North East, Connection meet in opener

NORTH EAST STARS and W Connection will clash at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Balmain, Couva from 4 pm today as the 2005 T&T Pro League season kicks off. Simultaneously, CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh will oppose Caledonia AIA/Fire at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella. Other teams in the league are Defence Force, United Petrotrin (former South West Drillers) and Tobago United. North East, who will have National Quarries as their major sponsor, claimed the 2004 title after three years in existence. The team, guided by Guyanese James McLean, will again be led by national striker and 2004 Most Valuable Player Jerren Nixon and will rely heavily on the Guyanese trio, defenders Howard Lowe, Abassi McPherson and midfielder Carey Harris, and veteran St Vincent midfielders Kendall Velox.

Also returning from the successful 2004 season are evergreen goalkeeper Trevor Nottingham, national Under-20 midfielder Kendall Jagdeosingh, Kayode McKinnon, Keryn Navarro, Anthony Wolfe and Team 2001 striker Ochieng Abosi. But the Sangre Grande-based team will have to do without the services of Guyanese full-back Charles Pollard, who moved to Jabloteh during the off-season. In return, North East have acquired the services of Vincentian central defender Melvin Andrews, Jabloteh’s midfielder Fabian Garcia, Caledonia’s forward Brent Antoine and national defender Dwayne Jack from Tobago United. Connection, the 2004 runners-up, have made their intentions clear this season that their emphasis will be on youth development, with the inclusion of Brenton De Leon, Hughton Hector, Andrei Pacheco, Dwight Scott, Gorean Highley and national Under-20 striker Shane Calderon.

The ‘Savonetta Boys’, under long-standing coach Stuart Charles-Fevrier and assistants Reynold Carrington and Leonson Lewis, have also added Fire’s Romauld Aguillera and the Starworld pair of Jamal Ayres and Errol Charles to their squad, while the Brazilian midfield pair of Gefferson Goulart and Ronaldo Viana return from a stint in Yugoslavia. But the core remains the same - national players David Atiba Charles and Jose Luis Seabra, Colombian-born Alejandro Figueroa and fellow goalie Jan-Michael Williams, Nicholson Thomas, Kevon Clement, Kendall Davis, Bevon Lewis, Andre Toussaint and captain Earl Jean.

Jabloteh, who were back-to-back champs in 2002 and 2003, will begin with a new coach for the fourth successive year - ex-TT defender Michael Grayson, with veteran Angus Eve as player/coach. The new faces on the San Juan squad are Pollard, fellow Guyanese Nigel Codrington, another striker Nicholas Addlery of Jamaica, Joe Public’s Kevaughn Connell and ex-Connection, Starworld and Tobago United keeper Brian James. But, as is the norm, Jabloteh will field a number of past and present national players - Eve, Daurance Williams, Nigel Daniel, Ansil Elcock, the unrelated Grays Ian and Cyd, Keyeno Thomas, Kerry Baptiste, Michael Celestine, Travis Mulraine, Trent Noel, Otis Seaton (Aurtis Whitley), Devon Mitchell and Nigel ‘Croc’ Pierre.

Caledonia, who were called Arima/Morvant Fire last season, have added Connection’s striker Titus Elva, another St Lucian Vernus Abbott and ex-TT midfielders Kerwyn ‘Hardest’ Jemmott and Stokely Mason, to their ranks, while national striker Conrad Smith will be plying his trade in Canada. But the Jamaal Shabazz-coached team will maintain most of the players of the 2004 team, including national midfielder Densil Theobald, Uz Taylor, Ashford Legerton, Handel Manswell, Alvris Diaz, Abdullah Phillip and TT Under-20 midfielder Cordell Samuel.