2013 Trinidad and Tobago Pro Bowl

2013 Digicel Pro Bowl
Country Trinidad and Tobago
Teams 8
Defending champions Defence Force
Champions W Connection
Runners-up North East Stars
Matches played 7
Goals scored 17 (2.43 per match)
Top goal scorer(s) Kevon Carter (3 goals)
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The 2013 Trinidad and Tobago Pro Bowl was the ninth season of the Digicel Pro Bowl, which is a knockout football tournament for Trinidad and Tobago teams competing in the TT Pro League. For the third consecutive season, the Pro Bowl concluded the Pro League calendar. Additionally, for the second year the winner of the Pro Bowl was invited to compete in the Digicel Charity Shield to open the 2013–14 Pro League season.[1] Defence Force entered as the Pro Bowl holders having defeated Caledonia AIA by a score of 5–2 in the 2012 final in Hasely Crawford Stadium.[2] The competition commenced on 17 May with all eight Pro League teams competing in single elimination beginning in the quarterfinals and concluded on 29 May with the final.

Qualification

For the second consecutive season, all eight teams competing in the TT Pro League entered the competition at the quarterfinal round. The draw for the quarterfinals took place on 15 May 2013 at the Digicel corporate box in Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain. Defence Force entered the competition as the defending Pro Bowl winners and were the first to draw from eight secretly numbered cards respective to spots in the quarterfinal round.[3]

Following the draw, quarterfinal match-ups resulted in Defence Force facing T&TEC who finished last following the Pro League season. In the later quarterfinal match-up saw North East Stars facing St. Ann's Rangers. However, the match-up of the round will contest Caledonia AIA and W Connection at Manny Ramjohn Stadium in Couva.[4] The two clubs finished second and third, respectively, in the league table. The other quarterfinal match-up in Couva resulted Central FC facing Police.

Schedule

The schedule for the 2013 Digicel Pro Bowl, as announced by the TT Pro League:

Round Date Matches Clubs New entries this round
Quarterfinals 17 May 2013 4 8 → 4 8: 1st–8th
Semifinals 24 May 2013 2 4 → 2
Final 29 May 2013 1 2 → 1

Bracket

  Quarterfinals
17 May 2013		 Semifinals
24 May 2013		 Final
29 May 2013
                           
  Defence Force 5  
T&TEC 0  
  Defence Force 1 (3)  
  W Connection 1 (4)  
W Connection 3
  Caledonia AIA 1  
    W Connection 0 (4)
  North East Stars 0 (3)
  North East Stars 3  
St. Ann's Rangers 0  
  North East Stars 1 (5)
  Central FC 1 (3)  
Central FC 1
  Police 0  

Results

All matches were played for 90 minutes duration, at the end of which if the match was still tied, penalty-kicks were used to determine the match winner.

Quarterfinals

In the quarterfinals on 17 May, Defence Force advanced to the semifinals with a win over T&TEC 5–0. The Teteron Boys scored all five goals in the second half and used a hat-trick from Kevon Carter.[5] North East Stars recorded a clean sheet over St. Ann's Rangers with goals from Kennedy Hinkson, Marcus Gomez, and Kareem Moses. Peter Byers was the lone goal scorer in a 1–0 win for Central FC over Police. In the match-up of the round, W Connection ousted Caledonia AIA from the competition 3–1 at Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva.[6]

Semifinals

In the semifinals, on 24 May, W Connection upended the recently crowned Pro League champions Defence Force 4–3 in a penalty shoot-out after the match ended in a 1–1 draw.[7][8] Andrei Pacheco scored his second goal in as many matches to give the Savonetta Boys a 1–0 lead in the eighth minute. However, the match remained level until a Devorn Jorsling goal in the 74th to send the match into penalties. Alejandro Figueroa saved two penalties from Richard Roy and Kevon Carter to give W Connection the victory and trip to the final. The other semifinal match would also need a penalty shoot-out to determine the winner. North East Stars used a 5–3 win on penalties to end Central FC's inaugural season. The Sangre Grande Boys claimed the lead in the 57th minute with a goal from Kennedy Hinkson. However, one minute later the Sharks equalised through Rundell Winchester. The match ended in a 1–1 draw and resulted in penalties. Cleon John denied Darren Mitchell in the third round of spot kicks to give North East Stars the win after the club successfully converted five consecutive penalties.[7][8]

Final

On 29 May, W Connection claimed their third Digicel Pro Bowl title following a 4–3 penalty shoot-out win over North East Stars after a scoreless draw.[9] The Pro Bowl title was the Savonetta Boys third and first in six years. Colombian goalkeeper Alejandro Figueroa saved the first penalty in the shoot-out from Cornell Glen. However, Joevin Jones missed on his attempt to keep the shoot-out level. Afterwards, Elijah Manners and Kareem Moses converted for North East Stars, as well as Silvio Spann and Gerard Williams for W Connection. The momentum shifted after Elton John hit his penalty off the crossbar. After Hashim Arcia and Kennedy Hinkson scored their shots for W Connection and North East Stars respectively, W Connection captain and Saint Lucian international Elijah Joseph hit his penalty down the center past Cleon John to give the Savonetta Boys the win.[10]

References

  1. ↑ "Season kicks off with Digicel Charity Shield". Randy Bando (TTProLeague.com). 2012-09-04. Retrieved 2012-09-09.
  2. ↑ "Defence Force slam 5-2 win over Caledonia to lift Digicel Pro Bowl". Randy Bando (TTProLeague.com). 2013-05-16. Retrieved 2013-05-16.
  3. ↑ "Defence Force begins Digicel Pro Bowl defense against T&TEC". Randy Bando (TTProLeague.com). 2013-05-16. Retrieved 2013-05-16.
  4. ↑ "Army prepped to defend Pro Bowl; Caledonia seeks retribution". Randy Bando (TTProLeague.com). 2013-05-16. Retrieved 2013-05-16.
  5. ↑ "Army mauls T&TEC 5-0; Central edges Police 1-0 in Digicel Pro Bowl quarters". Randy Bando (TTProLeague.com). 2013-05-18. Retrieved 2013-05-18.
  6. ↑ "Connection sends Caledonia stumbling out of Digicel Pro Bowl; Stars soar into semis". Randy Bando (TTProLeague.com). 2013-05-18. Retrieved 2013-05-18.
  7. 1 2 "Stars, Connection reach Digicel Pro Bowl Final with penalty shootouts". Randy Bando (TTProLeague.com). 2013-05-25. Retrieved 2013-05-29.
  8. 1 2 "Stars set up Pro Bowl final with Connection". Lasana Liburd (Wired868.com). 2013-05-24. Retrieved 2013-05-29.
  9. ↑ "Connection reunites with Digicel Pro Bowl title after 6 years; defeats N/E Stars 4-3 in Final shootout". Randy Bando (TTProLeague.com). 2013-05-30. Retrieved 2013-05-30.
  10. ↑ "Connection penalises Stars to take Pro Bowl". Lasana Liburd (Wired868.com). 2013-05-30. Retrieved 2013-05-30.
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