Nodley Wright, Staff Reporter
ZONE A OF the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Championship will be decided this evening when Jamaica champions Arnett Gardens host Violette Athletic Club of Haiti at the Tony Spaulding Sports Complex at 6:00.
Before this big clash, Arnett Gardens Under-21s play the Under-21s of Hazard United at 3:30 in preparation for the end of first round final against Tivoli Gardens at Railway Oval on Wednesday.
The winners of the feature game will advance to the CONCACAF round of the championship in Central America along with the winners of Group B set to take place in Trinidad and Tobago from December 11-15 in which Jamaica's other team, Harbour View, will compete alongside FICA, W Connection and Union Sportive du Robert. The ultimate prize is the World Club Championship.
For the place from Group A, Arnett Gardens are in pole position by virtue of scoring a bigger win over VSADC of St Lucia. Having scored five goals in their victory on Wednesday, a draw with Violette would see them progress ahead of the Haiti-based team, which could only manage a 3-1 win over VSADC.
The coach of Arnett Gardens, Jerome Waite, was at the Violette/VSADC game and was seen busily taking notes.
"They're a very good team," said Waite, as he watched the slick-moving Violette dictate the game against the St. Lucians in the first half. The players impressing Waite would have been goalscorer Leandro Moncao, a Brazilian, Wedner Dorce and Rams Lespinasse, who caused frequent problems for the VSADC backline, as well as Maxo Sampeur, the target for their many crosses.
Also catching his eyes would have been the Brazilian Pedro Paulo Dos Santos who provided the passes out of midfield and the steady Watson Coriolon who operated as a holding midfielder. But for Waite, there will be nothing to fear today.
"They are a very good team, they have some qualities they use a lot of cross balls which they do very well," he observed about today's opponents. His team though will "withstand any pressure. All of our players are watching the game, seeing what they have to offer", he said.
What would have also pleased the Arnett Gardens coaching staff was how uncomfortable sweeper Roudy Gabriel and captain David St. Cius looked when the VSADC forwards took the ball to them. If this is a consistent part of their play then Walter Boyd, Jonathan Williams, Kevin Wilson and Fabian Davis should have a good day.
Brazilian great Carlos Alberto Torres who has been in charge of Violette for close to a month knows that advancing to the next round of the competition will not come easily.
"They (Arnett) are strong but we're here to win," Torres said. "It will be a very tough game for us because Arnett Gardens have a very good team, strong players, very good players but we have to win," said Torres who watched Arnett Gardens' 5-0 rout of VSADC on Wednesday last.
Asked if there were any Arnett Gardens players who would be singled out for special attention, he said: "No, no. They are all very good, they play like a team. I like that and I have to respect Arnett Gardens players. They are very good."
Probable teams: Arnett Gardens - Julian McLeish, Wayne Ellis, Alex Thomas, Oneil Dunn, Gerald Neil, Fabian Davis, Cornel Chin-Sue, Denton Shedden, Jonathan Williams, Walter Boyd and Kevin Wilson.
Violette - Azul, Rudy Gabriel, David St. Cius, Watson Coriolon, Sala Pierre, Pedro Paul Dos Santos, Wedner Dorce, Peterson Jackson Joseph, Rams Lespinasse, Leandro Mancao and Maxo Sampeur.
