T&T Premier Football League runner-up Central FC will host Jamaica Premier League runner-up Mount Pleasant Football Academy in their final match in Group A of the Concacaf Caribbean Cup, needing nothing less than a win at Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, Port-of-Spain Tuesday night (September 23) to stay in the hunt to reach the semifinals.
Currently, Central FC, who blanked Dominican Republic's Moca FC 2-0 in their last outing at the same Mucurapo venue last week, thanks to goals from Jameel Neptune and Tyrone Charles, are third on the five-team standings with four points from three matches, going into their final round-robin match.
Mount Pleasant Football Academy is joint top of the standings with a maximum of six points from two matches, the same as Universidad O&M FC of the Dominican Republic, with the latter ahead on goal difference.
Suriname's SV Robinhood is fourth with a single point from three matches and has no chance of finishing in the top two to reach the semifinals, while Moca FC is without a point after two matches, but still in the mix with two matches outstanding.
Speaking on the eve of the match, Julius Edwards, coach of the Central FC team, said his players will be ready for the big challenge ahead.
He said, "In the preparation towards this game, we viewed the opposing team, saw the strengths and weaknesses and then we went back into the training sessions and worked on their strengths and weaknesses that we can exploit.
"They have three, six points in two games, so we know that they play direct also and we prepared for the task ahead, so we have to be disciplined, and we have to be focused and when to pick our moments correctly and when we get our chances, we have to put them away to keep the pressure on Mount Pleasant."
Asked how he intends to replace the suspended Liam Burns, a confident Edwards said, "We have players at that calibre that can replace him, so there is no gap."
Midfielder Sedale Mc Lean added, "In the camp, there's a very positive vibe, a very motivating vibe from the head coach, the whole technical staff come straight down to the players.
"We have a positive mindset going into this game, especially obtaining the three points from Moca FC in our last game, so we are very confident going into this game.
"Having missed out on advancing from the group stages of the competition at his previous club, AC Port-of-Spain, Mc Lean said he was focused on making amends this time around with his new teammates."
He said, "For me personally, it will be something different from the rest of the team. But, I also have teammates who have also played with AC Port-of-Spain before that are very determined as well to get past this round.
"It is something personal for us, like Jameel Neptune, Tyrone Charles, John-Paul Rushford, and Malik Mieres, all of us have played in this competition before. This is our third year, so it is something very personal for us that we try to motivate our other players and teammates that we may not only represent our club, but as a country as a whole, to get past this round, and I believe that we have a good chance of obtaining these three points."
Mount Pleasant Academy coach Theodore Whitmore said his team wants to approach the game the same way they have been doing the last two games they have played.
"We want to progress from where we are now. We have played two games and we haven't conceded any goals as yet, and we are getting goals. We will have players that we are missing, but again, it is Mount Pleasant who came here to represent, so we are going to field a team that will give us a good performance and possibly a good result"
Asked his thoughts about Central FC, Whitmore said, "I think it is a good team. We always respect our opponent, and it is like a Jamaica versus Trinidad, so you always know that battle between the two countries. We expect a tough game, as I said before. It is a must-win game for both teams, so we expect to put our best foot forward."
Midfielder Alex Marshall added, "We are focused, and I think the boys are very happy coming off two wins in two games. We are very confident, and we are ready for the challenge."
Also today in Group B Haiti, Juventus de Cayes faces table leaders Cibao FC, who have maximum six points at the Estadio Cibao FC, Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic from, 8 pm while T&T champions Defence Force FC, third with three points, one behind title-holders Cavalier FC of Jamaica host Barbadians Weymouth Wales, who also have three points, at Mucurapo on Wednesday, in another 8 pm kick off.
At the conclusion of the group stage round robin, the top two teams will qualify for the crossover home-and-away semifinals, with the two group winners hosting the return-leg matches.
At the end of the competition, three clubs, the two finalists and the third-place winner, will qualify for the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup.
Additionally, the Caribbean champion will earn a direct bye to the round-of-16.
Group Stage Week 4 matches
Tuesday (September 23)
Group A
Central FC vs Mount Pleasant FA - Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, 8 pm
Wednesday (September 24)
O&M FC vs Moca FC, Estadio Cibao FC, Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic, 8 pm
Group B
Today
Juventus de Cayes vs Cibao FC - Estadio Cibao FC, Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic, 8 pm
Wednesday (September 24)
Defence Force FC vs Weymouth Wales, Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, 8 pm
Current CCCC standings
Group A:
Teams P W D L F A Pts
O&M FC 2 2 0 0 5 1 6
Mount Pleasant 2 2 0 0 3 0 6
Central FC 3 1 1 1 4 4 4
SV Robinhood 3 0 1 2 3 6 1
Moca FC 2 0 0 2 0 4 0
Current Group B standings:
Teams P W D L F A Pts
Cibao FC*2*2*0*0*4*1*6
Cavalier*3*1*1*1*3*4*4
Weymouth Wales*2*1*0*1*3*3*3
Defence Force*2*1*0*1* 2*2*3
Juventus Des Cayes*3*0*1*2*2*4*1
