Point Lisas Industrial Estate, Couva. June 2nd 2015. Point Lisas Industrial Estate, Couva. June 2nd 2015. DIRECTV W Connection FC Technical Director/Head Coach Stuart Charles Fevrier has welcomed the challenge of facing Mexican and Costa Rican teams in the Scotia Bank 2015/16 CONCACAF Champions League.
At the draw on Monday evening at the New World Symphony Center on Miami Beach, DIRECTV W Connection who best performance at this level was a quarter-final appearance in the old CONCACAF Champions Cup in 2007, were placed in Group A alongside Mexico’s Liga MX Champions Santos Laguna and Costa Rica Champions - Deportivo Saprissa.
Charles Fevrier noted he is happy for the clubs players to be able to test themselves against team of such quality.
“I don’t have a problem with the draw, in fact I welcome any opponent because I feel the team needs to play against difficult opposition at this level”, said Charles Fevrier.
“We are still developing as a professional club in the world of football, so these are the kind of games we need.”
Charles Fevrier further acknowledged that the preparation for this year’s competition will be challenging, with a high volume of the club’s players likely to be involved in the Trinidad & Tobago Olympic and Gold Cup squads. He however hopes to make the best use of whatever time is available to him.
From an overall Trinidad and Tobago football perspective, Charles Fevrier stated with Central FC set to play Major League Soccer (MLS) side LA Galaxy, this year’s CONCACAF Clubs Champions League is set to be a historic one for Pro League and the participating Pro League teams.
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Central and W Connection happy with CONCACAF Champions League draw
ttproleague.com.
Caribbean club champions Central FC and fellow Trinidadian club W Connection welcome the groupings for the 2015-2016 CONCACAF Champions League (CCL) which was determined on Monday afternoon at the New World Symphony Center on Miami Beach, sorting the 24 participating clubs into eight groups of three for the eighth edition of the continental championship in its current format.
Digicel Pro League 2014-2015 champions, Central, who will be making their CCL debut this year, are drawn to face United States’ 2014 MLS Cup champions LA Galaxy and Guatemalan champions CSD Comunicaciones in Group D.
Galaxy are currently captained by Ireland international and former Tottenham Hotspur striker Robbie Keane, and will have ex-Liverpool legend and former England captain Steven Gerard when the group stage of the 2015-2016 CCL begins in August.
“I think it’s wonderful that we can pull team like LA Galaxy out of the hat,” said Terry Fenwick, whose contact as coach of Central FC ended on 31 May.
Fenwick, a former England international and Tottenham Hotspur defender, added, “It’s great for Trinidad and Tobago. Hopefully it can give us a great injection of support with stars like Steven Gerard and Robbie Keane coming to Trinidad. I think that’s marvellous for Trinidad and Tobago football.”
Fenwick said that while Central are yet to open talks over his future, and that of the entire back room staff, with the club, he is very much interested in staying on as coach of the “Couva Sharks” and that facing teams such as LA Galaxy in the CCL is enticing enough.
W Connection meanwhile, must meet Mexico’s 2015 Clasaura winners Santos Laguna and Costa Rica’s 2014 Invierno winners Deportivo Saprissa in Group A.
“This is the level of opposition I would like our players play against and more often,” W Connection head coach Stuart Charles-Fevrier told ttproleague.com in his reaction to the draw.
Fevrier added, “We are fortunate to get two top teams like Santos, a top club out of Mexico in recent years, and Saprissa, a top club out of Costa Rica. It is our dream to someday become CONCACAF club Champions League, so we welcome the challenge. Where we are now as a club I prefer it (against) difficult (opponents) because I strongly believe if we are to succeed at this level, we need to face teams like Santos and Saprissa. We are still developing as a club, with only 15 years under our belt, while Santos and Saprissa are established professional clubs.
“I see the group as very positive for us although it is a difficult one. It’s a great opportunity for our players to match their skills against top clubs. That’s what I want for our players. It challenges us. Not often we in the Caribbean get to play clubs of that level, with a lot of success in their respective countries and are top clubs in the Concacaf region.”
Fevrier, who, in the past, had led the “Savonetta Boys” against Mexico clubs, said he wasn’t, not even bit, fazed by Monday’s CCL draw.
“I always prepare for any eventuality when it comes to the CONCACAF Champions League because of the nature of the competition, playing against the top clubs from the region. If we are serious about professional football that’s the level we must play. I always tell my players we must prepare to take on the world, so we welcome the draw.”
Reigning CCL champions Club America of Mexico, which captured their sixth CONCACAF Club title in April by defeating Montreal Impact of Canada, headlines Group E.
Finalists in 2011, Real Salt Lake open their third appearance in the CCL in Group G.
CS Herediano, champions of the Costa Rican Summer Tournament and a semi-finalists in the 2014-15 edition of the CCL, will compete in Group B.
The groups will be contested on a round-robin, home-and-away, four-game format, running August – October. Only the eight first-place teams will progress to the quarterfinals, which will kick-off in early 2016.
When the CCL kicks off in August, Central and W Connection will be at a disadvantage, without three months of competitive football, while North and Central American clubs will be in mid-season.
“It runs against us,” said Fenwick. “(…) but I’m seeing it as a positive thing. We would be fresh, on top of fitness, and prepared for the (CCL) group stage. They (LA Galaxy and Comunicaciones) don’t know anything about Central FC, whereas we will have an opportunity to see what we are against because they will be in season.”
The full schedule for the group stage will be announced in the coming weeks.
The groups for the 2015/16 CONCACAF Champions League, in order of position drawn, are as follows:
Group A: W Connection (Trinidad & Tobago), Deportivo Saprissa (Costa Rica), Santos Laguna (Mexico)
Group B: Isidro Metapán (El Salvador), CS Herediano (Costa Rica), Tigres (Mexico)
Group C: Verdes FC (Belize), San Francisco FC (Panama), Queretaro FC (Mexico)
Group D: Central FC (Trinidad & Tobago), CSD Comunicaciones (Guatemala), LA Galaxy (USA)
Group E: CD Walter Ferretti (Nicaragua), CD Motagua (Honduras), Club America (Mexico)
Group F: Vancouver Whitecaps FC (Canada), CD Olimpia (Honduras), Seattle Sounders FC (USA)
Group G: Santa Tecla FC (El Salvador), CSD Municipal (Guatemala), Real Salt Lake (USA)
Group H: Montego Bay United (Jamaica), Arabe Unido (Panama), D.C. United (USA)