T&T Pro League winners, W Connection, will go into their penultimate 2015/2016 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League (CCL) Group One clash with Costa Rica champions Deportivo Saprissa at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo from 8 pm tonight, needing nothing less than a win to stay alive in the tournament.
The "Savonetta Boys" are currently at the bottom of the three-team group without a point after suffering similar 4-0 losses in their opening two matches.
Going into tonight's clash assistant coach Earl Jean said his club will be the underdogs and hoping to create an upset.
A former club captain and striker, Jean, knowing the size of the task facing his team said: "Victory is on our mind because we have our name and T&T to protect.
"It would very difficult because Saprissa is a very good team and very experienced. They have won the Concacaf tournament a few times and having played them recently we know what they are capable of, and even though we are just finishing off our pre-season we are quite confident at this stage."
A loss or draw for the "Savonetta Boys" will end their chances of qualifying for the quarterfinal stage, as only the top team from each of the eight preliminary round groups will advance. W Connection will then wrap up its campaign at home to Santos Laguna on Tuesday at the same Mucurapo venue from 8 pm.
...Central FC hosts Comunicaciones tomorrow
Like W Connection, Central FC, the reigning CFU Club Championship and T&T Pro League champion also faces a must-win battle against Guatemala's Comunicaciones in Group D at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo from 8 pm tomorrow if it is to have any hopes of qualifying to the knockout stage.
This after the Ross Russell-coached club was drubbed 5-1 by US Major League Soccer's LA Galaxy in their opener on August 6, and then went under 1-0 to Central Americans in their second match on August 27.
However, boosted by their win over W Connection in the Digicel Charity Shield on Friday coach Russell is now hoping his team gets it right against the visitors.
Speaking yesterday Russell, a former national goalkeeper said, "We had a great game against Comunicaciones in the first leg but we were a bit unlucky in not putting away our chances.
"We are aware that we must win big in our remaining two games if we are to keep our mathematical chance alive because LA Galaxy are at the top with ten goals to their name. Then we have to hope that Comunicaciones get a win against Galaxy in their final game."
"The club (Central) is new to Concacaf and it's all about getting our feet wet. We need to win, which will be a good for the tournament. We know that Comunicaciones will not lie down because they too have a mathematical chance. But we are going all out to try and excite the tournament and T&T."
Central FC will end its round-robin group play against LA Galaxy on September 23, also at Mucurapo from 8 pm.
Santos will welcome Saprissa in the final Group A match on October 20, and a day later, October 21, Comunicaciones will host Galaxy to complete Group D.