A goal on each side of the half from Kevin Molino and Cassim Kellar propelled the Defence Force into the semifinals round of the Concacaf Caribbean Cup with a 2-0 victory over Cibao FC of the Dominican Republic in a Group B encounter on Wednesday night.
The victory came amidst a three-way tie in which the Army Coast Guard Civilian Combination team, Barbados’ Weymouth Wales FC, who shocked the T&T Tier 1 champions, and the defending Jamaican and Caribbean champions, Cavalier FC, all of whom were on four points, needed to win.
Weymouth Wales FC was also a winner on Wednesday, but their 2-1 triumph over Cavalier FC took them to a goal difference of one, while the Defence Force enjoyed a better goal difference of two.
The Tier 1 champions of the T&T Premier Football League had only themselves to blame for their position ahead of Wednesday night’s contest, and they faced a historic moment coming up against Estadio Cibao FC in Santiago de los Caballeros, a club the T&T never faced before, particularly away from home.
However, influential captain Kevin Molino eased their nerves with a thumping strike from some 25 yards out to hand the Defence Force men the advantage after just the second minute of the game.
The multitalented T&T attacking central midfielder, unknown for hitting shots from long distances, this time teed up his shot nicely with miles of space ahead of him and struck it low and hard through the diving grasp of goalkeeper Miguel Lloyd in the Cibao goalpost for the 1-0 lead.
It handed the Defence Force men a dream start to the proceedings, but the home team almost spoilt their celebrations in the 10th minute. Striker Casarin Ortiz connected one time from a right-side centre, only for Defence Force goalkeeper Jabari Bryce to tip the ball over the crossbar as he flung himself to the right behind it.
Cibao, who had already been assured of a semifinal berth with a convincing 3-0 victory over Juventus des Cayes of Haiti in an earlier match, sought redemption on the stroke of halftime when Ortiz got his head to a right-side corner that headed for the six-yard area where overlapping defender James Tavarez awaited.
The latter got his boot to Ortiz’s headed-on pass, but he could not direct it on target, and the teams later proceeded to the halftime break.
Coach Devorn Jorsling’s team talk seemed to have motivated his charges further after the break. After forcing an early free kick from on top of the Cibao danger area, Kellar’s low drive took a wicked deflection, and the ball flew in the opposite direction to the hapless Lloyd in the Cibao goal for a 2-0 lead.
Now sensing defeat, Cibao mounted a last-ditch attack at goal, from a cross from the left side that was headed into the path of Yunior Peralta to stab into an empty Defence Force net in the 85th minute; however, the referee waved offside.
The Defence Force will now face Jamaica’s Mt Pleasant in the opening match of a home-and-away semifinal series on October 22 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, before the teams meet a second time on October 29 at Independence Park in Jamaica.
The other semifinal will feature Cibao and O&M FC of the Dominican Republic in their first match on October 23 in the Dominican Republic, before their second meeting at the Estadio Cibao on October 30.
GROUP B
TEAMS*P*W*D*L*F*A*GD*PTS
1*Cibao*4*3*0*1*7*3*4*9
2*Defence Force*4*2*1*1*5*3*2*7
3*Wey Mouth Wales*4*2*1*1*6*5*1*7
4*Cavalier FC*4*1*1*2*4*6*-2*4
5*Juventus*4*0*1*3*2*7*-5*1
