Central FC got the 2014/15 Pro League season off to a rollicking start last night with a 7-0 thrashing of St. Ann's Rangers at the Marvin Lee Stadium in Macoya. Central was lead by a double of headed goals from their skipper Marvin Oliver who operated smartly at centre-half on the night. 'The Big Dread' twice profited from pin-point set piece deliveries by former National Youth player Sean De Silva. De Silva and the wily Jason Marcano were given license to roam in Central's dynamic 3-5-2 formation and their opposition never coped. When they were not creating opportunities through the middle of the pitch wing-backs Darren Mitchell and Kaydion Gabriel took up the slack down the flanks. Mitchell and Gabriel looked menacing in attack and I must say they both appeared very fit as well as they did not shirk their defensive duties. Gabriel even managed to pull off the goal of the night when he rifled a shot towards the top right-hand corner from a very acute angle on the right flank.
All in all Central totally bossed the game and it was very difficult to pick out a Central player that did not make an impression. It was very much the opposite for Rangers though as none of their players seemed up for the occasion on the night and their lackadaisical play left goalkeeper Christopher Biggette stranded time and time again. Rangers could perhaps point to the fact that they were without Under-20 starlet Kadeem Corbin and a few other starters, but their woeful showing warranted no excuses really. Central would not have been too bothered with that as they got the perfect start in what promises to be an exciting season.
The second match on the night saw Police FC taking on San Juan Jabloteh. The game was played with a high energy and tempo but the quality(especially in front of goal) did not compliment it. Veterans Hector Sam and Kerry Baptiste turned out in midfield roles for the respective teams but even they could not supply that extra bit of quality that the spectators were bellowing out for. In hindsight the best chance of the match probably fell to Baptiste inside the first 15 minutes but the former Joe Public sharp-shooter only managed to hit the post with his one-on-one opportunity; something he usually thrives on.
The San Juan Jabloteh team look for answers following their goalless draw.
The game was fairly even in terms of chances and possession and both teams were gunning for the win; it so happened that those guns were not firing. Police's lanky and strapping striker Jameel Perry looked the most likely to score but he met stern opposition from Jabloteh goalie Shane Mattis whenever he found the target. Mattis was a bit vulnerable when it came to set-pieces but the big Jamaican came up trumps whenever he was called upon to make a save. His country-mate Newton Sterling nearly brought the house down in the 78th minute with an audacious volley attempt from all of 40 yards but his dipping shot went just over. Sterling's effort had the crowd on the edge of their seats while it must have left Adrian Foncette a very worried man in the Police goal.
The result was a fair one in the end as both teams did promise a lot but just could not deliver.
Scores
Central FC 7 (Quintero 10', Oliver 25, 35, Marcano 31', Garcia 70', De Silva 74', Gabriel 82')
St. Ann's Rangers 0
Police FC 0
San Juan Jabloteh 0
The final of the CFU Under-20 Championships between Haiti and Trinidad and Tobago played at the Hasley Crawford Stadium on Friday evening failed to live up to expectations, well at least my expectations. I had predicted a 2-1 scoreline for T&T in what I presumed would be a close contest, but it was anything but close. The 'Young Warriors' never really got into their full stride in the match and still managed to come away with a very comfortable 3-nil result. The Haitians looked void of ideas and strategies for much of the game and inclined to sit back and defend as opposed to attacking. This defensive mindset had Haiti on the back-foot from the very start of the contest and it encouraged the likes of wide players Levi Garcia and Aikim Andrews to get at them.
Garcia looked especially threatening down the left-hand flank and his trickery and guile came good in the 34th minute when he left his marker for dead before squaring a ball to striker Kadeem Corbin for a nice sliding finish. The run by the much-heralded Garcia to set up Corbin was quite excellent. Garcia, who is just 16 years-old and the youngest member of the squad, has already been tipped for future stardom by some hefty names in local football, including National Senior coach Stephen Hart.
Despite his ability to beat a defender with ease and his breath-taking acceleration Garcia was not the star of the show in the final. That bragging right went to his teammate Corbin who bagged a hat-trick of goals and again endeared himself to the crowd. Not only was Corbin razor-sharp in front of goal, but his industry and 'never say die' attitude was there for all to see and that is what fans like myself can appreciate. He was like a bee constantly buzzing in the ears of the Haitian defenders and he did not let up until his withdrawal from the match in the 88th minute. His precise runs matched the industry he showed throughout the match and he also proved that he had the quality to go along with it as his three well-taken goals would show. T&T's #9 was not done there though as he also copped the Golden Boot and MVP awards for the tournament. He is definitely on the fast track to the senior squad.
Haiti as I mentioned were very defense-minded in the encounter and still maintained their defensive shape and approach even after trailing by a goal for the most of the game. They decided to take a more attack-minded approach towards the latter stages of the game but that just played into the hands of the home team whose defense was spearheaded by Maurice Ford and captain Shannon Gomez. Johan Welch also looked solid in the T&T goal and his most difficult save was forced by Haiti's best player on the night, playmaker Alessandro Campoy.
Haiti was clearly playing for a penalty shootout as was evident by their style of play and this pre-match routine.
Hosts Trinidad and Tobago breezed the final group stage of Caribbean qualifying for the Men's Under-20 World Cup to be played in New Zealand in 2015. Their reward is a meeting with Haiti in the finals this evening and the opportunity to be crowned Caribbean Champs on home soil. The hosts edged out Suriname in the first game before thumping Curacao 4-0 and battling to a 1-1 draw with Cuba, a game which saw coach Derek King digging deep into his substitutes bench. Haiti on the other hand were able to negotiate a group with St. Kitts and Nevis, Dominican Republic and fellow qualifiers Aruba. By all accounts the Haitians appear to be very attack-minded and may well cause a stern test for the 'Young Warriors'.
T&T looked sluggish in their first game against Suriname but manged to eek out a 2-1 result thanks in large part to substitutes Jabari Mitchell and Aikim Andrews. The pair changed the complexion of the game and also the mood of the crowd upon their introduction in the second half. And as destiny would have it the two linked up wonderfully for the winner in the 77th minute. Andrews' good wing play was then followed up by Mitchell's powerful shot which was too much for the keeper to handle.
Andrews and Mitchell were deservedly rewarded with starting spots for the next game against Curacao and they did not disappoint. They both got their names on the scoresheet as the 'Young Warriors' totally ran away with this one. Like their first game against Suriname, they took a while to settle in, but once they did it looked as though they could have run up a tennis score. Speedy and tenacious striker Kadeem Corbin stole the show on this evening as he scored two goals and had an all-round brilliant display. He troubled and teased the Curacao defense all game, even though he spent much of it as T&T's lone striker. His endeavor and willingness to chase down loose balls endeared him to the home support and quite possibly sent up his billing as well. All in all I think it was a much better display from the team as they looked to be growing in confidence.
The Trinidad and Tobago Under-20s say a word before the kick-off against Curacao.
Starting off as a necessity for my Social Networking Class Project, this blog will be the space where I give my comments and reports on sports matches. Please feel free to give your comments and views as well. I do hope that you enjoy this blog!
