While eyes interested in the CONCACAF Championship League have largely shifted toward Canada and the United States since Monterrey claimed the title in the third edition of the tournament, an important moment is about to occur in the Caribbean. On Sunday, Haiti will play host to the biggest soccer match since the nation was devastated by the catastrophic earthquake of January 12, 2010 when Tempete FC plays host to Caledonia AIA for a spot in the Final Four of the Caribbean Football Union’s Club Championship and a shot at one of the three CCL berths for this fall.
Neither the men’s or women’s national teams has played a game since that day with most matches in Trinidad or a series of friendlies abroad, making Sundays CFU contest the first significant match in the nation in over a year. The match will be held at Parc Levelt in Saint Marc, a city that was at the edges of the earthquake’s most impacted area and is now the nation’s primary port city for commerce.
While restoration for a nation that was already very impoverished before the fateful day is still a long way off, the people of Haiti will have plenty to cheer and be hopeful for Sunday in Saint-Marc as Tempete holds a surprising 1-0 advantage in the series following the upset victory April 22 in Trinidad courtesy of a fourth minute goal from captain Junior Charles.
Not only does Caledonia need two goals Sunday, minimum, in order to advance, but the club has two goals for its trip to Haiti, according to head coach Jamaal Shabazz, who told the Trinidad & Tobago Guardian, “It’s a huge challenge but we have become accustomed to situations like these where our backs are against the wall. But going to Haiti means more than just a win or loss. Even though we are going for a victory, it’s more about the historical significance where people of our community Morvant/Laventille can go to a country which has shown the ability to rise above tragedies. To me that is the real essence of this trip.”
In addition to bringing a lot of supplies it may not normally take on the road due to logistical difficulties it may encounter, the visiting club is brining along extra soccer equipment for the locals. The team is planning to remain an extra day to distribute the gear to those in need. “We are confident that the Caribbean spirit that exists between the teams will not be lost here,” added Shabazz.
Caledonia’s chances at a comeback are better. Injuries that affected the first leg have lessened and new defender Sheldon Emmanuel, who joined two days before the first leg, has had more time with the club. The biggest news, however, is that one of the two major signings the club was awaiting international clearance on has come through, allowing T&T international and former Major League Soccer player Cornell Glen to make the trip and join the lineup. Glen previously played in the CCL for Trinidad’s San Juan Jabloteh, scoring for the club in a 4-2 loss versus Marathon in the 2009 group phase.
Islanders Prepare for Title Defense
While Sunday is the big day in Haiti, the night before will be the start of the CFU championship title defense for the Puerto Rico Islanders, who are the only club in the region to advance to all three editions of the CCL. Seeded as the only automatic entrant into the Second Round of the tournament, the Islanders will be the last team to begin their quest for a CFU berth into the upcoming CCL.
Puerto Rico travels to Suriname for the opening leg Saturday at Andre-Kamperveen-Stadion in Paramaribo and will play host to Walking Boyz Company in the second leg May 14. Walking Boyz swept its first round series March 13 and 26 with 3-0 and 3-1 victories over Northern United. Five different players scored for WBC with Rinaldo Milton Lupson scoring twice.
The winners of the two series will join Defence Force (Trinidad) and Alpha United (Guyana) in the Semifinals of the CFU tournament. The CFU Semifinals are slated for May 25 in Trinidad with the CFU Championship four days later. The top three clubs from the event advance to the CONCACAF Champions League.
CCL Qualifying Update
The Canadian contenders were cut in half with the two Major League Soccer clubs advancing to the championship series Wednesday. CCL participants the past two years, Toronto FC completed a blanking of second division FC Edmonton with a 1-0 victory at home to finish the series 4-0 winners. The first NCC champion, Montreal Impact, rallied from a 1-0 first leg loss at home with a goal in Vancouver to force series overtime against the Whitecaps. The hosts, however, kept their chances alive of finally qualifying with a 120th minute goal from defender Mouloud Akloul, who punctuated a fantastic comeback story from injury with the strike. The championship series will begin May 18 in Vancouver and conclude in Toronto May 25.
Mexico is in the midst of determining its final two participants via the Clausura playoffs currently underway and seven other Central American berths will be determined this summer. The draw will be held to determine the Preliminary Round match-ups and groups May 18. The 2011-2012 Champions League will begin July 26-28 with the first leg matches of the Preliminary Round. The second legs are set for the following week. The Group Stage will commence August 16-18 and include six rounds, concluding October 18-20. The Championship Round is set to begin with the first leg of the quarterfinals March 6-8, 2012.
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