Concacaf press release: Caribbean clubs final round set for Trinidad

April 21, 2010

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad – Puerto Rican and Trinidadian derbies will highlight the opening day of the final round of the Caribbean Club Champions Cup with the Puerto Rico Islanders facing Bayamon FC and Joe Public opposing San Juan Jabloteh.

The final league phase will be staged in Macoya, Trinidad, May 5-9 at Marvin Lee Stadium – home of Joe Public, with the top three finishers qualifying for the Preliminary Round of the CONCACAF Champions League.

Joe Public is seeking a third Caribbean title while Jabloteh is looking for its second and first since 2003. The seven-year-old Puerto Rico Islanders have never won the Caribbean crown, but are hoping for a third straight berth in the Champions League.

Bayamon is only in its second year of existence.

CFU Club Champions Cup
(Three teams qualify for CONCACAF Champions League)

Final Round
At Macoya, Trinidad

Wednesday, May 5
Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR) vs. Bayamon FC (PUR)
Joe Public (TRI) vs. San Juan Jabloteh (TRI)

Friday, May 7
Joe Public (TRI) vs. Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR)
San Juan Jabloteh (TRI) vs. Bayamon FC (PUR)

Sunday, May 9
San Juan Jabloteh (TRI) vs. Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR)
Joe Public (TRI) vs. Bayamon FC (PUR)

http://www.concacaf.com/page/CL/NewsDetail/0,,12813~2030334,00.html

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Posted by KVD

The last hurrah – Islanders vs Columbus Crew

October 20, 2009

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Tonight at 8pm, the Puerto Rico Islanders will face the Columbus Crew in their last game of the year. While the Islanders are out of the CONCACF Champions League (CCL), the Crew needs at least a tie to advance to the CCL quarterfinals. Beyond playing kingmakers, the Islanders also go into this match attempting to finish the year on a positive note after a disappointing season.

In the first match between these two teams in Columbus, the Crew proved adept at shutting down the Islanders and effectively defending against the team’s usually strong set pieces. The current MLS champions will probably look to score early in the match and then play a bit more conservatively against an Islanders team that is traditionally stronger at home.

Unfortunately, it’s hard to judge what kind of team we will see on the field tonight. Sandy Gbandi is still out, Marcelin and Noel have left the team as their contracts expired, and star goalkeeper Bill Gaudette is questionable for the match. Gaudette recently injured his left shoulder during a team practice and when we spoke with him yesterday his injury was still bothering him. With only one game in the season and without being able to train at all this week, it seems more likely than not that Gaudette will have to sit out this game.

…Continue reading

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Posted by KVD

Match-preview: Islanders at Cruz Azul

September 29, 2009
(From Vidadeportes.com)

(From Vidadeportes.com)

Tonight, the Puerto Rico Islanders face against their Mexican rivals, Cruz Azul, in Mexico City. Puerto Rico needs a win if they hope to continue with any hopes of advancing into the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League. With 10 points, Cruz Azul has already secured a spot in the quarterfinals – while the Islanders at the bottom of the group with only 2 points, now depend on winning and also some luck.

In the other group C match, Saprissa visits the Columbus Crew. If the Crew win against Saprissa, then the Islanders are eliminated from the competition as there would be no mathematical way for them to advance. But, if Saprissa wins or ties – then the Islanders need a win to take their hopes all the way to the last match day of CCL group action.

As the Islanders already know, winning in Mexico City is easier said than done. On a positive note, Cruz Azul has already qualified for the next round so the team will not approach this match with any sort of urgency. It’s expected that they actually field several bench players in tonight’s match. Unfortunately, the Islanders are also competing in the USL-1 playoffs. Having just secured a spot in the league’s semifinals – Puerto Rico must find a way to win tonight while at the same time considering tomorrow they have to fly all the way to Montreal in Canada for Thursday’s match, to then fly to Puerto Rico on Friday to close the series with the Impact on Sunday.

…Continue reading

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Posted by KVD

Video: ESPN Deportes preview of Islanders vs Cruz Azul

September 29, 2009

Thanks to Megadicto from the Hiapr.org forum for uploading this video. ESPN Deportes had a brief preview (in Spanish) of tonight’s match between the Islanders and Cruz Azul. From the Puerto Rico camp: coach Clarke, Peter Villegas, and Martin Nuñez were interviewed.

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Posted by KVD

Brief update: Islanders’ hopes in the CCL still alive

September 24, 2009

With last night’s Cruz Azul victory over the Crew in Columbus, the Islanders still have some hope to advance past the CONCACAF Champion League’s (CCL) group stage. The most points the Islanders could hope for would be 8, the same number that they earned last year. With Columbus currently at 6 points, a victory by the Crew would have made it impossible for the Islanders to catch up.

Probably the most important set of games will happen next week when Saprissa visits Columbus and the Islanders visit Cruz Azul. To continue with the aspirations to advance, Sapriss would have to either tie or defeat the Crew in Columbus and the Islanders need to win against Cruz Azul in Mexico City – no easy task.

So far, the Islanders are the only team to score against and also to get a point from playing Cruz Azul. The Columbus Crew allowed 7 goals in two matches (5 in Mexico and 2 last night) while scoring 0. Saprissa still has to host Cruz Azul during the last week of group play; these two teams met during the first week of play in Mexico City where Cruz Azul won 2-0.

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Posted by KVD

Match-report: Islanders vs Saprissa – Another heartbreak in Bayamon

September 23, 2009
VidaDeporte.com

VidaDeporte.com

For the second time in a row in the CONCACAF Champions League (CCL), the Puerto Rico Islanders let a victory slip away in the final minutes of the game. The Islanders were up 1-0 against Saprissa when in the last play of the match, literally just seconds way from the end, Kendall Watson tied it at 1-1 for the Costa Rican club.

Right from the start of the match, it looked like the game would be a challenging one. Not only was Saprissa a tough opponent, but the turf of the Juan Ramon Loubriel was in terrible conditions after the torrential rains of the last couple of days. The field was soaked and muddied – something that made the match even more difficult for both sides. But if one team was more affected by the state of the field, it was the Islanders. While Puerto Rico has played in similar conditions in the past, the state of the field slowed down the tempo of the game. With an Islanders side that often wins due to physicality and speed, the wetness of the field made it difficult for the home side on several occasions.

Both sides required some time to get used to the playing conditions and how the ball would often get stuck in several pools of water across the field. Yet even with the turf in those conditions, the Islanders didn’t take long in establishing their dominance of the match. While Saprissa had some good attempts on goal – the Islanders were the most dangerous team on the field from start to finish. Unfortunately, the condition of the field often disrupted Islanders counter-attacks and plays – ultimately taking its toll on the team. Puerto Rico had many impressive plays and shot on goal, but Saprissa’s goalkeeper, Navas, consistently found a way to control the ball at the last second.

…Continue reading

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Posted by KVD

Match-preview: A must win for both teams, Islanders vs Saprissa

September 22, 2009

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Tonight, the Puerto Rico Islanders host Costa Rican club Saprissa in what is surely a must win game for both teams. The Islanders and Saprissa currently have 1 point and 3 points respectively – making them the bottom 2 teams in their group. With only the top 2 teams advancing to the quarterfinals, both the Islanders and Saprissa are currently on the outside looking in.

The last time these teams met, the Islanders opened the scoring on a goal by Domenic Mediate but then were unable to respond to Saprissa’s 3 successive goals that gave a 3-1 victory to the Costa Rican hosts. For that match, the Islanders’ star goalkeeper Bill ‘The Wall’ Gaudette was unavailable due to accumulation of yellow cards. This time around, the Islanders will have team captain Noah Delgado unavailable due to yellow card accumulation, as well as still missing Jagdeosingh, Mediate, Behonick, and Gbandi due to injuries. On the visiting side, Saprissa will miss players Walter Centeno (yellow card accumulation), Alonso Solís, and the injured César Elizondo and Fausto González.

While Saprissa comes in with a must-win attitude, Colin Clarke’s objectives for tonight were the center of some speculation throughout the week. Essentially it all comes down to intentions and possibilities. With only 3 more games left in the group and 1 point accumulated, Puerto Rico at this point must win all remaining matches and also have some luck in regards to the results of other teams if the Islanders are to advance. On the other hand, the Islanders also begin the USL-1 playoffs with a trip to Rochester this Thursday.

…Continue reading

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Posted by KVD

Post-match: 3 points lost in Costa Rica – Islanders vs Saprissa

August 28, 2009

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It started out promisingly but it ended in agony. The Islanders scored first in what ended up being a 3-1 defeat against Saprissa.

Puerto Rico began this game surprisingly well. While Mediate’s inclusion in the starting lineup was a reason of concern at first, he ended up being one of the best players on the field. The Islanders started by absorbing Saprissa’s pressure while at the same time making sure to control possession and attack when they could. While Colin Clarke’s men looked organized and in control, Saprissa looked like a team with very few ideas other than attempting long range shots.

With the Islanders controlling most of the midfield, Saprissa began to attempt to recover some of the ground in the center but would still have many gaps in the defense. Exploiting one such defensive gap, Domenic Mediate would receive a pass, break free of his defender and send a shot to the back of the net. To the surprise of many, the Islanders were ahead 1-0 in the 25th minute.

…Continue reading

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Posted by KVD

Brief update: Another road loss in the CCL

August 25, 2009

Saprissa wins 3-1.

Puerto Rico goalkeeper Bill Gaudette was sorely missed last night when the Islanders allowed Saprissa 3 comeback goals after the ‘Tropa Naranja’ had been ahead 1-0. Domenic Mediate scored the first goal of the match to put the Islanders ahead, but the team then underperformed and allowed Saprissa to come back and score 3 goals.

The Islanders have allowed 5 goals in their two opening CCL group stage matches and are the only the team in the group without a win.

More on this match later…

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Posted by KVD

Colin Clarke video interview in Costa Rica

August 25, 2009

The Costa Rican press interviewed Islanders coach Colin Clarke yesterday after the team’s practice in Saprissa stadium.

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Posted by KVD

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