Panama was the top team going in and the Canaleros did not disappoint their fans. Panama has been on an upswing since 2005 when they made the Gold Cup final. Panama’s only close game was away in Nicaragua. Panama scored 15 goals for and only let in 2. One of the goals was on own goal. Panama is poised to make a good run in the Semi-finals. They will be grouped with regional rival Honduras, Cuba and group D Champion Canada. This semi-final group should be the tightest contested with all 4 teams.

Nicaragua was the last place team in Pot 3 however they beat Dominica (Pot 2) twice in this World Cup qualifying cycle. I believe they would have beaten Bahamas twice also to treat their growing fans base in Managua. Nicaragua play Panama to a 1-2 loss in Managua. 10,500 fans showed for this game which was a great crowd. Only 2,000 showed for the Dominica game after Nicaragua was already out of the competition. Nicaragua is growing slowly. Their next chance to prove themselves will be the Central American Cup in 2012. They quite possibly could host this event.

Dominica was a big disappointment. They were ranked much higher than Nicaragua but were exposed in this qualifying cycle. Dominica lost all 4 games and did not score a goal.

Bahamas was an embarrassment not only to themselves but to CONCACAF also.

     Canada was the team to beat and they proved that by averaging 3 goals a game and only letting in 1. They played with poise and they also got points when they were not on their game. The Canucks have been complaining for years about the lack of commitment the federation showed the team over the years. The team could not get together and play because of the lack of funds. Canada would always have good players but would lost in World Cup Qualifying and Gold Cup since they did not prepare like the USA and Mexico could. Well now Canada has 6 games in 2011 and they will have 6 games in 2012 to get a cohesive team together. They have MLS MVP in DeRosario. They are also in a semi-final group that does not have USA or Mexico. Canada will face Honduras, Panama and Cuba. F their was a year for Canada to make the Hex this is the year.

       I have been waiting since 2007 for Puerto Rico to emerge in the Caribbean. This World Cup cycle was good for this island. They placed 2nd ahead of both Saint Kitts and Nevis and St Lucia. The Blue Hurricanes only lost 1 game to Canada but is was a home game. Puerto Rico started to put things together as the tournament went along. Their top scorer was 6’1” Hector Ramos with 4 goals. He now plays for the Puerto Rico Islanders. He is only 21 but he developed his skills in the Puerto Rico soccer league. Puerto Rico is coached by Costa Rican Jeaustin Campos and he was hired for the long term gain for the sport. Campos has a young team and they should make some noise in the Caribbean Cup 2013.

Saint Kitts an Nevis only has about 52,000 in it’s population but they seem to produce a quality team for their size. They too only lost 1 game. They are presently looking to host the Caribbean Cup 2013.

Saint Lucia did not win but kept pace in this group.

New National Coach for Puerto Rico, Jeaustin Campos!

Jeaustin Campos, national team player for Coata Rica, Successful coach for Saprissa, and he helped the local club reach the final 4 in the CArribbean Cup Club competition 2010.

The USA is not the only national team getting a new coach. Puerto Rico is indicating that they now want a full time national coach/technical director. Puerto Rico has been in contact with Costa Rican, Jeaustin Campos. Campos was an accomplished player for the Costa Rican national team. He is only 40 years old. He already has coaching experience. Campos coached the most famous club in Costa Rica, Saprissa. At Saprissa he won 4 Championships for Saprissa and 2 CONCACAF Championships. Then Campos moved to Puerto Rico Soccer League, club team Bayamon FC. His also had great success with this new club in the Puerto Rico league. He helped this club qualify for the Final 4 in the Caribbean Cup Championship.




Collin Clarke is the present coach who has done extremely will with the PR Islanders. Clarke has coached both the Isnanders and the national team since 2008.  The federation wanted a full time national team director/coach and a fresh start to the 2014 World Cup Qualifying. Campos is a quality coach, who will want to mold the Puero Rico national the way he wants. He will not have much time to do this. Puerto Rico starts Septemper 2nd against St Kitts. The next game may well determine their faith. This game is Sept 6th against Canada in Puerto Rico.

Puero Rico's group. First game Sept 2nd 2011

Second Round CONCACAF



  

Round 2

This will be the most anticipated and comprehensive for World Cup Qualifying for CONCACAF. Never before have there been so many teams eager to qualify. Most nations believe they can win their group. The last qualifying round had 24 nations in a home/away series to get to the Semi-finals (Final 12 teams). Some of these smaller teams were slaughtered in this round against the powers of CONCACAF. USA beat Barbados 9-0 aggregate, Mexico belted Belize 9-0 aggregate and Jamaica blasted Bahamas 13-0. These were not competitive games. Most nations waited 4 years for these 2 games and were bounced early. They had to wait another 4 years to qualify again. This format did not promote the sport at all.

This new revised qualification will have 24 nations play in 6 groups of 4 teams. In these groups each nation will play a home and away series against the other 3 nations. This will give each team a minimum of 6 games. Most of these nations will be hosting 3 World Cup Qualification games for the first time. This is great for the host country to promote the sport and get the country behind the national team.

Another aspect I like is that the power nations (top 6 nations like USA, Mexico, Costa Rica) are not involved in Round 2. This will make the Round much more competitive and interesting. The favorite nations (pot 4) are not “shoe ins” to qualify for the next round. This will make the groups so much more interesting to watch.

A few notes.

Pot 4

          I see Panama as the top team here. The only way they lose is they become over confident and choke. Canada will want to prove themselves after a disasterous Gold Cup. El Salvador should  not lose at Cuscatalan. Grenada is the newcomer so surprises are expected, Trinidad and Tobago wants to regain their past dominance over the Caribbean and Haiti is very happy to have their national stadium remodeled by FIFA after the earthquake.

Pot 5

Guatemala should be in Pot 4 so no one in Pot 4 will want them in their group. They are extremely good at home. I personally do not want them group with Panama or El Salvador. Hoping they get a Caribbean nation. The South American Nations of Suriname and Guyana will not play each other in this group. This will be great to see how they compete at home against most Caribbean teams. so we can see how they fair against other CONCACAF nations. Dominica is the weakest and I am not expection much from them.

Pot 6

We have been waiting for the Puerto Rico national team to compete as well as the Puerto Rico Islanders. I hope it is this fall in this qualifying round. I want their fans to pack their stadium. They could surprise will a favorable draw and get a Caribbean teams from Pot 4 and Pot 5. Barbados and Curacao will also make noise in a favorable draw but I do not expect either to win their group. Nicaragua is also hoping they avoid their Central American foes in this upcoming draw. They play competatively in the Central American Cup but could lack confidence against Panama, El Salvador and guatemala. They will make it difficult for any Caribbean nations to play at Estadio Cacique Diriangén. We may even see Nicaragua play in their new national stadium in Managua. Nicaragua has been slowely building thier youth program so we can see how they have progressed. They will be fun to monitor.

Pot 7

I do no see anyone from this group to advance to the next stage. We have not see Bermuda play yet but they could surprise. Dominican Republic and the Bahamas have not been scored on yet so we will have to keep an eye on them. USVI  hope they are not slaughtered and embarassed every game. Saint Lucia has played the most competative series against Aruba so far. Hopefully they can gain confidence from this win to the next round and stay focused. I have lost any faith that Belize can compete near the top in this next round. There is to much turmoil in their camp.The government and the BFF are quarrelling and this is not good for the sport in Belize. It was a shame they Belize could not host games in Belize because of this disagreement. I thought they could win a few games but this look bleak in this camp.

Dates for the New Proposed CONCACAF WCQ

Ok here are the new proposed dates for the “New” CONCACAF World Cup qualifying. There is a preliminary round with a few dates to reduce the field to 30. The top 6 nations get a bye. The top nations that get this lucky bye are (USA, Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Cuba). These top 6 nations go directly to the Second round of qualifying that starts in 2012. This is the semi-final round that always seems to have the "group of death". The most interesting part of the proposal is the First round.

The first round now has 24 nations participating. All these nations will be placed in 6 groups of 4. These smaller countries will get a chance to play many more games than they ever had before. This new proposal will also bring back the HEX. This is good for the USA vs Mexico rivalry game and good for the region to have such popular World Wide appealing game.


2011 dates
The first round has 6 dates in 2011. There will be 6 groups of 4 nations that will play a home and away series. CONCACAF officials are changing the format to benefit the smaller Caribbean nations. These nations will now have an opportunity to host a World Cup qualifying game. Not just one game but host 3 home games and play a total of 6 World Cup qualifying games. These countries will ahve a chance to capture their nations attention throughout the 2011 year. These countries could be in striking distance if they can get a result on the road. They could also benefit from an upset of the favorite of the group. Some countries could benefit greatly from this experience. WCQ is the best way to bring attention to the sport.

Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Suriname and Puerto Rico are some of the nations that could benefit from this experience. All of these countries are trying to develop the sport and this would be great attention to the national team and their domestic leagues. Nicaragua has been building a national Stadium in Managua to host the national team. Playing 3 World Cup qualifying matches here would get the whole countries attention. Pueto Rico has the Islanders who won the D-2 Championship in the USa last year. Many Puertricans play for bothe the national team and the Islanders. This would be great if they beat Panama on the island. The excitement that it would bring not only to Puerto Rico but also to the other 3 nations in the group.

CONCACAF got WCQ right this time

This is a new hybrid CONCACAF qualifying format compared to the 2010 qualifying. The 2010 second round had the top 6 teams participating. This made for unexciting games. 2010 had the top 24 nations play a home and away series to cut the field to 12. This did not develop the sport at all. The big nations walloped the other smaller Caribbean nations. Then some good teams were knocked out in one home and away series. Eg Panama losing 2-3 aggregate to El Salvador. Puerto Rico testing Honduras 6-2 aggregate. Other aggregate scores were non competitive nor exciting. USA 9-0 Barbados, Mexico 9-0 Belize, Jamaica 13-0 Bahamas, Guatemala 9-1 Saint Lucia were a waste of time for both nations.

The 2014 format has the top 6 nations getting a bye. I love this idea. Now 24 nations are broken up into 6 groups of 4 nations. These groups will be much more competitive and exciting. Now 24 nations will each play 6 home and away series. So each nation will have 3 home games and 3 away. This may be the first time some nations ever host WCQ. This is what will develop the sport throughout CONCACAF.

I routinely criticize CONCACAF officials for their laciness but they got it right this time. World Cup Qualifying will touch each country and it will not be just one home and away series. IT will be a home and away series in a group of 4. Even if some nations do not make the Semi-final grouping. They will be able to talk about the 6 games they playing in the round of qualifying for years. They can see where the finally rank in each group and look forward to the next WCQ to see if they can advance from their last qualifying.

My hope is that each nation does host even if their stadium is not FIFA qualified. Belize could not host Mexico last time and had to play thier home game in Houston Reliant. This was very much considered a home game for Mexico. IT would be great for nations like Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Guyana wo host multiple WQC games for their fans.

The Stadium to the right on a picture of the new National Stadium in Managua, Nicaragua. Guyana has a field that was dedicated to them.

Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic dissapoints!

Disappointment in the big Caribbean Nations

The big disappointment for me so far in the Caribbean Cup is the elimination of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. These big populous nations of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic have 3.97 Million people and 10.090 Million respectively. I am very displeased since neither one of these countries will participant in the Gold Cup. If there is any chance that the Gold Cup will expand to 16 nations the big populous nations like these 2 have to produce quality teams.
The only way CONCACAF officials will expand is if countries have fan support. Warner will not expand just for the sake of expansion. It would lessen the tournament if Barbados - Antigua & Barbuda with Canada played Grenada as a double header and only 3,000 fans showed at a 60,000 stadium. Presently Mexico carries the Gold Cup with attendance. El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and the USA are a distant second in fan support. Then there is a huge drop off. Costa Rica, Panama, Haiti, Canada, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica are good teams but only a fraction of the fan support of the other nations.

Since these big Caribbean Populous nations have been knocked out Warner is glad he did not expand the Gold Cup to 16 teams this year. Warner and Gold Cup officials want a packed house to support them team. Officials want to Gold Cup to match the South American Cup. In order to do that these big populous nations of Dominican Republic 10 million, Haiti – 10 Million, Puerto Rico 3.9 million have to produce quality teams. Not only do they have to have quality team they also have to be one of the best 8 in the Caribbean. I believe if expansion comes the Caribbean has to get these big nations to make it to the final 8 year in and year out.

Of the final 8 Caribbean nations in the Caribbean Cup, only 2 nations (Jamaica, Cuba) have more than 1 Million of population. All the other participants have less than a million population. Some of these smaller island nations may have good teams but no one will watch them. They do not have a support club that travels with the team, they do not have fans dressing up in the nations colors and waving the nations flag. All of this pomp and pageantry adds to the Gold Cup just as it adds to the World Cup. There are just not enough fans in the states to support their nation during the Gold Cup.

I had high hopes for The Dominican Republic. Haiti usually puts out a quality team every tournament. The Dominican Republic is on the same small island in the Caribbean. Their populations are roughly the same. Why can’t the Dominican Republic field a quality team like Haiti? The Dominican Republic did not even advance to Stage 2. They were beat at home by tiny Dominica. It is hard for me to imagine how a nation (Dominican Republic) that has a population of slightly over 10 Million can lose to a nation (Dominica) that only has 72,600 people. That is more than 100 times the amount of players to draw from. The Dominican Republic should be a main player in the Caribbean. The Dominican Republic should be competing in the Final 8 every tournament based on population. The Dominican Republic has as many immigrants in the USA as many of the Central American countries. I believe they would be a tremendous asset to the Gold Cup if they could field a competitive team.

I thought that this would be the year the Dominican Republic steps into the fray of the Caribbean. The problem with this country is that not many people care for soccer. They do not care because their national team stinks. Everyone wants a winner and to have a team to be proud of. You can not be proud of your team when they lose at home to Dominica. They want a star on their team they can cheer for that is as good as or better than their opponents. The Dominican Republic has neither. After waiting 4 years for this country to succeed I was very disappointed.
I do not want to leave on a sour note about this country. Soccer is evolving very slowly. The top league is called premier division. This top tier league only has 8 teams for the 2010 season. Barcelona has bought a team Club Barcelona Atlético that plays in this Premier league. Hopefully this team can set the bar and elevate the entire league. The Dominican also has a good federation with a good web site so us fans can monitor the progress this nation makes. The best part of the league is over 90% of the players are Dominican. I guess I will have to wait another 2 years before I can judge the nation again..ugggg.

Puerto Rico (3.97 Million)

Puerto Rico has the 4th largest population of all the Caribbean. It also has one of the best economies. Puerto Rico is also one of the biggest islands in the Caribbean. Since 20087 when Colin Clake (N Ireland) took over the national team, they shot up the rankings. This fooled me since they had not had a coach since 2004. I thought Puerto Rico would be a force in the Caribbean and the Gold Cup on the level of Guadeloupe. I was wrong. Puerto Rico failed for a completely different reason. Clake also coaches the Puerto Rico Islanders. The Islanders have many of the top players on the national team. The Islanders just started the playoff just when the second round (Stage 2) of the Caribbean Cup started. The top players traveled with Clarke and the national team did not win in Stage 2. After dominating it’s opponents at home the Puerto Rico national team could not advance with a substitute coach and their B team against Grenada at home, a well organized Guadeloupe team and St Kitts in the last game. The Islanders went on to win the Champion of the USSF D-2 in the 2010. They beat the Rochester Rhino’s (#1 seed), the Vancouver Whitecaps (who will be a MLS team in 2011) and the Carolina Railhowks for the Championship.
I love national teams however you can make a case for promoting the sport by winning a Championship. Did Clarke do the right thing…time will tell. However us who like the national teams, we will have to wait another 2 teams for this nation and see how they improve. Uggggg I am not getting younger and I hate waiting.

Caribbean Cup Group E

Group E kicks off tonight at the "Police Grounds" also called Grenada National Stadium. The National Stadium is next to the big ckicket National stadium in Grenada. The soccer stadium holds about 9,000 spectators. If there is a time to support Grenada soccer ...it is now.

Guadeleloupe

The games start with Group B surprise winner Saint Kitts and Nevis taking on Guadeloupe. Guadeloupe has made the last 2 Gold Cups.
Kansas City Wizards vice captain and defensive dynamo Stephane Auvray this weekend, as he's joined the Guadeloupe this weekend. He will bring professionalism and skill to the Guadeloupe defense.
play a well organize, tactical game. They are a favorite to go through based on the last 5 year of consistent play.

Saint Kitts are riding the emotional wave. Kitts has 3 games under their belt to prepare. I believe Guadeloupe will prevail.

Grenada

The night cap will feature the host Grenada against Puerto Rico. Grenada will have the confidence of last Caribbean Cup behind them. The made it all the way to the final game and lost to the host (Jamaica). Jamaica scored on 2 penalty kicks. A sour way to lose any game. Grenada will be prepared to show the fans they can beat anyone in the Caribbean.

Puerto Rico

The Puerto Rico national team is preparing for it’s goal to reach the Gold Cup 2011. They arrived on Grenada Wednesday with out their skipper and some key players. Colin Clark their coach also coaches the Islanders. The Islanders are getting ready to play the Carolina RailHawks Sunday, so Clarke is with his club team. Adrian Whitbread will be in charge of the national team as they get ready to play the host.

Also missing from the Puerto Rico national team will be their star goal keeper Terry Boss. They will be missing FW Josh Hansen who had great service in the box on all 3 games. Midfielder Noah Delgado is leave a big hole to fill. DF Richard Martinez will also be missed on defense.
This leaves plenty of opportunity for younger players to step up. The group still feels confident they can advance. This from their assistant coach.

"We have a very good chance to qualify with the group we have right now in Granada," said Stefanowski

Caribbean Cup Stage 1 review

Caribbean Cup 2010

Group A Puerto Rico

There were not that many surprises for me in this group. Puerto Rico dominated the other nations.. They scored 7 and conceded only 1. The Blue Hurricanes attacked down the flank with consistency each game. They had service into the box dominated possession. They were solid at all positions and had a nice flow. They will be a force in Grenada (Stage 2) What was disappointed in was the lack of attendance and the playing field. Attendance was pitiful at a few thousand at each double header. Total attendance for 3 games was 7,650. I was thinking there would be close to 10,000. The weather reeked havoc on the field. There were puddles the ball would just stop in. However both teams had to adjust and it was the Blue hurricanes that adjusted. (This is the reason why the Gold Cup will not be rotated to the Caribbean any time soon). Cayman Island draw against Saint Martin is what prevented them from advancing.



Group B St Vincent and the Grenadines.

There was some controversy and confusion after all the games were played. Everyone did not know who won the group. I thought St Vincent had won. I did not read the tie breaker rules and neither did a lot of people. St Kitts, Barbados and St Vincent all registered 5 points for a win and 2 ties. Saint Kitts was declared the winner since they scored more goals against their tie breaking opponents. Saint Kitts avoids the Group of Death that formed in Trinidad. Saint Kitts will go to Grenada at Group B winner and play Puerto Rico, Grenada and Guadeloupe. St Vincent is heading to Trinidad & Tobago. This group is the hardest by far with Haiti and Guyana. Barbados is in shock. They did not lose a game and they will be going home..
Montserrat was scored on 16 times and did not score a goal. They were cannon fodder. This St Vincent group had the most attendance with 14,420 spectators. However this is quite controversial. The stadium is said to only hold 3,500 but attendance was recorded at 4,000, 5000 and 5,420. How can this be?




Group C Suriname

This is the South American Group. These games were played in Paramaribo, Suriname. Guyana recorded a perfect slate winning all 3 games. The Golden Jaguars scored 6 goals and conceded only 2. Like all host Suriname played well enough to get 6 points. They knew they were already in before the final game against Guyana. Could they have layed down and taken the runner up spot and avoid the Group of Death? At any rate they will now travel to Antigua and Barbuda and confront Cuba and Dominica.
The Netherland Antilles scored 5 goals but could not come up with a victory this tournament. Saint Lucia also played tight games but could not register a vistory. Both are out.
Total attendance was recorded at 4,350 which is respectable.



Group D Dominican Republic

This group only has 3 nations in Dominican Republic, Dominica and the British Virgin Islands. Only one team would advance and that would be the winner. Dominican Republic stomped on the British Virgin Islands 17-0. This is a Dominican Republic Record and a CONCACAF record. Then Dominica beat BVI 10-0. The showdown came down to DR v D. Dominica recorded a 1-0 victory. Dominica progresses to the second stage for the first time in their history. What else can CONCACAF do for the Dominican Republic? They placed them in the easiest group. They even let them host this group and they lose to Dominica. UGGGGGGGG. I waited for 2 years for the Dominican Republic to show me how much they progress and they blew it! They have to really help their domestic grow if they want to be a player in the Caribbean.

Caribbean Cup update

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Caribbean Cup 2010

Group A review

There were not that many surprises for me for this group. Puerto Rico dominated the 3 nations. I expected them to get 9 points and they did. They scored 7 goals They scores at least 2 goals each game. (3 against Anguilla). The Blue Hurricanes attacked down the flank with 2 good wingers. They had service into the box in each of the 3 games. They had possession all 3 games and attacked with regularity. They were solid at all positions and had a nice flow. They were only scored on once. What I was disappointed in was the lack of attendance and the playing field. Attendance was pitiful at a few thousand at each double header. I was thinking there would be close to 10,000 so I was very disappointed at a few thousand at each of the 3 games. The weather and the competition is what probably keep most fans away. (This is the reason why the Gold Cup will not be rotated to the Caribbean any time soon). Cayman Island came in second will likely NOT advance with only 4 points.

Group B in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Saint Kitts and Nevis is the surprise so far this tournament since they topped their group. They scored in each game and put 4 past lowly Montserrat. The new tie breaker had everyone confused. Since St Kitts scored more goals head to head against St Vincent and Barbados they wound up group Champions.
St Vincent did not lose a game however they did have 2 ties. The host nation should have performed better on their home pitch. They end up with 5 point which should be enough to get them through as the 1st or second runner up spot.
Barbados with 5 points is the big disappointment. They make the Final 8 in the last 4 tournaments. They placed in the Final 8 in 2008, 2007, 2005 and the 2001 tournaments. They had a strong team. They were as surprised as everyone else that they were bounced from the tournament. Montserrat was cannon fodder.

Group C
This is the South American Group. Both Guyana and Suriname are in this group. Neither has ever participated in the Gold Cup. These nations are the favorites to advance in this group. Suriname made the final 12 in World Cup Qualifying .

Group D
This group only has 3 nations in Dominican Republic, Dominica and the British Virgin Islands. The giant nation of the Dominican Republic has slightly over 10 Million people. They are bigger (population) that all Central American countries (Except Guatemala). CONCACAF wants this nation to have soccer catch on here. The Dominican Republic just played the weakest team British Virgin Island. They just recorded their biggest victory ever over an opponent 17-0. This may also be a FIFA record. They then will play Dominica. Dominica will only have 1 days rest when they face the Dominican Republic. This will be an advantage for the Dominican Republic. The DR also will be playing on their home pitch which is a huge advantage. It looks like the Dominican Republic if finally fielding a very competitive team that could advance deep into this Cup.

Group E
Group E is now set with the 2 seeded teams in Grenada and Guadeloupe. Group a winner Puerto Rico and Group B winner St Kitts and Nevis will round out this group. These games will be played in Grenada. Grenada got to host this group since they made the final 8 in the last Caribbean Cup. Grenada actually came in runner up to host Jamaica. I said it before and I will say it again, the host has a big advantage. Grenada will be playing on their home turf. They catch a break and play St Kitts in the 1st game. St Kitts will be the lowest ranked team. Guadeloupe has had great success in recent Caribbean Cups. This makes the Gwada Boys hard to break down and score on. Guadeloupe will be a favorite to advance. They play a very organized game are rarely out of shape (on the field). Guadeloupe has made 2 Gold Cups in a row and wants the party to continue. Puerto Rico has been building for 4 years for this point. The cruised through the first phase playing on their home pitch. These 3 games may prove to be a very valuable experience for this team. They have not played any friendlies since the 2008 World Cup qualifiers against Honduras. I will be hoping for Puerto Rico mostly because they would potentially have the most fans if they make the Gold Cup 2011. Puerto Rico is the largest nation at 3.9 Million. None of the other contenders in group E even has 1 million. My prediction is Puerto Rico and Guadeloupe advance.

Caribbean Cup is under way

Puerto Rico has gotten off to a dominating start. They dominated possession and the 3-1 result did not indicate the total control Puerto Rico displayed over Antigua. What surprised me was that their skipper, (Colin Clarke) was not present. Clarke was traveling with the Islanders. He must have though his troops would win without him….he was correct. These games are not the most astatically pleasing games to watch because of the lack of flow. The problem is that these poor Caribbean nations do not have the money to house and train their team for weeks before a tournament. These teams are thrown together and try to develop as the tournament goes. This is the idea for the Puerto Rico. They have a pretty easy group and I believe they will win the group with easy. They are also playing at home. The next game is tonight at 8:00pm EST. That is only one day rest for the 4 nations of Group A.

I was also disappointed with the condition of the pitch. It was waterlogged. There were giant puddles that stopped the fast moving ball in it tracks. This was surprising since the Islanders are a Division 2 USA team and they are presently still in the Champions League. The field must be Fifa qualified...

Another disappointment was the sparse crowd. I thought they would pack the stadium however only a few hundred showed for the game. There is no official count which makes me believe that it was small.

Saint Martin tied the Cayman Island 1-1. This does not bold well for either team. These teams need a win against each other to advance to Stage 2. The 4 group winners advance along with the 1^st and 2^nd runner ups. Group B kicks off Wednesday with Barbados and host St Vincent and the Grenadines the favorites to advance.

Caribbean Cup prediction

The 2010 Caribbean Championship an international soccer tournament for the Caribbean. This years edition will have 23 nations participating. The final stage will be hosted by Martinique. Martinique won the right to host over Guadeloupe and Barbados, who had also put in bids. All groups have changed from the original draw. Cuba and Antigua and Barbuda will get a bye to the second round at the expense of Guyana and the Netherlands Antilles who now have to qualify for Stage 2. The hosts in Stage 1 are Puerto Rico (Group A), St Vincent and the Grenadines (Group B), Suriname (Group C) and Dominican Republic (Group D). The final round of 8 has the host Martinique along with current Champion Jamaica. The top 4 teams automatically qualify for Gold Cup 2011. The winner of the Gold Cup 2011 will represent CONCACAF in FIFA Confederations Cup 2013 Brazil. This Caribbean Cup is interesting to me for a few reasons. I have been waiting for the “big” populous nations of Puerto Rico (3.9 Million) and the Dominican Republic (10 Million) to propel them selves into the thick of CONCACAF. If there is a chance that the Gold Cup will expand to 16 nations soon it will be up to these nations. These nations have a huge immigrant population throughout the states. They could support their nation like Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. The Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico did not participate in the last Cup. (PR missed the last 2 Caribbean Cups.) These countries are also hosting stage one games. In my eyes both will be favorites to advance to Stage 2. We will see how far each of these nations has progressed in 4 years. I am hoping a lot. The championship game is again moved to a new host country. Unlike the Gold Cup this makes for an exciting tournament where any number of teams can knock the host out. This will be the 4th different host in a row which makes every tournament exciting.
Stage 1 will have 15 teams fighting for 6 spots. All the group winners will advance along with the 1st and 2nd runner ups. The host nation always seems to have the advantage and this tournament is not different. I see Puerto Rico, Barbados and Suriname all advancing. The Dominican Republic Group D only has 3 teams so the winner of the Dominican Republic- Dominica game will advance. Stage Two also has the advantage go to the host nations however this is where I have my upsets changing the perspective of power in the Caribbean. The Favorites right now are the 2 teams that have already qualified for the final 8 (Jamaica and the host Martinique along with perennial power Trinidad &Tobago who are hosting a Stage 2 group). Cuba qualified for the Gold Cup the last 5 times so they have a legitimate shot, Haiti and Guadeloupe also field strong teams. Could we finally see a South American team in the Gold Cup (Surname- Guyana). Both have very competitive teams.


Group Stage One
Group A
Saint-Martin
Cayman Islands
Puerto Rico
Anguilla

Group A will be played in Juan Ramon Stadium, Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico has not has much international success however the sport has grown on this Caribbean Island. Colin Clarke (No. Ireland) coaches both the Islanders and the PR national team. I think they will have the most fans of any group in the entire tournament. The have fans have supported the Islanders and hopefully will they support their national team. There were over 12,000 Puerto Ricans who turned out to support the Islanders game Aug 4th, 2001 against the LA Galaxy. Puerto Rico recently started a soccer league in 2008 and currently has 10 teams for the 2010 seasons. I think Puerto Rico will win this group and advance to Stage 2. The play Oct 2nd, 4th and 6th.
Group B
Barbados
Saint Vincent
Saint Kitts & Nevis
Montserrat

Group B will now be played in St Vincent and the Grenadines. Barbados was one of the last 8 teams standing last Caribbean Cup because they have a good team. Barbados best result was 2005 when they placed 4th. They also advanced to the final 8 in both the 2007 and 2008 Caribbean Cups. They (Barbados) have the best team in the group which should be enough for the Bajan Pride to advance to Stage 2. St Vincent, playing at home will have the advantage, of advancing as one of the 6 nations. They should get enough points here. Saint Kitts will provide the test. Montserrat will provide cannon fodder. (
Group C
Suriname
Guyana
Saint Lucia
Netherlands Antilles

Suriname will be the favorite at home. They were one of the last 12 standing in World Cup Qualifying which the true test of any national team. Suriname has over 150 Surinese playing in the various Dutch leagues. Guyana is the arch rival of Suriname and a fellow South American nation. Surname knocked Guyana out of WCQ. This game will be a great battle. The Netherland Antilles are ranked higher that every team in Group A and group D. The Netherland Antilles only lost to Haiti 1-0 in World Cup Qualifying. This makes Group C the most talented group to advance. St Lucia does not have a chance. Played in Suriname from October 13–17. (Prediction Suriname 1st w/Guyana getting 2nd runner up spot.)

Group D
Dominica
Dominican Republic
British Virgin Islands

The Dominican Republic is the 2nd most populous nation in the Caribbean at about 9.8 Million. CONCACAF wants to ignite the passion for soccer here so the Dominican will host and has the easiest group to advance. Games will be played in Estadio Panamericano (2800) San Cristobal. The DR from October 13th , 17th 10. Prediction Dominican Republic wins their first ever significant game and finally advance to Stage 2.

Group Stage Two
Stage 2 has 6 seeded teams in Grenada (host) with Guadeloupe, T&T (host of course) with Haiti, Cuba and Antigua and Barbuda (host). 6 teams from Stage 2 will advance to the Final round. All the host nations have a great advantage. The most difficult will be Group E in Grenada while the easiest Group will be G in Antigua and Barbuda
Group E
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Winner Group A Puerto Rico
Winner Group B Barbados
Grenada advanced in the 2008 Cup by playing stingy defense and scoring when they had to. They will again have to play well defensively to advance out of this formidable group. The Gwada Boys of Guadeloupe made the finals in both the 2007 and 2008 tournament. They also qualified for Gold Cup 2007 and 2009. The Gwada Boys will be determined to make the Final 8 against the arch-rival Martinique. We will all see just how far Colin Clarke boys (Puerto Rico) have come in this group. They have not played since 2008. Barbados has advanced to the Final 8 the last 2 Cups. I see upsets here. Prediction Puerto Rico and Guadeloupe advance. Played in Grenada from October 22–26.

Group F
Trinidad and Tobago
Haiti
Winner Group C Suriname
1st Place Runner-up St Vincent
Group F after rescheduling surprise, surprise….Trinidad & Tobago is hosting yet another group. T&T has won 8 out of 14 Caribbean Cups. They have been kings in the Caribbean over the last decade. Haiti beat T&T in the 2007 Caribbean Cup Final in Trinidad. Haiti also tied the USA in the states in the last Gold Cup 2009. Haiti will not back down. These 2 teams will be challenged by my Group C winner Suriname. The first runner I think will be St Vincent which will fill out this group. This group will played in Trinidad and Tobago from November 2–6. Prediction T&T and Haiti again.
Group G
Cuba
Antigua and Barbuda
Winner Group D Dominican Republic
2nd Place Runner-up Guyana
Group C will be played in Antigua recreational Grounds (Cricket Stadium) that hold 12,000. Antigua made the Final 8 in 2008 and tied both Haiti and Guadeloupe but lost to Cuba in the final group. A&B relied on the scoring punch from Peter Byers and Jamie Thomas (6 goals each) who led the goals scoring in the last Cup. They will have to be in form again to make the Final. Cuba is rejoicing in the new scheduled group. Cuba should beat everyone here and advance. The Dominican Republic should finally make stage 2 and this is the easiest group in this stage. If the Dominican Republic wants to have some soccer success their chance is now. Could they pull an upset? I am hoping they do. If the Final runner up is Guyana) I think they go through as winners of 2nd place runner up. Games will be from November 10–14. I see Cuba & Guyana advancing.

Final round
Played in Martinique from November 26 - December 5.
Jamaica has won 2 of the last 3 Caribbean Cups and want to remain as the top team in the Caribbean. I thought they would advance last Gold Cup however they had coaching changes to close to tournament. They won the last Cup playing at home against Grenada. The Jamaicans are talented and tactically sound. They have settled their coaching issues and have settled on Theodore Whitemore (Jamaican). Martinique also won the Caribbean Cup in 1993 against the Raggie Boyz in Jamaica. Martinique has also qualified for the Gold Cup 3 times advancing to the quarterfinals in 2002. Martinique has watched their arch rival Guadeloupe accent to prominence and they want to share in the lime light.
Group 1
Jamaica

Winner E (Guadeloupe)
Winner G (Cuba)
Group F Runner-up(Haiti)
This is how I see the group shaping up. I wish the Gold Cup would expand to 16 team so all these teams could be make the big tournament. Jamaica will be in a dog fight to make the final 4 here. They will be challenged. Jamaica will not had as many warm up games as the others. Haiti has very talented players who just need a coach and their federation to back them. Cuba will be eager to make the Gold Cup to challenge for the Confederations cup. Guadeloupe looks to make it 3 Gold Cups in a row. I think it will be Jamaica and Cuba advancing.
Group 2
Martinique

Winner F (T&T)
Group E R-up (Puerto Rico)
Group G R-up (Guyana)
Group 2 will be just as formidable to advance. I have to give the edge to Trinidad and Tobago. They have the best Caribbean Club teams and have a wealth of experience of playing in big Tournaments. Every nation enjoys a huge advantage playing on their home pitch so I will have the second runner up going to Martinique. Puerto Rico would have done well to make the final 8 and play competitive games here. They are gaining experience and could upset the Caribbean. Guyana is still emerging. They were on a 14 game unbeaten streak in 06 but have come down to earth.
I believe it will be Jamaica again emerging the winner. The big prize is having Jamaica, Cuba, Trinidad & Tobago and Martinique taking the 4 Caribbean spots in the Gold Cup. If this happens then it will be 3 new Caribbean participants. (Since I do not think Nicaragua will upset Guatemala or El Salvador) There will be a total of 4 new teams in Gold Cup 2011.

Caribbean Cup 2010

Caribbean Cup 2010
Martinique

(This is not official since it has not been released by Caribbean Football Union CFU)

The Caribbean Cup is a tournament for the CFU currently played biannually (in even years). The Caribbean Cup serves as a qualifier for the CONCACAF’s Gold Cup. The final 4 nations will qualify as the Caribbean representatives to the Gold Cup. This years tournament has 24 nations (territories) participating. That will be 3 more that the last tournament. This year’s final will be hosted in Martinique. This is good since T&T has hosted 9 tournaments which gave them a huge advantage. (Trinidad & Tobago also won 9 Cups).
This will give all nations a fresh start the next World Cup Qualifying cycle. The first games will start Aug 17th in Antigua and Barbuda and ends in Nov 28th in Martinique. There will be 3 rounds. The First round has 16 teams broken into 4 groups of 4 nations. The top 6 teams will advance to the second round. The second round will have 12 teams. These teams will be broken into 3 groups of 4 teams. There will be 6 seeded teams in the Second Round (Cuba, Guyana, Grenada, Trinidad & Tobago, Guadeloupe and Haiti) waiting the 6 teams that advanced from round 1. Then the top 6 teams from the Second round group advance to the Final 8 in Martinique.

The final will play on the beautiful island of Martinique. The stadium (Dillion Stadium pictured above) will be a nice grass pitch and a stadium that few in the Caribbean could match. The stadium "Stade Pierre-Aliker" can hold 16,500 comfortably. The host (Martinique) and Jamaica (Reigning Champion) will fill out the Field of 8. The top 4 teams from the Final 8 will qualify for the Gold Cup 2011. There are a number of teams that have a legitimate shot at winning the Cup.

The Contenders (3)

Martinique: You always have to consider the host of any tournament and this one is not different. Do not laugh at this little soccer power house. Martinique is one of only 4 teams to win the Caribbean Cup(Champions 1993). Martinique has also made the Gold Cup 3 times. This was when CONCACAF had to invite guess teams to participate. They were also runner up in 1994 to the host Trinidad and Tobago. They have recently seen their arch rival Guadeloupe make the Gold Cup and want to regain their soccer prowess in the Caribbean.

Trinidad and Tobago: They are two tiny islands off the South America coast with a population of about 1 Million You have to mention the 8 times Champions Trinidad and Tobago. They are one of the favorites to win it again. They have an excellent youth program and have the best club teams in the Caribbean.

Jamaica: They are the reigning Champions and will be looking forward to defend their title. They have won the Caribbean Cup champion 4 times and want to remain on top in the Caribbean. They have a very talented, athletic and proud team. Now their coaching issues are settled maybe we can see some cohesiveness from the Raggae Boyz.


The Challengers



Cuba: Cuba has a very good soccer program at both the youth and senior level. They are the only Caribbean team to “place” in the last 4 Caribbean Cup Championships, they accomplished this feat 5 Caribbean Cup in a row. I wonder if they had hosted any of these Caribbean Cup how many they would have won?

Haiti: One of only 4 nations to win the Caribbean Cup. Les Grenadiers last won the 2007 Caribbean Cup. They also had fine form in the Gold Cup tying the USA in the states. An earthquake devastated their Island and this tournament will give some a break from the misery that surrounds the country. They are tall, fast and athletic. They just need cohesiveness to propel themselves to the Finals.

Guadeloupe: Guadeloupe has been in very good form since 2006. They came in 4th (Caribbean Cup 20006-7)and went to the 2007 Gold Cup. At the Gold Cup they made the knockout round. Then they proceeded to beat Honduras and make the semi-finals. Again in the 2008 Caribbean Cup they placed in the final 4 and again went to the Gold Cup 2009. Guadeloupe again made the knockout round. This tournament is on sister island Martinique. They will be well versed in the language and the culture. Watch out for the Gwada Boys.

Dark horses

This group I am most anxious to see play. Three of these nations are hosting games. It will be very interesting as to how many fans turn out in each country. I believe Guyana will lead the attendance. Puerto Rico should have a good turn out since their fans have been waiting with anticipation. They tied Honduras in World Cup Qualifying which was the last game I remember they play of significance.

Guyana: They have been slowly building the soccer program in Guyana for a few years. They just started their own league in 2008. They have half of their team playing in the club teams of Trinidad and Tobago. They are coached by Jamaal Shabazz (Trinidad and Tobago) since 2005. He provides stability and continuity. They are poised to make some noise here since they are seeded in the Second round and are hosting. They had the most fans attend a Caribbean Cup game last tournament at 10,000, more than double any other.

Grenada: Defense wins games and Grenada proved that last tournament. They are hosting a second round group that also has Trinidad and Tobago seeded. They will be playing at the Grenada National Stadium that holds about 9,000. Most of the national team is made up of players from the Grenada soccer league.

Puerto Rico: They have been on a similar path as Guyana. Puerto Rico just started a soccer league in 2008. There are currently 9 teams. Their current Champion (Bayamon FC) s on of 4 teams left in the CFU Cub. The top 3 qualify for The CONCACAF Champions League. The other team is none other than the Puerto Rico Islanders again. Collin Clarke can coach the national team like the Islanders they the entire Caribbean should take note. They have not entered in the last 2 Caribbean Cups but watch this team. 8,000national fans packed Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium when they played the Dominican Republic. We will see if they attend this group games.

Suriname: They made the final 12 in World Cup Qualifying which is the true test of the best teams in CONCACAF. Suriname has an established league since 1924. There are about 150 Surinamese players playing the Dutch professional Leagues. Depending who they bring in will depend how far they go. Will they disappear of will they surprise everyone again. They have the experience.

http://www.football-rankings.info/2010/04/2010-cfu-digicel-cup-schedule.html

Puerto Rico Sevilla FC

Looks liek Puerto Rico is getting a new stadium for the team Selilla FC.

Here is Sevilla post on matter

Coinciding with the taking of the official team photo will take an act of inauguration of the administrative offices, "Juncos SevillaFCPR.
Alfredo Alejandro. Yesterday also held a meeting in the restaurant's Fork Juncos, attended by the Mayor. The same was confirmed on August, to begin the stadium project. The chosen sites that already have parking and lighting, are at the foot of the mountains of El Yunque, an area of great natural beauty and access from the highway.
This has raised the possibility of exploiting the project, with the construction of low malls, cinemas and restaurants that allow self-finance it. Furthermore, the construction of a hotel nearby, invite enable MLS and USL teams to make their pre-season here.
The last thing that was discussed is the incorporation of SevillaFCPR-Juncos in the second division. This issue will be brought up for discussion next Saturday. Since the BA. Conaway has initiated proceedings in the State Department for our new Sevilla Atletico. . The team consists of players under-20 and the less common of the first team to play assigned for more minutes.

Central American qualification for CAC games

I love soccer tournaments because the passion that they bring from the fans. It is nice to track the tournament in group play and see how your nation stacks up against the other teams in the group. You always want your team to advance and see exciting soccer. Well the biggest tournament is coming up this summer in South Africa and Concacaf nations can see how their representatives stack up against the rest of the World. The Yanks and Mexico are traditional players in the world even but this year we will see how Honduras stacks up. We should all be pulling for out CONCACAF teams. While this tournament will catch the World attention another tournament will be going on with in CONCACAF. Puerto Rico will be hosting the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) games in Mayasa, Puerto Rico. The U-21 Nations teams will battle for this title.
There will be 4 teams from the Central American region and 4 Caribbean nations for a total of 8 nations. The groups should have 2 nations from each region to create interest. Puerto Rico automatically qualified since they are hosting.

The qualification for Central America (4 spots)
El Salvador played a home and away against Honduras. These two have a rich history against each other after the “Soccer War”. El Salvador really needed to win just so their country can have someone to cheer for during the World Cup games. El Salvador won 1:0 on Honduras soil then held them to a tie 0:0 at the famous Cascatalan stadium. El Salvador will advance to the CAC games in Puerto Rico. f
Belize played Nicaragua in a home and away. These 2 nations are clearly the bottom two teams in Central America. Pitting them against each other was a good idea. At least one will make the CAC tournament. Both nations need the exposure and experience of playing in big tournaments. Belize surprisingly won 1:0 in Belize. The return trip to Nicaragua new national stadium was another story. Nicaragua won 2:1. This score propelled Belize into the CAC tournament. Belize got through because they had more away goals.

Panama played Guatemala. Guatemala use to be the better nation however Panama has come a long way in 10 years and are now considered the superior nation to advance on both the national and youth levels. Guatemala missed the last Gold Cup and the new national team will have to develop in the youth ranks. This is a perfect time to regain the high stature they had in Central America. Panama held Guatemala scoreless in the first game 0::0 in Guatemala. Then Panama posted a 3:0 shutout of Guatemala in Panama. Panama continues to improve.
Costa Rica the heavy favorite will play Nicaragua for the last spot. The game will take place
April 11 and April 18th..

Green Soccer Bowl

There will be 4 national team playing in the Green Soccer Bowl. Puerto Rico, Kenya, Ghana and Malaysia.

The tourney will start May 20-21. Tickets will be $25.

The Silverdome (Pontiac, Michigan) will host the senior men’s national soccer teams from Malaysia, Kenya, Puerto Rico and Ghana in the inaugural Green Soccer Bowl in May. For Ghana, the May 20-21 tournament will serve as a tune-up for the following month’s World Cup.
Story via Freep Image via Flickr
“Here is the schedule:
Thursday, May 20
• Puerto Rico vs. Ghana: 6 p.m.
• Kenya vs. Malaysia: 8 p.m.
Friday, May 21
• Consolation game: 6 p.m.
• Championship: 8 p.m.
The tournament is the brainchild of Pius Oleh, a former Nigerian senior team member and president of the U.S. Presidents’ Day Celebration Soccer Invitational Tournament Foundation, the local sanctioning body of the event.
“We’re thrilled to draw international teams of this level in our first year,” Oleh said in a released statement. “Not only will this tournament put the international soccer spotlight on metro Detroit just prior to World Cup competition, but it will also be a means to our foundation’s long-term goal of supporting annual youth soccer activities both in the United States and Africa.”
Tickets are $25 apiece and will be available for purchase the first week in March through the Silverdome box office

Puerto Rico the up and coming regional power

Puerto Rico is one of the up and coming CONCACAF teams. I predict it will be a consistent top 16 CONCACAF team in the near future. I can see them competing for the Caribbean Championship and soon they will enter the Gold Cup (reserved for the top 12 CONCACAF teams presently) frequently. The decision was made not to enter in the 2008 Caribbean Cup because they did not want to extent themselves. Colin Clark the skipper of the national team is also the coach of the Puerto Rico Islanders. The Islanders as you know are presently one of the 8 remaining teams in CONCACAF Champions League. The powers that be decided to increase interest in the sport through the Islanders by concentrating on the Champions league and marketing that.
I see two main factors will contribute to this increase to a regional power. Puerto Rico is a large island in the Caribbean Ocean with a population of about 4 Million. The island is roughly the same population as Costa Rica and Panama. These 4 Million (rounding up) need a national sport they all can take to. Soccer has dominated most of the Caribbean nations as the only sport. Puerto Rico has sports but no one sport dominates. Basketball, baseball, volleyball and Pro boxing have been more popular sport in the past. However times have changed. MLS started in 1996 and has slowly gained in popularity in the US. Since Puerto Ricans are US citizens (however they govern themselves) they have experienced a similar increase in interest in the sport. The Puerto Rico Islanders placed a team in the USA second division and they are very popular. They Islanders are also in the CONCACAF Champions league. This will create more interest for the sport throughout the island this year.
These 3.96 Million have on average $19.600 GDP per year. This is the key to their success. Many other Caribbean countries do not have any where near this spending money. Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean region. US firms have invested heavily in Puerto Rico since the 1950s. Tourism has traditionally been an important source of income. Compared to other CONCAF nations in Central America and the Caribbean you can see their buying power many Puerto Ricans have. They will have more money to spend on tickets to Soccer games. Other CONCACAF nations field very good teams and with time Puerto Rico should field a quality team that can compete in the Gold Cup.
A new Puerto Rico soccer league is opened in 2008. There will be 8 teams in the Premier Division and they will have relegation. There are a few international clubs that are investing in the league to get in going. This will create even more interest on the Island and through out the Caribbean. Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago should enjoy the success they have on top of the Caribbean because there soon will be a new player to challenge for bragging rights.