CFU Final Four Nearly Set

In what was the biggest soccer match in Haiti since the January 2010 earthquake that devastated much of the already impoverished nation, the host club Tempete FC squeezed out a result that advanced the side to semifinals of the Caribbean Football Union’s Club Championship tournament. Tempete is the third club to advance with the remaining series to conclude Saturday in Puerto Rico.

Leading the series with a surprising 1-0 victory on the road in Trinidad, Tempete were edged at home by Caledonia AIA in an identical 1-0 scoreline, sending the series to penalty kicks. Tempete were victorious from the spot, 3-2, Sunday in Saint-Marc to move on to the Final Four of the CFU championship, where they will have the opportunity to claim one of three spots in the CONCACAF Champions League.

Similar to the first leg of the series where Tempete captain Junior Charles scored early in the fourth minute of the match, Caledonia took the lead in the second leg only six minutes in via Akim Armstrong. The Trinidad & Tobago squad, however, was unable to find a series-winning strike throughout the rest of regulation or 30 minutes of overtime. Former MLS player and T&T international Cornell Glenn, a recent addition to the Caledonia roster, started but was substituted from the match in the 62nd minute.

On Saturday, the defending CFU Champion and three-time CCL participant Puerto Rico Islanders began the defense of their title, traveling to Suriname for the opening leg against Walking Boyz Co. The home side took the initial advantage three minutes into the second half Clifton Sandvliet gave WBC the opening goal of the series on a counterattack.

With a loss moments away, a late strike from defender Jamie Cunningham gave the Islanders not only a draw, but a critical away goal for a tiebreak advantage heading into the second leg.

The final match of the Quarterfinal Round is set for 4:30 pm at Juan Rarmon Loubriel Stadium in Bayamon.

Previous Quarterfinal winners were Caledonia’s league rival Defence Force and Guyana’s Alpha United. Defence Force swept its series versus Milerock with 4-0 and 3-0 victories. Hosting both legs, Alpha United won its series against River Plate Puerto Rico, 3-2, after playing to a scoreless draw in the opening leg.