Digicel T&T Pro League clubs, bmobile Joe Public and San Juan Jabloteh will go into their respective Caribbean Football Union Club Championship Second Round final group matches this afternoon needing only a draw to advance to the four-team Final Round in Puerto Rico. Jabloteh which blanked Guyana's Alpha United 2�0 in its Group D opener at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya, on Wednesday night, will tackle Puerto Rico's River Plate in the first match of a double-header at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar from 4 pm. On Friday at Macoya, River Plate got a last minute equaliser from Jorge Gonzales to earn a 1�1 draw with Alpha United, who needed a win to keep its hopes of advancing alive. Anthony Abrams had given the Guyanese club champions, the lead four minutes into the second-half.
While Jabloteh only needs a draw, River Plate must win to advance. In the second match at Malabar this evening six-o-clock, reigning T&T Pro League champions, Joe Public faces St Vincent and The Grenadines, System 3 in Group C. The Eastern Lions hammered Suriname's Walking Boys 5�0 in their opener on Wednesday, however, the visitors bounced back on Friday at Macoya with a 2�0 win over System 3 thanks to a double from Afonsoewa Elias in the tenth and 62nd minutes. The two other groups being contested in Puerto Rico involves host club, Puerto Rico Islanders facing Racing Club of Haiti in a two-match series while in Group B, Bayamon and SVG's Avenues United also faced off in a two-match series. Bayamon won the first match 5�2.
This after Leo Victor of Suriname and Haiti's Tempete were forced to withdrew from the tournament in Puerto Rico. Leo Victor pulled out due to financial problems, while Tempete faced difficulties in obtaining a US Visa. The four second-round group winners will then advance to the final league phase in Puerto Rico from April 28 to May 10 in Puerto Rico where the top three will qualify for the Concacaf Champions League. A new CFU champion will be crowned after last year's winner and four-time champion, W Connection (2001, 2002, 2006 and 2009) failed to secure a top two finish in the T&T Pro League, which guarantees a place in the tournament.
Results
Venue: Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya:
Group C:
Walking Boys 2 (Afonsoewa Elias 10th, 62nd) vs System 3 0.
Group D:
Alpha United 1 (Anthony Abrams 49th) vs River Plate 1 (Jorge Gonzales 90th).