Digicel T&T Pro League outfit, DirecTV W Connection will be seeking better fortunes than fellow local club Caledonia AIA when it faces Arabe Unido of Panama in their Concacaf Champions League Group One opener at the Estadio Rommel Fernandez Gutierrez, Panama City from 10 pm tonight.
On Tuesday, in Toluca, Mexico City, Caledonia was beaten by ten-time Mexican champions Toluca 3-1 in their Group Six match to kick off the tournament, but W Connection, captained by Soca Warriors defender Joevin Jones, is expected to provide a much tougher test for the host having played no fewer than six previous times in the competition for a record of 4-9-5 in 18 matches, inclusive of two wins against Central American opponents, Real Espana of Honduras (3-2) and Guatemala's Cumunicaciones, 3-0. However, last season the "Savonetta Boys" led by head coach and technical director Stuart Charles-Fevrier made an unceremonious return to the tournament, competing in Group Eight and ended bottom of the three-team group with two points after draws against Guatemala's Xelaju (2-2) and Chivas of Mexico (0-0). The Couva-based club suffered defeats by 2-3 and 0-4 margins against Xelaju and Chivas respectively.
But since then, W Connection has bolstered its squad with six new foreign signings including 24-year-old former Italian youth international striker Mirko Delia, 21-year-old full back Joao Ananias Jordao Jr, 25-year-old midfielder Celio Duilherme Da Silva Santos (both of Brazil) and three Colombians: 21-year-old midfielders Yhon Reyes Lopez and Yefer Lozano Rubiano, and 23-year-old striker Camilo Ortega Diaz.
Also included are Daneil Cyrus, Leslie Russell, Silvio Spann and Adrei Pacheco, all of whom have featured for the Soca Warriors as well as youngsters Neil Benjamin and Jomal "Beebo" Williams who were omitted from last year's Champions League campaign due to national duties with the T&T men's Under-20 team.
The Couva-based club is also coming off a camp in Colombia in preparation for the Champions League as the T&T Pro League is yet to kick off this season.
Playing against Club America, W Connection was defeated 2-0, but rebounded to defeat FC Orsomarso 4-2 with Benjamin, Williams, Jerrel Brittlo and Silvio were on target. This was followed by a 5-0 blowout of Deportivo Cordoba with goals by the Jones, Da Silva, Benjamin, Kurt Frederick and Andrei Pacheco while in its final training match against FC Florida, on Sunday, W Connection was defeated 2-1 with the lone goal scored by Mekeil Williams.
Despite the loss, the W Connection squad, making it's the third appearance in the group stage of the competition having done so last year and in 2009/2010 will be buoyed with confidence against Arabe Unido coached by Colombia Jair Palacios after it dropped a 1-0 decision to Plaza Amador for its second straight loss in its domestic league. This after the "Expreso Azul" as Unido is known was blanked by Alianza 2-0 a week earlier.
Overall, Arabe Unido which last played in the CCL in the 2010 season has a record of 6-11-1 in 18 matches in the CCL.
W Connection roster:
Goalkeepers: Alejandro Fiueroa, Aquelius Sylvester, Julani Archibald.
Defenders: Kurt Frederick, Daneil Cyrus, Devaughn Elliot, Mekeil Williams, Leslie Russell, Brendon Boucaud, Joao Ananias, Christian Ocoro Viveros, Alvin Jones.
Midfielders: Gerard Williams, Celio Da Silva, Silvio Spann, Joevin Jones, Tremain Paul, Yefer Lozano, Yhon Reyes, Jomal Williams.
Forwards: Andrei Pacheco, Hashim Arcia, Camilo Ortega, Mirko Delia, Stefano Rijssell, Jerrel Britto, Neil Benjamin Jr.?
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