So its time to start this again. I got the news today, that PR will be sending the PR Islanders and Fraigcomar (don't count on them to much since they are only going because they don't want to be upstaged by the Islanders and may withdraw before the tournament starts) to the competition this year.
Isla contra isla Los Islanders de Puerto Rico participarán en la Copa de Campeones del Caribe. El club Harbour View de Jamaica será el rival de los Islanders de Puerto Rico el domingo 4 de noviembre, a las 5:00 p.m., en la fecha de apertura de la primera ronda del Caribe de la Copa de Clubes Campeones 2008 de la zona Concacaf. Ambos equipos, según informes de Concacaf, quedaron incluidos en el Grupo 3, junto a Inter Moengotapoe (Surinam) y Sap FC, que abrirán esa jornada a las 3:00 en el Estadio Mannie Rahmjohn de Trinidad y Tobago, país que servirá de sede a los cinco grupos de la fase inicial que terminará el viernes 16 de noviembre, denominada Copa de Campeones de la Unión de Fútbol del Caribe (CFU). El onceno boricua, que llegó por primera vez en su historia hasta la semifinal del torneo Primera División 2007 de la ‘United Soccer Leagues’ (USL), seguirá su ruta el martes 6 contra Sap FC y el jueves 8 ante Inter Moengotapoe en el cierre de la primera ronda, pasando los ganadores de los cinco grupos y los tres mejores segundos lugares a cuartos de final el domingo 11. 19 Jugadores de los Islanders de Puerto Rico, semifinalistas en el torneo 2007 de la USL, que permanecerán en nómina para la Copa de Campeones del Caribe a jugarse del 4 al 16 de noviembre en Trinidad y Tobago. Último comentario Haz que tu comentario sea el primero. ver comentarios de esta noticia “Empezamos con el más fuerte, pero hay que enfrentarlo tarde o temprano. Francamente, no hace diferencia, pero hay que estar listos antes de ir para allá, no durante el torneo”, dijo el presidente de la junta de directores de los Islanders, Andrés Guillemard Noble. La etapa semifinal se jugará el miércoles 14 y la final el viernes 16, cuyo ganador pasará al octagonal final de Concacaf junto a tres conjuntos de Centroamérica, dos de Estados Unidos y dos de México, incluyendo al campeón defensor, Pachuca. “Es un torneo (eliminatorio caribeño) compacto con seis partidos en 12 días y jugando en Trinidad y Tobago. Me hubiera gustado que fuera igual que el año pasado”, lamentó el también abogado de profesión. “Pero el beneficio es que va a ser un torneo rápido”, agregó. ‘La Tropa Naranja’, que debe iniciar su preparación el próximo lunes 15 de octubre, debutó en diciembre pasado en el certamen de la Concacaf, pero cayó en el partido final de la primera ronda ante el W. Connection de Trinidad y Tobago en acción disputada en el Estadio Juan Ramón Loubriel de Bayamón. “Nos molesta que esta vez no se le permitió a ningún otro país tener juegos locales. Pudimos haber tenido al menos un partido en Puerto Rico. Fue algo impuesto y nos tuvimos que acatar a su decisión”, afirmó Guillemard Noble, al precisar que ya tiene un acuerdo preliminar con el norirlandés Colin ‘General’ Clarke para que permanezca en la dirección técnica del conjunto isleño. Precisó que la plantilla tiene acordada la participación de Marco Vélez, Alexis Rivera, Raphel ‘Mime’ Ortiz, Joshua Saunders, David Johnson, Terry Boss, Jay Needham, Víctor Herrera, Alberto Zapata, Gustavo Ávila, Petter Villegas, Noah Delgado, Alejandro González, Taiwo Atieno, Fabrice Noel y Alberto Delgado, entre otros. ------------------------------------------------------------- Translation will come soon In other news from PR, the other team planned to participate was disqualifiedly because it was ejected from the PR Fed for going against its rules.
I like that our team is basically intact for this that mean that we can have a serious run at the tittle now, also that the will be practicing for it since october 15, that will give us a lot of time to get ready.
Thanks for the information, Intru. If you find anything else out about the tournament please pass it on, since the CONCACAF and CFU websites seem to little to no information about it. So we're looking at 5 groups (possibly 20 teams? wonder if any of the smaller clubs will withdraw before the tournament starts). Group 3 teams are the Puerto Rico Islanders, Sap FC of Antigua, Inter Moengotapoe of Surinam, and Harbor View FC of Jamaica. The Islanders-Harborview match looks to be the most competitive of the group. The losing team still could conceivably advance to the round of 8 with this format. Its less than month until this competition starts, has anyone heard the teams in the other four groups? From what I read (if google's translator is right), it looks like the whole tournament will be held in T&T, as opposed to last year when the group stages were held at various sites. Last year Haiti sent 2 teams, Jamaica sent 2 teams, USVI had 2 teams, T&T sent 2 teams, Neth. Antilles had 2 teams, Aruba sent 1. Any idea which clubs will represent from these countries/leagues? Any links to sites with news about the tournament?
Today's El Nuevo Dia has the program for the tournament. We are in Group 3 and will play at Estadio Mannie Ramjohn. Our group has Harbour View from Jamaica, Sap FC from Antigua and Inter Moengotapoe from Surinam. The Islanders play on Nov 4, 6 and 8 with quarterfinals on the 11th, semi-finals on the 14th and the finals on the 16th. Will there be any broadcasts of the games? Vamos Islanders!
Thanks for the heads up crazy al on the article in the El Nuevo Dia. Here are the 5 groups according to the article Group 1 - at Hasley Crawford Stadium San Juan Jabloteh (T & T) Positive Vibes (USVI) Deportivo Nacional (Aruba) CSD Barber (Neth. Antilles) Group 2 - at Marvin Lee Stadium Joe Public FC (T & T) Helenites Sports Club (USVI) Racing Club ASV (Aruba) Sagicor Southeast FC (Dominica) Group 3 - at Mannie Ramjohn Stadium Harbor View FC (Jamaica) Puerto Rico Islanders (Puerto Rico-USL) Inter Moengotapoe (Surinam) Hitachi Centre Sap FC (Antigua) Group 4 - at Ato Boldon Stadium Portmore United (Jamaica) SV Leo Victor (Surinam) Newtown United SC (St Kitts & Nevis) Group 5 - at Larry Gomes Stadium Baltimore Sportif (Haiti) Bassa S.C. (Antigua) Pinar del Rio (Cuba) Jong Colombia (Neth. Antilles) Group winners advance to the round of 8 along with best 3 second place finishers. Predictions on which 8 advance? I don't get the chance to follow Caribbean club sides regularly but on reputation and recent CFU championship performance I would think the two T&T clubs, the two Jamaican clubs, the Islanders, and Baltimore Sportif of Haiti seem to be favorites to advance.
^^ That makes more sense I was wondering why only one Hatian team. Glad to see Cuba has finally decided to send a team as well. To bad for u guys the tornaments in Trinidad though, would have prefered a home and away setup or at least one similar to last year. Maybe the costs were too high, or is Jack helping us win again? Dont answer that.
Trin, I assume local television will broadcast the tournament. But for those of us a little further away, are any of the games to be broadcast on the internet or by Fox Sports Espanol? Even an audio broadcast would be nice.
Thats a good question and honestly I don't know as of now. Last years games were not televised so judging by that I wouldn't be too optimistic. But seeing as the entire tournament is centralized this year it would be much easier logistically to televise the games. The TTPro league website would I think stream the matches in the groups involving Pro League teams. They showed most of the Digicel Cup finals games in T&T. http://www.ttproleague.com/
Islanders televised it in PR and the Internet. I still think we should play this tournament in PR since everything else is just a step down. LOL Flame away lol
I don't think the tournament should be held in any one particular country. Having said that we do still have the best soccer infrastructure in the Caribbean and it would be tough to argue against that. That's the one good thing Jack Warner's done.
If that is the way this year's groups are setup then i'm confused. Why does the Jamaican, Cuban, and Haitian league representatives get put amongst the same groups along with the Puerto Rico Islanders while Trinidad & Tobago's club teams are virtually guaranteed spots in the final round. It's complete bullshit! Why can't they let the club teams have home and away series like the UNCAF, it makes it alot more fair then having the trinis host it again.
Because Jack Warner's a crook, the clubs are too poor and for the record we havent hosted this entire tornament before which means this sets a bad precident which I have said b4. I agree the groups are very imbalanced this year, and also why do places like USVI, Aruba, Antigua etc. get an equal number of entrants as Haiti, Cuba T&T and Jamaica. Whoever is formulating the groups really isnt helping T&T football, and if they think they are they are very shortsited and ignorant (reeks of Warner) In any case its not like the T&T clubs need the help in the first place...
http://www.concacaf.com/view_article.asp?id=3993 has the dates. The tournament is being held earlier than it was last time, with the final on November 16 (2 days before MLS Cup). Assuming the second Mexican team is determined at about the same time as last year, that team will be the last team qualify for the CONCACAF Champions' Cup.
Already drumming up an excuse since you and I know that haitian club teams do like their national teams and bow out early.
Apparently Positive Vibes has withdrawn from participation. Just heard on the radio. I wonder how many teams will actually make it. The Islanders are here in T&T.