DIRECTV W Connection head coach Stuart Charles Fevrier believes that the top four Super League clubs should be ambitious of joining this country’s top tier football league – the TT Pro League.
“The top four Super League clubs, I must say, are much improved clubs than in the past,” said Fevrier on Saturday night after guiding Connection to the 2013 Toyota Classic trophy – the tournament which pits the Super League clubs against the Pro League.
Entering the competition a month ago at Super League positions 1, 2, 3 and 4, were Club Sando, Guaya United, Malabar FC and 1976 Tobago Phoenix respectively.
Phoenix made an early exit, falling 3-0 against Defence Force, and Malabar out in the quarterfinal round after suffering a 4-1 loss against the eventual champions, Connection.
Connection, which leads the Digicel Pro League standings by 6 points with a maximum 15 points from 5 matches, went on to defeat Guaya 3-0 in the semi-final round, then Super League leaders Sando 2-0 in the Final of the Classic at the Ato Boldon Stadium.
But the Fevrier, who started the journey to the title with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Super League outfit Real Maracas in the preliminary round, had praises for the Super League top runners.
“You must give Club Sando credit,” said the long-serving Connection coach, who was voted as the Coach of the 2013 Toyota Classic. “I thought they(Sando) had a very good run.”
Sando became the first ever second tier club to reach the Classic Final by defeating Defence Force 3-2 in the semi-final round over a week ago, and their journey included outlasting Caledonia AIA 11-10 on penalties in the quarter-final round following a 2-2 draw, and prior to that, defeated Police FC 3-1 in the preliminary round.
“They (Sando) were consistent throughout the tournament,” added Fevrier. “I could only hope that they would want to take it a little further and enter the (Pro League), because the top four (Super League) teams are capable of competing in the Pro League.
“Obviously they would have to get a little more depth if they have to do that. But I was quite pleased with what I saw from the top four Super League teams this year.”
Throughout the tournament, which came to an end last weekend, Sando head coach Anthony Streete and his Guaya counterpart, Ron La Forest continuously expressed that it is the desire of their respective clubs to try and join the Pro League next season.
“The Super League is the main thing we set out for [this season],” said Streete, following Saturday night’s Toyota Classic Final. “But we want to (join) the Pro League next year, and that’s the whole purpose for putting this team together.”
Just as Guaya and Malabar, Sando recruited quite a number of ex-Pro League players this season, such as standouts Teba Mc Knight, Kern Cupid, Andre Marchan, Corneal Thomas, Devon Drayton and Devon Modeste.
Gorian Highley, Kevon Woodley, Cyrano Glen, Hayden Tinto and even veteran Kendall Velox where among the standouts for Malabar, while Ryan Stewart, Kevin Jagdeosingh, Carlon Hughes and Beville Joseph were among the stars of Guaya.
Stewart and his fellow ‘Guayans’ will have a shot at revenge against Connection on Wednesday in the quarterfinal round of the FA Trophy competition when they host the ‘Savonnetta Boys’ from 3:30p.m. at the La Savanne Recreation Ground in Guayaguayare.
In other FA quarterfinal round match-ups, North East Stars will travel to the Mahaica Oval in Point Fortin against fellow Pro League campaigners and home side Point Fortin Civic from 3:30p.m., last season’s defeated finalists Central FC against Petrotrin Palo Seco at the Palo Seco Recreation Ground from 6p.m., and at the same kick0ff time QPCC and Malabar FC will tackle each other at the Dibe Recreation Ground in Long Circular.
Next, W Connection, Stars, Point Fortin and Central will all return to Digicel Pro League action on the weekend in Round One Match Day Seven.
North East Stars will travel to the Hasely Crawford Stadium from 8p.m. against San Juan Jabloteh on Friday following a 6p.m. clash between St. Ann’s Rangers and Police FC.
On Saturday Point Fortin will host reigning champions Defence Force from 3:30p.m. at the Mahaica Oval, and Connection against town-rivals Central from 5p.m. at the Ato Boldon Stadium.
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