Howard Walker, Staff Reporter
Harbour View's Loxley Thomas (right) shields the ball from Howie Williams from Positive Vibes of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) in their Caribbean Football Union Club Championship match at Harbour View Mini Stadium on Sunday night. Harbour View won 5-0. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
Jamaica's Harbour View and SV Centro Social Deportivo Barber of Curaçao scored easy wins on Sunday night to set up an intriguing final clash today at the Harbour View Mini-Stadium.
Both teams lead Group A of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Championship with maxi-mum six points from two games and will clash tonight at 8:00 before Aigle Noir (Haiti) take on Positive Vibes (United States Virgin Islands - USVI).
Host team Harbour View defeated Haiti's Aigle Noir 1-0 in their first game before swamping Positive Vibes of the USVI 5-0.
Meanwhile, SV Centro Barber scored identical 2-0 wins over Positive Vibes and Aigle Noir to set up a grand finale with Harbour View with the winner advancing to the semi-final round.
Lenworth Hyde Sr., coach of Harbour View, said his team has a real challenge on its hands.
"It's going to be a tough game. I saw the two games that they played and they are a quality team."
He continued: "It is set for a good game. We are going to play hard football to try and win the game."
Superior goal difference
Harbour View with six goals for and none against have a superior goal difference compared to SV Centro Barber's four for and none against. As such, the Stars of the East need only a draw to advance.
Gersley Gysbertha, player/coach of Centro Barber, said his team knows that only a win will be good enough.
"We will be going for the same."
On Sunday, SV Centro Barber, courtesy of goals from Edgard Perez (6th) and Shayron Bermandas (75th), defeated a weak Aigle Noir 2-0 after playing with 10 men for the entire second half.
In the feature encounter, Harbour View cruised to an impressive 5-0 win over Positive Vibes. Kavin Bryan (5th, 51st) and substitute Rafiek Thomas (66th, 80th) both grabbed a brace while Fabian Taylor scored a scorcher in the 23rd minute.
However, Harbour View will be without Taylor today as he picked up a knock on his troublesome left ankle. But coach Hyde was not perturbed, citing that his squad is deep.
"There are players that are knocking at the door and we have an abundance of strikers."
Harbour View should look to the likes of Bryan, Loxley Thomas, Richard Edwards, Gregory Simpson, Lovell Palmer and Thomas to pull them through.
SV Centro Barber is a quality team and should provide Harbour View with a stern test. The likes of Julian Jamsen, Edgard Perez, Shayron Bermandas and Curtly Hooi should keep the host team honest.