Vibe CT 105 W Connection’s Brazilian midfielder Jose Luis Seabra returned to the playing field with a bang, as he created a goal and scored another to help his team to a nail-biting 2-1 win against Mexican Club Chivas in the first leg quarter final match of the CONCACAF Club Championship at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium on Tuesday night.
Seabra who spent the entire 2006 season off the field due to a knee injury proved to be a masterstroke by Coach Stuart Charles Fervier who introduced the player as a second half substitute as the ‘Savonnetta Boys’ trailed a goal down with ten men.
In the early stages of the well contested encounter W Connection lost 2006 Pro League Player of the Year, goalkeeper Jan Michael Williams to a direct red card when he was forced to scramble the ball outside his area after a poor back pass by defender Devon Drayton.
But it was the home team that had the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium in high spirits when in the 3rd minute Andrei Pacheco converted Christian Viveros’ pass into the net but to the dismay of the W Connection fans it was disallowed for an offside.
Connection continued to apply the pressure and had another promising build-up in the 11th minute on the right side but Hughtun Hector’s service into the Chivas area was too long and proved to be harmless for goalkeeper Ernesto Michel.
W Connection vs ChivasChivas then turned things around as they controlled the pace of the game. Coach Jose Manuel De La Torre utilized the experience of key players such as Captain Ramon Morales, Omar Bravo and Sergio Santana.
In the 15th minute Chivas’ Roberto Rivera saw his 23 yards effort sail over as they tried for the early advantage.
With the persistent determination to get the early goal Chivas recorded the first yellow card of the encounter when Bravo received the booking by Jamaican Referee Courtney Campbell for a harsh challenge on Christian Viveros in the 18th minute.
Two minutes later the Mexicans had an even better effort when Bravo played Santana neatly inside the Connection area but his low attempt flashed past goal keeper Jan Michael Williams’ far post to the relief of the home supporters.
On the 20th minute mark the horror arrived as W Connection lost inspirational player and goalkeeper Jan Michael Williams. Williams received a straight red card when he scrambled a great save outside his area to deny Sergio Santana a goal after defender Devon Drayton played a wayward back pass forcing Coach Fervier to make an early change.
Second choice goalkeeper Kerwin Beckles was then introduced at the expense of striker Dwight Scott in the 21st minute.
W Connection vs ChivasBeckles was called to action immediately with a low block to reject Chivas’ Morales 19-yard free kick.
Morales continued to be a trouble maker in the Connection area when he relaxed a neat pass outside the area for defender Diego Martinez to have a go on goal but the defender’s effort sailed over bar.
With W Connection down to ten men, Chivas did most of the attacking, but the W Connection defence was doing enough with defender Elijah Joseph marshalling his teammates well to deny the Mexicans any close range shots on goal
However the more experienced Mexicans were having trouble to penetrate Connection’s defence and Coach Jose Manuel De La Torre decided it was time to introduce another national player, Alberto Medina came on for Antonio Patlan in the 42nd minute.
Less than a minute on the field, substitute Medina squandered a great opportunity just on top of the six-yard area created by teammate Bravo but he fumbled wide.
W Connection on the other end had their first legal shot on goal when Brazilian William Da Silva Oliviera had a 23 yard attempt easily parried by goal keeper Michel in the closing stages of the first period and the Savonetta Boys held on for a goalless score at the half.
Chivas returned even more aggressive in the second period as they took the game into the Connection half of the field.
In the 52nd minute Morales managed a 24 yard attempt but saw it flash harmlessly over goal keeper Beckles’ crossbar.
One minute later Beckles was in action again when he easily collected a tame close range header by Roberto Rivera after a neat cross was played inside by Manoel Sol from the right side.
Goal keeper Beckles also had to make a couple of other saves just before the 60 minute mark. In the 58th minute he was composed enough to collect after substitute Medina raced into his area and had a low shot and in the 59th he made a spectacular diving save to deny a deflected shot by Diego Martinez.
Soon afterwards W Connection’s Coach Stuart Charles Fervier decided to bring on the experienced Jose Luis Seabra who recently came off rehabilitation on his injured knee at the expense of Andrei Pacheco.
Less than a minute after his appearance, Chivas went ahead with the opening goal. Mexican Omar Bravo unmarked headed past goal keeper Beckles in the 61st minute at far post when he met a Martinez crossball for the 1-0 lead.
In quick reaction the W Connection coach boosted his teams front line and made a technical change replacing midfielder Hughtun Huctor with striker Andre Toussaint in the 65th minute.
In the 72nd minute W Connection’s captain Earl Jean saw his powerful low shot from outside the area deflected for a corner.
W Connection vs ChivasCoach Fervier was then rewarded for his great tactical move when W Connection equalized in the 79th minute to send the home fans wild. Substitute Jose Luis Seabra weaved his way past two Chivas players before the ball rebound into the air as striker Earl Jean did well to win the ball ahead of goal keeper Michel to head in for the 1-1 equalizer.
With the match now hanging in the balance, the Mexicans showed more signs of frustrations seeing players Diego Martinez and Alberto Medina both receiving bookings, minutes apart.
On the 86th minute mark Brazilian substitute Seabra rose to glory when he collected a pass on the left side from another substitute Andre Toussaint created room for himself to blast a left footed shot well out of goal keeper Michel’s reach to put the home team ahead 2-1 as the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium broke into a Carnival atmosphere.
The ‘Savonetta Boys’ maintained their advantage until the end against the Mexicans Champions to draw first blood in the first leg of the quarter final round of the CONCACAF Club Championship.
Vibe CT 105 W Connection will now have to travel to Mexico to face Chivas in the second leg on February 28th as they hope to maintain the scores in their favor and look towards moving into the semifinals of the CONCACAF Tournament for the first time in the club’s history.
Teams
Vibe Ct 105 W Connection—Jan Michael Williams (GK), Earl Jean(Capt.), William Da Silva Oliveira, Elijah Joseph, Gefferson Goulart, Nickcolson Thomas, Hughtun Hector (Andre Toussaint 65th), Andrei Pacheco(Jose Luis Seabra 59th), Dwight Scott (Kerwin Beckles 21st), Devon Drayton, Christian Viveros.
Goal Scorers—Earl Jean 79’, Jose Luis Seabra 86’.
Coach—Stuart Charles Fervier
Chivas—Ernesto Michel(GK), Ramon Morales(Capt.), Roberto Rivera (Gonzalo Pineda 69th), Antonio Patlan (Alberto Medina 42nd), Diego Martinez, Manoel Sol, Hector Reynoso, Arturo Javier Ledezma, Omar Bravo, Sergio Santana, Jonny Magallon.
Goal Scorer—Omar Bravo 61’.
Coach—Jose Manuel De La Torre
Match Referee – Courtney Campbell (Jamaica)
Game Statistics
W Connection Chivas
2 Goals 1
3 Shots on Target 7
2 Corners 9
3 Offsides 1
0 Yellow Cards 3
1 Red Cards 0
5 Fouls 14