CFU NEWS - American A League team comes for CFU Club Championship

American A-League team comes to contest CFU Club championship

 

Issued on November 1, 2007

 

The 2007 edition of the Caribbean Football Union Club Championship kicks off this Sunday with eight matches at venues throughout the country.

 

Teams began arriving as early as Thursday and among them coming to the twin island is American A-League campaigners Puerto Rico Islanders which includes a few international players

 

The Islanders lost in the semi-finals of this season’s A-League season and their coach Colin Clarke is confident his team’s chances are good in the Club Championship.

 

“We are anxious to be in the tournament and are looking forward to the second round to play with the top teams. It is going to be a tough event, but exciting,” Clarke said on the club’s website.

 

Current Panama national team midfielder Victor Herrera Piggott is a key member of the Islanders team. Piggott also a past player with Mexican teams Toluca and Necaxa. The club also has Panama national team goalkeeper Gustavo Avila who lined up against T&T in the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup and World Cup qualifiers.

 

Young Panama midfielder Carlos Jun Torres is among the key players in the team as well as is Croatian-born midfielder Goran Vujanovic. They also have goalkeeper Josh Saunders who was with MLS team Chicago Fire at the beginning of the season. He had been initially drafted by the San Jose Earthquakes in 2003 and is also a former LA Galaxy player.

 

The rest of the team includes Peruvian born defender Ruben Diaz, Puerto Rican national team defender Alexis Rivera, former Cuban national team forward Alberto Delgado, former LA Galaxy defender David Johnson and defender Jorge Ramirez who has four appearances for the Peru Senior Team.

 

The Puerto Ricans will arrive on Friday before taking on Jamaica’s Harbour View on Sunday at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium from 5pm.

 

The T&T teams competing are Joe Public and CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh. Joe Public face Helenites FC of US Virgin Islands at the Marvin Lee Stadium from 5pm. Jabloteh have a bye as their initial opponents Positive Vibes of the US Virgin Islands withdrew from the tournament on Thursday.

 

The first round group winners along with the three best second-place teams will advance to the quarterfinals on November 11 at the Marvin Lee Stadium and Marabella’s Manny Ramjohn Stadium.

 

The Tournament semifinals and final will take place at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain on November 14 and 16, respectively. The Caribbean winner will progress to the 2008 CONCACAF Champions’ Cup, consisting of eight teams, joining the defending champion Pachuca CF, another Mexican side; D.C. United, one more club from the USA; along with three Central American clubs.

 

Club Championship Fixtures

 

            Date   Activity          Venue            Time

            2/11/07           Arrival of teams and officials       Piarco            All day

            3/11/07           Arrival of teams and officials

Technical Meeting  Piarco

HCS   All day

19:00

Match #         Day     Date   Group            Team A          Team B          Venue            Time

1 4/11/07 A SV Deportivo Nacional (ARU) CSD Barber (ANT) HCS 15:00

2 B Racing Club ASV (ARU) Sagicor Southeast FC (DMA) MLS    15:00

3 C Sap FC  (ATG)  Inter Moengotapoe (SUR) MRS  15:00

4 E Pinar del Rio  (CUB)   Jong Colombia  (ANT) GUA         15:00

5 A San Juan Jabloteh (TRI)        Positive Vibes (VIR) (Game off)  HCS   17:00

6 B Joe Public FC (TRI)    Helenites SC  (VIR) MLS   17:00

7 C      Harbour View  (JAM) Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR)   MRS   17:00

8 E Baltimore St. Marc (HAI) Bassa SC  (ATG) GUA  17:00

9 D Portmore Utd  (JAM)   Newtown SC  (SKN) LGS 17:00

 

10 2    6/11/07 A Positive Vibes SC (VIR) SV Deportivo Nacional  (ARU) HCS   15:00

11 B Helenites SC (VIR)    Racing Club ASV (ARU)   MLS    15:00

12 C Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR) Sap FC (ATG) MRS 15:00

13 E Bassa SC (ATG) Pinar del Rio (CUB) GUA 15:00

14 D Newtown SC  (SKN) SV Leo Victor (SUR) MLS 17:00

15 A CSD Barber (ANT) San Juan Jabloteh (TRI) HCS 17:00

16 C Inter Moengotapoe (SUR)   Harbour View (JAM) MRS 17:00

17 E Jong Colombia (ANT) Baltimore de St. Marc (HAI) GUA 17:00

18 B Sagicor Southeast FC  (DMA) Joe Public FC (TRI) MLS 19:00

 

19 3 8/11/07 A CSD Barber  (ANT) Positive Vibes (VIR)        HCS   15:00

20 B Helenites SC (VIR)    Sagicor Southeast FC  (DMA)     ABS    15:00

21 C Puerto Rico Islanders  (PUR) Inter Moengotapoe (SUR) MRS 15:00

22 E Jong Colombia (ANT) Bassa SC (ATG)   GUA   15:00

 

23 A San Juan Jabloteh  (TRI)    SV Deportivo Nacional (ARU)     HCS   17:00

24 B Joe Public FC (TRI)  Racing Club ASV  (ARU)  MLS    17:00

25 C Harbour View  (JAM) Sap FC (ATG) MRS 17:00

26 E Pinar del Rio  (CUB) Baltimore de St. Marc  (HAI) GUA 17:00

27 D Portmore Utd  (JAM) SV Leo Victor  (SUR) MLS 19:00

 

28 4 11/11/07Winner Group D     Second Place (1)    MRS   15:00

29 Winner Group C            Winner Group E      MLS    17:00

30 Winner Group A            Second Place (2)    MRS   17:00

31 Winner Group B            Second Place (3)    MLS    19:00

 

32 14/11/07 Winner 28       Winner 30     HCS   17:00

33 Winner 29            Winner 31     HCS   19:00

 

34 6 16/11/07 Winner 32    Winner 33     HCS   17:00