Caledonia AIA’s exit in the Toyota Classic quarter-final round has turned all eyes on Super League outfit Stokely Vale.
The Tobagonians slammed Police FC 5:0 at the Dwight Yorke Stadium last Friday in the preliminary round.
But picked up the nickname ‘Giant Killers’ on Tuesday night after plucking a 6:5 penalty win over reigning Caribbean Club Champions Caledonia in the quarter-final round following a 3:3 draw at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
Stokely Vale will be back at the Port of Spain venue on Friday 30 November to take on North East Stars from 7pm in semi-final one, followed by defending Toyota Classic Champions DIRECTV W Connection against Defence Force from 9pm in semi-final two.
Stokely Vale assistant coach Marlon Frank told www.ttproleague.com that his club hopes to go even further by reaching the Final on Friday 7 December.
“We are hoping to continue playing good football and meet either W Connection or Defence Force [in the Final], it doesn’t matter,” he said. “We are focused on our next match against North East Stars who plays pretty well.”
But what motivates Stokely Vale?
“Our performances so far were quite exemplary,” added Frank. “The camp is nice at the moment because our players enjoy playing big teams.
It motivates us being the underdogs and Coach James Campbell and I are truly seeing the knowledge of the players in executing some the stuff that we have been doing on the training pitch. So we do relish playing big teams.”
On the flipside, Frank admitted that while the Stokely Vale enjoyed victories in the preliminary and quarter-final rounds, his team needs to work on a couple areas which were evident in allowing Caledonia Tuesday’s 3-3 comeback draw.
Stokely Vale became only the second Super League club after Joe Public (in 2010) to reach the semi-final round. Ironically it was North East Stars that booted Joe Public out the tournament in the semi-final round.
“We were wishing our game against North East Stars could have been home (Tobago),” said Frank who also serves as assistant Team Administrator.
“Even before the (Toyota Classic) tournament we developed a good fan base at home because of the good football we play,” he continued. “Our fans were wishing it was home and I’m sure the game would have been well attended.”
Frank also informed that some fans are in the process of trying to get Ferry tickets to Trinidad for Friday’s semi-final match.
On the opposite side Sangre Grande based club North East Stars boasts a 6:2 win over T&TEC FC in the quarter-final round after easing past Super League club Siparia Spurs 2:0 in the preliminary round.
Commenting on his opponents’ journey to the semi-final round, Stars’ Head Coach Angus Eve explained, “If you look at the FA Cup in England or any of the other Cups.
Lower League teams always beat Premier League teams and that’s simply because the lower League teams have this one day in the sun, that they can come out and really push forward and claim a big scalp because they wouldn’t normally play against these teams. And it takes only one time for those things to happen.”
Eve, who rotated his squad for the preliminary and quarter-final rounds, continued, “I want my players to keep the tactical discipline and the discipline in being professional. And I think once we can do that, [we can get the result].
“I don’t know much about Stokely Vale I’d have to call people that I know playing in the Super League or (Caledonia Technical Director) Jamaal Shabazz to find out a bit about them. But clearly they (Stokely Vale) are doing very well and we can’t take them for granted.”
Meantime W Connection, 5:0 winners against Defence Force of the Super League in the preliminary round and 4:0 winners over Super League leaders WASA FC in the quarter-final round, is bracing for the Defence Force (Pro League) impact.
Defence Force blasted a 7:0 win over Super League outfit Westside Superstarz in their quarter-final clash after cruising past Tobago Phoenix 4:0 in the prelims.
“Defence Force is a team that’s always prepared for W Connection,” said Connection double goal-scorer against WASA, Jerrel Britto. “They always come hard so we have to work extra hard to get a good result [on Friday] and get into the Final.”
“Games against Defence Force are always tough games,” echoed Connection Head Coach Stuart Charles Fevrier. “Defence Force is a very physical team and you have to prepare mentally playing against them. (It’s) a team that never really gives up regardless of the score-line.
“But don’t matter which team we play, we always like to control the game and our approach will be the same. We like to control the game because we feel that we truly have a better chance of coming out on top. This has always been our philosophy and it will be no different against Defence Force,” ended the longstanding W Connection coach.