Bitter Couva rivals Central FC and W Connection have set the stage for a staggering seventh 'El Clásico' this season after they both advanced out of the 2014 Digicel Pro Bowl quarter-final round on Friday night to meet each other on May 16 in the semi-final round.
Both sides enjoyed convincing results but not by similar fashion at separate venues.
Central stamped its authority early on last season’s defeated finalists North East Stars, with Willis Plaza, from the penalty spot, and Darren Mitchell scoring within the first 11 minutes at the Ato Boldon Stadium, and later securing the comfortable 3-0 win with a goal from Rundell Winchester despite having two second half goals disallowed.
While Connection, fresh from its 2013-2014 Digicel Pro League crowning last Tuesday, left it till late to defeat Caledonia AIA 3-1 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
The defending Pro Bowl champions and four-time winners broke the deadlock in the 71st minute when a deflected Alvin Jones strike from the right ended inside Caledonia's Jamaican goalkeeper Kevin Graham's far netting for a 1-0 lead.
Caledonia fired back to level the score 1-1 with a well struck 22-yard Keyon Edwards' strike that had goalkeeper Julani Archibald beaten low on his left.
But Caledonia, who must also face the “Savonnetta Boys” in next Tuesday’s league clash, crumbled late when in the 89th minute Hashim Arcia restored the four-time Pro Bowl winners' advantage, and Suriname international Stefano Rijssel wrapped up the 3-1 scoring in the second minute of stoppage time.
In the earlier quarterfinal contests at both venues, Defence Force, thanks to a pair of saves by its goalkeeper Kevin Graham from the penalty spot, defeated Point Fortin Civic 4-3 on penalties following a 2-2 draw at the Couva venue.
While Police FC, led by a Jameel Perry hattrick, defeated former winners San Juan Jabloteh 4-2 in Port of Spain to secure a place in the semi-final round next week.
The semi-final round will see Police against Defence Force from 6 pm at the Ato Boldon Stadium on Friday 16 and Central against Connection from 8 pm as the race for the "Winner Takes All" prize money of $100,000 continues.
Perry scored twice in the first half, netting in the 15th and 32nd minutes, before wrapping up the scoring on the 80th minute, while teammate Elijah Belgrave had an item in the 42nd minute.
Meanwhile Kerry Baptiste converted in the 50th and 58th minutes from the penalty spot for Jabloteh, following fouls on Brent Sam and Shaquille Bertrand inside the area respectively, forcing referee Larry Lalchan to point.
As for Central, forward Plaza opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 9th minute with a low strike out of a fully-stretched Cleon John's reach and into the corner for a 1-0 lead over the Stars.
Plaza had raced into the area at the end of a cheeky Ataullah Guerra pass when he was sent to ground by an Aquil Selby sliding challenge forcing referee Cecil Hinds to point to the spot.
Guerra was involved again when cued a ricocheted Nicholas Dillion attempt to onrushing Mitchell, who slipped the ball past John for the 2-0 cushion on the 11th minute.
And inside the one minute of added-on time Dillion spilled wide of the target after meeting a Rundell Winchester cross, which became possible following a neat pass into the area by Guerra.
The "Sharks" later found the back of the net again in the 64th minute from a beautiful left-footed half volley by substitute forward Dwight Quintero that stretched the upper netting of goalkeeper John.
But referee Cecil Hinds overruled the item, to the disbelief of Central players.
Hinds argued that she had stopped the game for a foul on Stars' substitute defender Glenton Wolfe.
However by the 66th minute Central were 3-0 up, when Winchester flicked, from inside the six yard, a Guerra cross past John.
Winchester was denied by John on a second scoring opportunity in the 77th minute after collecting a heeled Quintero pass inside the area.
Then in the 89th minute Hinds had many confused again when she blew for a foul after Guerra twisted away from two Stars’ defenders and poked the ball into John’s far netting.
In the end however, Central maintained its knockout supremacy over the Stars this season.
Prior to Friday's quarter final clash, Central and North East Stars had locked horns five times this term.
Back in October Central defeated the Stars 2-1 in the quarter final round of the First Citizens Cup en route to lifting the title, and only last month defeated the Sangre Grande club 2-0 in the semi-final round of the Lucozade Sport Goal Shield en route to capturing the title.
But in the Digicel Pro League, the Angus Eve-coached Stars held the "Sharks" 1-1 in Round One and Two, and in Round Three defeated Fenwick's men 2-1 to virtually end Central's shot at the League title.
Now, Central’s attention is focused on W Connection, winners of this season’s Digicel Charity Shield, Toyota Classic, FA Trophy and the League championship.
Central and Connection have met six times already this season.
The "Sharks" defeated the "Savonnetta Boys" 4-2 last October in a penalty shootout following a goalless First Citizens Cup semi-final round meet en route to lifting the title.
But Connection fired back with a 1-0 Round One win in the League in December, and in the same month defeated the "Sharks" 6-5 in a penalty shootout in the Final of the FA Trophy after a 2-2 draw.
Both sides met again in February in Round Two of the league, and that contest finished 2-2. However in March, Central trounced Connection 3-0 in Round Three, and in April defeated Stuart Charles Fevrier’s side 2-1 in the Final of the Goal Shield.
As for Defence Force, the former Pro Bowl winners exacted revenge over Civic, who defeated the army/coastguard combination 4-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in the quarterfinal round of the Goal Shield a month ago.
Akeem Roach had Army in front by the 9th minute when he lofted a strike over goalkeeper Marvin Phillip from 23 yards out after an exchange with Belgrave.
Roach then failed to find the back of the net from a much closer position in the 18th minute, hitting just high and wide from nine yards out.
Moments later, in the 23rd minute to be exact, Civic leveled the score 1-1 when Andre Alexis, who latched onto a dissecting Andrei Pacheco pass from midfield, slipped a low shot past Army goalkeeper Graham.
But on the 29th minute Josimar Belgrave, who must face his brother Elijah on May 16, had Defence Force back in front 2-1 from the penalty spot after referee Neal Brizan made no mistake on a call against Akiniyel Rouse, who pulled Akil Morris to ground inside the area.
Phillip, who earlier denied Roach, Dave Long, Josimar, and in the second half Levi Serries, wasn't a match for the first half penalty strike.
But Civic’s Jamille Boatswain sprung to life four minutes before the break to smash a right-footer past Graham to level the scores 2-2 after beating a fully lunged defender Keston Williams to the ball inside the area.
Boatswain, however, went from hero to zero later in the contest, failing to hit the exposed target in the 83rd and 88th minutes.
Boatswain, picked out by Akeem Redhead inside the area, spilled wide of the goal with goalkeeper Graham and two defenders beaten in the first instance.
And in the second he curled his strike wide far upright with Graham committed near the first.
At the end of five minutes stoppage time it was down to kicks from the penalty spot, and Army, fielding a number of young players such as Dave Long, Ross Russell Jr., Adrian Welch, Akeem Roach, Jamali Garcia, Akil Morris and Levi Serries, celebrated victory.
Graham was magnificent between the uprights denying Civic’s Andrei Pacheco and Weslie John, while Defence Force’s Belgrave, Russell Jr., Garcia and Curtis Gonzales were all clinical on their kicks.
2014 Digicel Pro Bowl Quarter Final Round
Point Fortin Civic 2 (3)—(4) 2 Defence Force
Andre Alexis 23', Jamille Boatswain 41' ; Akeem Roach 9', Josimar Belgrave 29' (PEN)
Kicks from the penalty spot
Point Fortin Civic 3 Defence Force 4
Marcus Joseph (scored) Josimar Belgrave (scored)
Kevon Rouse (scored) Ross Russell Jr. (scored)
Andrei Pacheco (saved) Jamali Garcia (scored)
Bevon Bass (scored) Curtis Gonzales (scored)
Weslie John (saved)
San Juan Jabloteh 2—4 Police FC
Kerry Baptiste 50' (pen), 58' (pen) ; Jameel Perry 15, 32', 80', Elijah Belgrave 42'
North East Stars 0—3 Central FC
Willis Plaza 9' (pen), Darren Mitchell 11', Rundell Winchester 66'
Caledonia AIA 1—3 W Connection
Keyon Edwards 76' ; Alvin Jones 71', Hashim Arcia 89', Stefano Rijssel 90'+2
Teams
North East Stars—22. Cleon John, 5. Aquil Selby, 6. Jeromie Williams, 7. Elijah Manners, 8. Keron Cummings (19. Glenton Wolfe 16th) (3. Kevon Villaroel 67th) (Yellow Card), 12. Jayson Joseph, 20. Trevin Caesar (18. Kaashif Thomas 62nd), 15. Chike Sullivan, 23. Kennedy Hinkson, 25. Keryn Navarro, 48. Jesus Perez
Unused substitutes—1. Hakeem Lucas (GK), 9. Akiel Guevara, 40. Jomoul Francois, 41. Neveal Hackshaw
Coach—Angus Eve
Central FC—21. Jan-Michael Williams, 10. Marvin Oliver (18. Kevon Goddard 93rd) (Yellow Card), 45. Ataullah Guerra, 2. Elton John, 11. Darren Mitchell, 17. Rundell Winchester (4. Sean de Silva 90th), 1. Willis Plaza, 6. Leston Paul, 24. Akeem Benjamin (Yellow Card), 20. Nicholas Dillon (9. Dwight Quintero 46th), 50. Yohance Marshall
Unused substitutes—15. Kaydion Gabriel, 18. Kevon Goddard, 22. Keon Trim, 25. Javon Sample (GK)
Coach—Terry Fenwick
Referee—Cecil Hinds
Teams
Point Fortin Civic—1. Marvin Phillip, 2. Garyl Doldron, 4. Weslie John, 18. Akeem Redhead, 7. Nickcolson Thomas (27. Jared Bennet 71st), 10. Marcus Joseph, 33. Jamille Boatswain, 29. Kevin Rouse, 19. Andrei Pacheco, 30. Akiniyel Rouse (17. Glen Sutton 46th) (Yellow Card), 21. Andre Alexis (14. Bevon Bass 67th minute) (Yellow Card)
Unused substitutes—5. Andre Ettienne, 22. Akini Adams (GK), 13. Ancil Wells
Coach—Reynold Carrington
Defence Force—1. Kevin Graham, 3. Keston Williams, 4. Dave Long, 10. Josimar Belgrave, 13. Marvin Jones, 17. Ross Russell Jr., 18. Sean Narcis (Yellow Card) (80. Adrian Welch 68th), 30. Akeem Roach, 31. Jamali Garcia, 29. Akil Morris (8. Curtis Gonzales 60th) (Yellow Card), 65. Levi Serries (7. Balondemu Julius 95th)
Unused substitutes—5. Devin Jordan, 14. Corey Rivers, 25. Dwayne Thomas, 16. Kelvin Serrette
Coach—Ross Russell
Referee—Neal Brizan