Digicel T&T Pro League duo, Central FC and DirecTV W Connection, will lock horns one more time this season, when they face off in the Caribbean Football Union Club Championship final at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva from 6 pm today.This after both teams won their semifinal encounters at the same venue on Friday night to also secure their places in the 2015/2016 Concacaf Champions League group stages which kick off in August.
Two hours earlier, beaten semifinal, Don Bosco of Haiti and Jamaica Red Stripe Premier Division champions, Montego Bay United will meet for third spot, with the winner earning the remaining CFU spot to the Concacaf Champions League.
On Friday, tournament debutants and newly crowned Pro League champions, Central FC, which played the final 30-minutes of regulation-time with ten men after striker Willis Plaza was red carded, battled past Don Bosco 3-1 on penalty kicks after a 0-0 draw with Soca Warriors goalkeeper, Jan-Michael Williams pulling off three saves in the shoot-out.
The 27-year-old Plaza was sent off in the 67th minute for a second yellow card in a space of five minutes after he struck left-back Massigno Joseph in the face during his attempt to attack the Don Bosco box.Jamaican referee Karl Tyrell, who booked the forward earlier for a foul on right-back Jean Junior Brenus, spared no mercy when he reduced the "Couva Sharks" to ten men.
But despite being a man down, Central FC held firm defensively over the final 23 minutes of regulation time and 20 minutes of extra-time against the Haitians who were the highest scoring team in the previous round, netting 16 goals in three matches.And in the penalty shoot-out, Williams denied Don Bosco's Benchy Estama, Porky Thermidor and Jean Schwetzer Saint-Hubert with their team's first, third and fourth penalty attempts.
On the other hand, Central FC's Elton John, Leston Paul and Uriah Bentick were clinical from the spot to advance to its first in club history.Defender Akeem Benjamin had the only miss for Central while Junior Delva scored Don Bosco's only goal from the spot.
Central, winners of the League, First Citizens Cup and the Rawle Fletcher, Akeem Adams and Kevon Carter trophies for winning each round of the league, now has a chance at a fifth trophy this season while it will also face Caledonia AIA in the Digicel Pro Bowl final at Couva on Friday.W Connection, three-time (2002, 2006 & 2009) Caribbean Club champions, avoided extra time and penalty kicks thanks to a second half goal from Hashim Arcia, to edge top Jamaica side Montego Bay United 1-0 to set up an all-T&T final.
The Stuart Charles-Fevrier-coached W Connection created a few early chances with forward Jerrel Britto and midfielder Jomal Williams coming close against a very strong, fast and very physical Montego line-up.
The decisive moment in the match came in the 69th minute when Arcia, who netted back-to-back hat-tricks in the previous round against Guyana Defence Force and SAP FC of Antigua & Barbuda after latching onto a careless pass from Montego's Ronaldo Rodney to goalkeeper Jacomeno Barrett.
Ten minutes later W Connection goalkeeper Julani Archibald produced a superb one-handed save to keep out a half volley by Owayne Gordon to maintain his team's lead and book a place in the final for his team which were joint tournament winners in 2001, 2002 and 2013, when no final rounds were played.
Today's decider between the T&T clubs will be the seventh all-Pro League final since 1997, with W Connection featuring in four of them, the last of which was 2012 against Caledonia AIA, which the latter won 4-3 on penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw.
results
2015 CFU Club Championship
Friday semifinals
Don Bosco FC 0 vs Central FC 0–Central FC won the match 3-1 on penalty kick
W Connection 1 (Hashim Arcia 69th) vs Montego Bay United 0
Today's matches
Venue: Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva
Third place: Don Bosco FC vs Montego Bay United, 4 pm
Final: Central FC vs W Connection–6 pm