Connection scrape into CONCACAF ‘semis’

TOP Trinidad and Tobago team W Connection, the current holders, together with Jamaican duo Arnett Gardens and Portmore United, advanced to the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Club Champions Cup. Although beaten 2-0 at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium on Wednesday by Surinamers FCS Nacional, W Connection advanced  of 3-2 on aggregate. But Arnett Gardens kicked out Jong Colombia (Netherlands Antilles) 13-1 while  Portmore United won their home-and-away series over CS Barber (Netherlands Antilles) 3-1. The three teams will join Trinidad and  Tobago champions San Juan Jabloteh in the semi-finals scheduled for November 26 and December 3.

The winners will square off for the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) title and a place in the Champions Cup final round. After taking the first leg 3-0 last Wednesday, W Connection escaped embarrassment, hanging on under serious threat from the Suriname team and really welcomed the final whistle. It looked right for Connection when the first half of Wednesday’s game ended goalless, but Nacional, beaten 3-0 in Paramaribo got a vital goal in the 63rd minute from Carlos Wyh. They then threw everything at Connection and got their second in the 85th when  Jackson Eragaleao scored, but could not get that third goal which would have sent the game into extra-time. Arnett Gardens who won 5-1 in the first leg in Curacao, routed Jong Colombia at the Tony Spaulding Sports Complex in Kingston, Jamaica. Jonathan Williams scored  in the 36th minute and again in the  61st, and Ray Graham 10th, Garth Bootha 32nd, Everton Bunsie 81st, Keirald McCleod 88th, Marcelino Blackburn 89th and Alberto Fray 90th scored one each. Roen Nelson netted a double for Portmore United to edge Barber 2-1 at the Stadion Ergilio Hato, Willemstad, Curacao.