Following his team’s perfect run in the first round of the Caribbean Football Union Club Championship, Joe Public coach, Derek King was high in praise for his players.
The “Eastern Lions,” two-time regional club champions had wins over Suriname’s Leo Victor (4-3), St Vincent and The Grenadines’ Avenues United (6-0) and Bermuda’s Devonshire Cougars, 8-2 to top its first round series at Victoria Park, Kingstown, St Vincent which ended on Tuesday night.
Avenues United ended in second spot with four points to join Joe Public in the 12-team second round. Speaking on his return home, King said his players and the other members of the technical staff must be given all the credit for a job well done.
“All the guys had good performances which grew from strength to strength and it was pleasing to see that happening since we are still in pre-season for our Pro League season.” King said from the first match against Leo Victor to the last one against Cougars, the team improved.
“We increased our number of goals output in each match and on the defensive end we surely tightened up from the first match.” With regards to his team’s overall preparations for the defence of its Pro League title and the four others captured during its historic run last year, King, a former national defender said his team was not doing too badly.
“There are few players who joined us during the offseason like Charles Pollard, Makan Hislop, Andre Toussaint, Nigel Daniel and goalkeepers Marvin Phillip and Glenroy Samuel and they have fitted in well.”
King also said his team’s fitness level was about 80 per cent but when Joe Public hosts one of the second round CFU groups from April 13 to 17, he feels his players will be in top shape. “The matches in St Vincent provided us with a good assessment of where we are in terms of our fitness and we know how much more work we have to put in before April 13.”
King singled out national midfielders, Hayden Tinto and Trent Noel as well as team captain, Kerry Baptiste, Makan Hislop and Carlyle Mitchell for having an outstanding tournament in St Vincent. “It’s kind of amazing that Mitchell has not been called up for national training as yet because I think he is a tremendous player,” added King.
The three other first round group winners, runners-up and best third-place team also advance to the second round along with seeded clubs, Puerto Rico Islanders, Tempete FC of Haiti, and San Juan Jabloteh of T&T.
The teams will then be divided into four, three-team groups with Puerto Rico and T&T hosting two groups each. Joe Public will host second round Group C to be played from April 13 where it will play Group B runner-up (Bayamon FC (P/Rico) or System 3 (SVG), and Group D runner-up (Apha United (Guy), Bath Estate (Dominica), Walking Boys (Suriname) and Guyana Defence Force).
Jabloteh will will entertain Group B where it will meet the best third-place team, and Group A winner from (River Plate (P/Rico), Racing (Haiti), CSD Barber (Dominica), Hebentut Fortuna (N/Antilles). The Islanders, the Group D winner, and Group A runner-up will participate in one of the Puerto Rico groups, with the other group consisting of Tempete, the Group B winner, and the Group C runner-up.
The four second-round group winners will then advance to the final league phase in Puerto Rico from May 4 to 8 in Puerto Rico where the top three qualifies for the Concacaf Champions League.