New champs for Toyota Classic

The 2011 competition was launched yesterday at the Toyota Box, Constantine Stand, Queen’s Park Oval, Port-of-Spain with 14 teams (six from the Digicel Pro League and eight from the Blink bmobile National Super League) involved in the three-week long event, for a $45,000 jackpot.

The runners-up will get $15,000 while sums of $800 will be on offer for both the Most Valuable Player (MVP) as well as the Leading Goal Scorer.

According to the tournament draw, the top two teams in the Pro League, TTEC and W Connection, were seeded one and two respectively, and they will both earn a bye from the preliminary round.

The other teams, in this order, are San Juan Jabloteh, North East Stars (the 2010-2011 runners-up), St Ann’s Rangers, Caledonia AIA and, from the Super League, Joe Public, Stokely Vale, WASA, Phoenix FC, Club Sando, Eagles United, West Side Super Starz and Real Maracas.

In the first round on Tuesday, there will be three double-headers on the cards — Joe Public versus Phoenix and Jabloteh versus Maracas at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, St Ann’s Rangers versus Eagles United and Caledonia versus Club Sando at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella, and WASA versus Stokely Vale and North East Stars vs West Side Super Starz at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Arima.

The quarter-final double-headers will be contested on November 25 (Marabella) and November 26 (Arima) while the semi-finals on December 2 and the final on December 9 will be staged at Marabella.

Speaking at the launch was Pro League’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dexter Skeene.

“The road to (World Cup) 2018 Russia begins today,” he said. “Trinidad and Tobago’s football will rise again like the proverbial phoenix from the ashes. The fact that we are no longer in the race to qualify for Brazil 2014 presents to all of us who claim to love football and Trinidad and Tobago’s football in particular the opportunity to reveal our true colours.”

Skeene continued, “every year in the Toyota Classic, Super League clubs are offered the opportunity to establish themselves to show readiness to compete at the Pro League level to measure their level of play.

He also extended his gratitude to the supporters of the Pro League, as well as Toyota Classic — particularly the sponsors Toyota Trinidad Limited, the Ministry of Sport, All Sport Promotions, the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) and the media.

Sean Shaffie, Marketing Officer of Toyota Trinidad Limited, stated in his brief address, “I take this opportunity to congratulate all the teams and wish them well in this competition.”