T&T senior men's defender Keston Julien was an unused substitute as his FC Sheriff Tiraspol made a stunning start to their 2021/2022 European Champions League Group D campaign with a 2-0 over Shakhtar Donetsk at the Sheriff Stadium, Tiraspol, Moldova on Wednesday.
The win for the reigning record 19-time Moldovan League champions over the Ukrainians marked a dream debut in the tournament for the club after they qualified on their fifth attempt.
It was also FC Sheriff Tiraspol’s first appearance in the European competition since the 2017/2018 Europa League when they were eliminated in the group stage.
Julien, 22, was hopeful of making coach Yury Vernydub’s starting eleven having missed the last three matches due to injury he picked up last month as he looked to join David Nakhid, Dwight Yorke, Marvin Andrews, Russell Latapy, Shaka Hislop and Khaleem Hyland as T&T players to have played in the Champions League.
However, it was not to be as Brazilian Fernando Castanza who replaced Julien when he sustained his 53rd-minute injury in the first-leg 3-0 win over Croatia's Dinamo Zagreb in the previous managed to keep his place in the line-up.
The home side, winners of all four of their Champions League home qualifying contests were eager to extend a six-match home winning streak in all competitions while the visitors won both of their two Champions League qualifying contests away from home and entered on a six-match away unbeaten streak, meaning something had to give.
And it took only 16 minutes for Sheriff to open the scoring through none other than Malian striker, 26-year-old Adama Traore with his tournament-leading fifth goal in nine matches to date off an assist from Brazilian Cristiano.
Cristiano again played provider in the 62nd minute when his left-sided centre was met with a clinical header from substitute Momo Yansane, who was on the field for only five minutes.