T&T, Jamaica go after Caribbean Cup.
By Mark Fraser (Express).
Dream Final
The 2014 Caribbean Cup concludes tonight with a dream final between Trinidad and Tobago and hosts Jamaica before what is expected to be a packed Montego Bay Sports Complex here. '
Trinidad and Tobago have won eight titles in the 18-year history of the Caribbean Cup, while Jamaican have won five. The final night begins at six o’clock with dethroned champions Cuba and Haiti meeting for third spot. The final takes place from nine o’clock.
Jamaica reached the final by topping Group B following a 2-0 victory Haiti on Sunday night. And the final gives Jamaica’s German coach Winfried Schäfer the opportunity to fulfill a boast he made last December.
Following back-to-back home-and-away defeats to the Soca Warriors, Schäfer said the Reggae Boyz would win when next they met. Jamaica will have a stronger team than a year ago this time. “I think we will have to play much better to play against Trinidad and Tobago. We know its going to be a derby game,” stated Jamaican midfielder Jevon Watson.
Watching Jamaica play Haiti were the T&T men’s national team. However, T&T head coach Stephen Hart is unconcerned about having to face the hosts, and just wants his team to play to its potential.
“Its a final. I don’t care who we play,” Hart said. “I don’t care who we play in the final. We are in the final and whoever comes up, you have to play them and you have to get the result.”
Hart has so far rotated his squad every match, giving all on his 23-man squad except third-string goalkeeper Adrian Foncette a run so far. But given a lacklustre performance against Cuba (0-0) last time out when he made eight changes, Hart hinted at fielding his best possible team tonight.
“I’m going to have to think about that,” Hart said following the draw against Cuba, when he benched top-scorer Kevin Molino, who has won Man-of-the-Match awards in two matches, Hughtun Hector, Khaleem Hyland, Daneil Cyrus and Lester Peltier.
Hart’s main concern is an uncertain defence. “The line is working fine. It is the individual mistakes that are worrying,” Hart said.
Meanwhile, captain Kenwyne Jones expects an extra effort from his players tonight. “By just reaching the final we giving ourselves a chance to win it,” Jones said. “We are going to be confident. We going to go out there and push. We just going to prepare as we normally do, and go out there to win the game.”
And if the incentive of regaining Caribbean supremacy is not enough, Jones and his teammates will also be bearing in mind that victory tonight will also see them earning the right to represent the region at the 2016 Copa America Cenetenario, the tournament that will mark the 100th anniversary of the South American confederation’s premier tournament.
Warriors hunt ninth CFU title.
T&T Guardian Reports.
T&T will be seeking to add to its illustrious trophy cabinet for regional competitions today when the “Soca Warriors” meet host Jamaica in the final of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Caribbean Cup, from 9 pm (TT time).
The match will follow the tournament’s penultimate fixture, a third-place decider between Cuba and Haiti.
Jamaica reached the final with a 1-1 draw against Martinique and wins over Antigua/Barbuda (3-0) and Haiti (2-0) while T&T enjoyed unconvincing wins over Curacao (3-2), French Guiana (4-2) and a draw against dethroned champion, Cuba (0-0).
T&T’s draw against Cuba officially booked both teams spots at next year’s Concacaf Gold Cup, along with Jamaica and Group B runner-up, Haiti.
Today, Jamaica and T&T meet for the fourth time in 18 finals. Over three finals, Jamaica holds a 2-1 record over T&T. Most recently in 1998, Jamaica edged T&T 2-1 in the title match.
Today, joint leading scorer in this tournament, Kevin Molino will return to action after missing the draw with Cuba. Molino has three goals, as does Darren Mattocks who is expected to start for Jamaica.
Molino said yesterday he was feeling good. “I’d like to play every game but the coach had to make a decision because of the tight schedule. Now I’m focused and ready. It’s always a big game and a final is always huge. I wanted to meet Jamaica because the atmosphere with the home fans and then the rivalry is the kind of games I live for,” said the Orlando City striker.
Putting several shaky performances aside from both teams, the final promises to be a thrilling one as each will have nearly full strength squads comprising mostly overseas-based players. Unfortunately, T&T will be without Carlyle Mitchell who was suspended for an accumulation of yellow cards, but will have the advantage of an added day’s rest after completing group action on Saturday, a day before Jamaica.
T&T head coach Stephen Hart, took an optimistic but cautious approach to today’s showdown.
“Jamaica at home has been a fortress for years,” he said, adding, “...but it’s a one off game and we’re confident and it should prove to be quite an experience.”
“Overall I’m pleased with what I’ve seen. We have talked about our capacity to maintain concentration and focus regardless of what is happening around us. You will expect that sometimes from the stress of the game that the focus might waver but what we need is to put two solid halves of football together,” Hart said.
Rosters
T&T
Goalkeepers: Jan-Michael Williams, Marvin Phillip, Adrian Foncette.
Defenders: Radanfah Abu Bakr, Justin Hoyte, Joevin Jones, Daneil Cyrus, Carlyle Mitchell, Aubrey David, Yohance Marshall.
Midfielders: Khaleem Hyland, Andre Boucaud, Kevan George, Ataullah Guerra, Leston Paul, Jamal Gay, Hughtun Hector
Forwards: Lester Peltier, Kenwyne Jones, Jonathan Glenn, Kevin Molino, Shahdon Winchester, Cordell Cato.
Jamaica
Goalkeepers: Dwayne Miller, Andre Blake, Ryan Thompson.
Defenders: Jermaine Taylor, Demar Phillips, Nicholay Finlayson, Alvas Powell, Kemar Lawrence, Nyron Nosworthy, Keithy Simpson.
Midfielders: Rodolph Austin, Je-Vaughn Watson, Jobi McAnuff, Romario Campbell, Hughan Gray, Simon Dawkins, Joel Grant.
Forwards: Dane Richards, Darren Mattocks, Michael Seaton, Deshorn Brown, Jamar Loza, Craig Foster.
