T&T’s DirecTV W Connection faint hopes of advancing to a first ever quarterfinal stage of the Concacaf Champions League was dashed after a 1-0 loss in their final Group A match to Mexican champions, Santos Laguna at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo on Tuesday night.
Both W Connection and Santos Laguna, entered the match on three points, with the T&T club having an inferior goal-difference of minus-nine to its opponent’s plus-three, and both desperate of victory. However, it was the visitors who are last of the Mexican Premier Division table who would strike early through Andrés Rentería’s second-minute goal to earn his team a lifeline ahead of their final day clash with Costa Rica’s Deportive Saprissa, the table leaders on goal-difference for the top spot.
Rentería fired in from close range to beat goalkeeper Julani Archibald on the second bite off midfielder Bryan Rabello’s corner, which was swung in from the left and struck W Connection defender Tristan Hodge’s left thigh inside the six-yard box before falling into his path. The Santos Laguna striker almost double his tally in the 20th minute from 22-yards out, but Archibald, pushed his effort over for a corner while the W Connection custodian was called into action a minute later to keep out a Diego Gonzalez’s strike towards the top corner. From then on, W Connection, which was without suspended duo Jomal Williams and Gerard Williams, as well as Colombian Christian Ocoro Viveros due to injury, dominated on chances but failed to hit the back of the Santos net. In the 26 minute, Surinamese’s Dimitrie Apai, who started in attack with Shahdon Winchester and new signing Dwight Quintero, was denied by the legs of Santos goalkeeper Agustin Marchesin.
W Connection’s next chance came in the 56th minute when Kurt Frederick’s low left-side cross was missed by the Santos defence, however 21-year-old Apai opted to pass to Winchester, whose strike was blocked out by a defender.
Two minutes later Frederick audaciously tried to win W Connection the equaliser with his effort from distance bringing out a save from Marchesin. Concerned, Santos coach Ayestarán responded with the introduction of Djaniny Tavares, double-scorer in Santos’ 4-0 first-leg win over Connection, and Jesus Molina, replacing Luis Mendoza and Diego Gonzalez, respectively, just over the hour mark. But that failed to inspire any real threat on Connection. Instead, the “Savonetta Boys”, who recently had some of their top players such as Joevin Jones, Mekeil Williams and Jerrel Britto transferred outside of T&T, had the final best effort on goal in the 90th minute when Briel Thomas’ strike from distance deflected just wide. Speaking after the match, W Connection coach Stuart Charles-Fevrier, who last week led the “Savonetta Boys” to a 2-1 win over Saprissa at the same venue, had reasons to be proud. “We certainly have demonstrated that we have matched these opponents,” said the St Lucian born W Connection coach.
Crediting his players, especially in defence, Charles-Fevrier added, “We totally nullified the Santos attacks. Our defenders did great. This is great for the future of Trinidad and Tobago. “Before we would been happy for a 1-0 loss against a team from Mexico… but tonight we are disappointed. Apart from the scrimmage goal early, they (Santos) never created a single clear cut chance… while we created about five.”
CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2015-2016
Group A
Santos Laguna 1 (Andrés Rentería 2’) vs W Connection 0
Teams
W Connection: 2.Kurt Frederick, 4.Maurice Ford, 5.Triston Hodge, 9.Shahdon Winchester (27.Jhonatan Gerhardt 80th minute), 12.Dimitrie Apai, 16.Alvin Jones (Capt.) (Yellow Card), 17.Aikim Andrews (11.Neil Benjamin Jr. 72nd minute), 18.Julani Archibald (GK), 19.Dwight Quintero (14.Andre Toussaint 52nd minute) (Yellow Card), 21.Shannon Gomez, 26.Briel Thomas (Yellow Card)
Unused substitutes: 1.Terrence Lewis (GK), 13.Kion Joseph, 35.Keston Julien, 48.Stiven Lopez Concha
Coach: Stuart Charles Fevrier (St. Lucia)
Santos Laguna: 1.Agustin Marchesin (GK), 2.Javier Abella (Capt.), 3.Kristian Alvarez, 6.Sergio Ceballos (Yellow Card), 7.Andres Renteria (Yellow Card), 8.Diego Gonzalez (4.Jesus Molina 66th minute), 9.Luis Mendoza (21. Djaniny Tavares 66th minute), 10.Bryan Rabello, 14.Nesta Araujo, 16.Adrian Aldrette, 18.Adson Rivera (27.Javier Orozco 81st minute)
Unused substitutes: 24.Carlos Izquierdoz, 32.Julio Gonzalez (GK), 87.Oscar Bernal, 96.Kenyi Adachi
Coach: Pako Ayestaran (Spain)
CURRENT GROUP a STANDINGS
Teams P W D L F A Pts
Saprissa 3 2 0 1 7 3 6
Santos 3 2 0 1 6 2 6
W Connection 4 1 0 3 2 10 3