AIA, D/Force battle for Lucozade trophy

In last Friday’s semi-final double-header at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium in Marabella, Caledonia whipped TTEC 3-1 while Defence Force cruised past St Ann’s Rangers 4-1.

Both Caledonia and Defence Force will be gunning for their first hold of the Goal Shield, in the third edition of the event — W Connection were the inaugural winners in 2009 while North East took the 2010-2011 version.

Today’s winner will pocket at least $20,000 while the runners-up will receive at least $10,000.

This season, Caledonia have copped the First Citizens Cup and the TTFF FA Trophy, and they will have the incentive of defeating Defence Force 1-0 in the FA Final last month.

Caledonia coach Jamaal Shabazz admitted, “it’s very easy to motivate our guys. In fact our guys need no motivation against Defence Force.”

Shabazz, who also serves as coach of Guyana, continued, “this Lucozade Sport Goal Shield is a tournament we have never really done well at. Now to reach the final we are very excited and it has come at the right time as well.

“The State of Emergency that happened saw that our people in Morvant/Laventille were the biggest targets,” Shabazz added. “We were immobilised in the state of emergency, and we weren’t even against the State of Emergency.

“But on the football field, it’s one of the only places we can get to beat back up on the soldiers and destroy them,” he joked.

Shabazz went on to say, “this is what we are going to do. We are going to beat them. It’s always a pleasure to play against the Defence Force because they are very combative, very competitive and it’s something we look forward to.”

On the other side of the coin, Defence Force coach Ross Russell revealed, “everyone is in key form (for the final).

“Caledonia got the luck of the draw (in the FA Final),” added the ex- national goalkeeper. “I think we played all over them in that Final but they had a key striker in Devorn Jorsling and I think he did his job.”