By Howard Walker, Staff ReporterJAMAICA'S NATIONAL champions Tivoli Gardens and CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh of Trinidad will be hunting for the final spot in the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Final round qualification for the 2005 CONCACAF Champions' Cup at the Edward Seaga Stadium at 3:00 p.m. today.
Following a 1-1 draw in Trinidad and based on the away goal rule, Tivoli Gardens need only a win or a 0-0 draw to advance to the final round to meet fellow Jamaican team Harbour View.
After a scoreless first half at Port of Spain's Hasely Craw-ford Stadium, Fabian Davis gave Tivoli Gardens a 58th minute lead but Nigel Daniel scored the equaliser for Jabloteh with seven minutes remaining.
OOZING WITH CONFIDENCE
The Jamaica/Trinidad football rivalry has been extended to the club level and both camps are oozing with confidence and predicting victory.
Angus Eve, player/coach of the Trinidad team, who has had many battles with the Jamaicans at the national level, said his side was here to prove that it could come away from home and win.
"In Jamaica the fans are always behind the team. It's a hostile environment for a visiting team," Eve said.
"They always think that Trinidad teams are soft and we proved that we are not against Arnett Gardens and we are here to prove the same thing," said Eve, while relaxing at the Knutsford Court Hotel in New Kingston.
Eve, an attacking midfielder and interim coach, criticised Tivoli for their negative play inPort of Spain. "They played defensively and didn't create anything and the goal was a massive goalkeeping error," he said.
"A fellow kick a ball from about 40 yards and all the defenders turned and were heading back up the field when the 'keeper made the mistake," Eve noted.
However, Eve says it was difficult to judge how Tivoli play based on the first leg. "They just had two guys upfront and they wanted Fabian (Davis) to join them whenever he could".
But he also hopes that the pressure of playing at home will take its toll on Tivoli and they will be pressured to open up and attack which would give his team the chance to score.
AT HOME
"They must come forward, they are at home and the crowd is going to be behind them and the longer we keep them off the score sheet, the more the crowd is going to get down on them," he said.
But Glendon 'Admiral' Bailey, coach of Tivoloi Gardens, when quizzed as to his team's chances, said: "Unlike the rest of the coaches that think they are Nostradamus, I am not, I can't make any predictions. All I can say is that we are playing at home and playing with confidence and we going out there to put the fight to them."
As to the remarks from his opposing number about Tivoli's negative tactics in the first leg, he said "you have to analyse the situation, know what you team can do and what you need to do to come out of that game with at least a point.
NOT PHYSICALLY
"When we realised that and took a look at the stadium and saw that it was a maximum field of international standard and we were not physically fit yet to cope with that, so we played a tactical game. That was the best option for us.
"Now we playing at home that won't be the best option. We are not going to sit back. We will see if he wants us to attack him," said Bailey.
Although Tivoli will be missing three key players in Fabian Davis, Roland Dean and Lenworth Hyde Jnr, Bailey says his side is upbeat.
"We have enough players to play some good quality football. We have the advantage, they have to win. If we hold them to a 0-0 draw we will be fine, but we are not going into the game with that mindset. The pressure is on them."
Meanwhile, Jabloteh will be welcoming back two key players that missed the first leg encounter, Eve and fellow midfielder Kerry Batiste.
Port of Spain.
"They played defensively and didn't create anything and the goal was a massive goalkeeping error," he said.
"A fellow kick a ball from about 40 yards and all the defenders turned and were heading back up the field when the 'keeper made the mistake," Eve noted.
However, Eve says it was difficult to judge how Tivoli play based on the first leg. "They just had two guys upfront and they wanted Fabian (Davis) to join them whenever he could".
But he also hopes that the pressure of playing at home will take its toll on Tivoli and they will be pressured to open up and attack which would give his team the chance to score.
"They must come forward, they are at home and the crowd is going to be behind them and the longer we keep them off the score sheet, the more the crowd is going to get down on them," he said.
But Glendon 'Admiral' Bailey, coach of Tivoloi Gardens, when quizzed as to his team's chances, said: "Unlike the rest of the coaches that think they are Nostradamus, I am not, I can't make any predictions. All I can say is that we are playing at home and playing with confidence and we going out there to put the fight to them."
As to the remarks from his opposing number about Tivoli's negative tactics in the first leg, he said "you have to analyse the situation, know what you team can do and what you need to do to come out of that game with at least a point.
"When we realised that and took a look at the stadium and saw that it was a maximum field of international standard and we were not physically fit yet to cope with that, so we played a tactical game. That was the best option for us.
"Now we playing at home that won't be the best option. We are not going to sit back. We will see if he wants us to attack him," said Bailey.
In his first year playing in this competition, Bailey noted that the teams from Trinidad and Tobago has an advantage in terms of the timing of the competition.
"The unfair advantage they have over us is that when their season is finishing - where they are at the peak and full of running - our season is just starting and we haven't even got into the flow of the football yet. They only have one match remaining in their competition," he pointed out.
"I always wondered why the Jamaican teams didn't stand up well against the Trinidad teams," he added.
Although Tivoli will be missing three key players in Fabian Davis, Roland Dean and Lenworth Hyde Jnr, Bailey says his side is upbeat.
"We have enough players to play some good quality football. We have the advantage, they have to win. If we hold them to a 0-0 draw we will be fine, but we are not going into the game with that mindset. The pressure is on them."
Meanwhile, Jabloteh will be welcoming back two key players that missed the first leg encounter, Eve and fellow midfielder Kerry Batiste.
Jabloteh reached the final stages of the Champions' Cup before falling to Chicaco Fire of the USA last year.
The squad is made up of five senior national players and seven Under-23 players. Eve, Nigel Pierre, Ansil Elcock, Batiste and goalkeeper Duarance Williams will form the backbone of a side still adjusting to a new system implemented by Eve after the dismissal of the previous coach with couple of games remaining in the Trinidad domestic league. The 2005 Champions' Cup breakdown will feature eight teams, two clubs from Mexico and the U.S., one team from Caribbean and three teams from Union Centroamericana de Futbol (Central America).
