while Caledonia with two matches to go and Marathón with three matches remaining are with one point each.
“We would be confident,” assured Caledonia central defender Radanfah Abu Bakr going up against the likes of Sammy Ochoa, Fredy Montero and Andy Rose who all scored in Sounders 3-1 home win.
“We had a look at them before and we certainly believe we can match them and battle them playing at home. We want to make amends for the first leg,” added the defender.
“We are going to continue to prepare,” said Shabazz. “We are going to continue to try and increase the belief system in the team. I think we really want this one against Seattle.”
From a motivational standpoint, the Caledonia Technical Director added, “The good thing about it …is that Seattle by their fan base is the most popular team in the MLS and this is a game that the entire Concacaf would be focused on, at least from a television standpoint. It is the type of game that you can go out and make a name for yourself. So we are really looking forward.”
Looking further ahead, Shabazz shared total optimism.
He continued, “We live in interesting times. For us going into Honduras, we look forward to it. We are very naïve and sometimes it’s good to be naïve and not have the fear that you should have.
We only want to play. We only want to prove to them that we can maybe be better than ‘Cinderella’ in Concacaf. It hasn’t been a great start for us but how well it would be for us to go away and pull away a point or three points in Honduras.”