The 2014 Caribbean Cup title will be contested by Team St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Team Jamaica after both teams posted semifinal wins last Sunday at the Jefferson High School Sports Complex. Team St. Vincent and the Grenadines knocked off longtime rival Team Grenada, 2-1, when Anselmo Cox came up with the winner late in the game for the Vincentians, who benefitted from a Grenada own-goal to tie the game after falling behind, 1-0. Kimron Redhead scored for the Grenadians.
Team Jamaica’s 4-1 manhandling of Team Guyana was a surprise since this Guyana squad was one of the best in recent years; the Guyanese played good soccer throughout the tournament to win the West Zone. Andre McFarlane scored early in the game from a hard shot from 20 yards and the Guyanese never recovered. Jermaine Christian, Denzil Watson and Daniel Shaw carried on the scoring and put on a show for the fans; Team Guyana’s lone goal came from Richard Joseph from the penalty spot.
The championship game kicks off at 4:45 p.m., this Labor Day Sunday, preceded by the third place game between Team Grenada and Team Guyana at 2:30 p.m.
WRIGHT PHILLIPS BREAKS SCORING RECORD
The New York Metropolitan area has a new scoring hero in Bradley Wright-Phillips, who scored his 20th goal, the most in a regular season for a New York area professional franchise player, to lead the New York Red Bulls (7-7-10, 31 pts.) to a 4-2 defeat of the Montreal Impact (4-15-5, 17). In front of 17, 891 fans at Red Bull Arena last Saturday night, the Englishman, son of legendary England player Ian Wright, scored in the 71st and 91st minutes of the game and broke the New York single-season scoring record previously held by Colombian Juan Pablo Angel, who racked up 19 goals in 2007.
Wright-Phillips, who said that the biggest influence on is career was his father and older brother Shaun Wright-Phillips, was supported by two goals from Captain Thierry Henry. Wright-Phillips still has 10 MLS games to play to reach the NKS regular season record of 27, scored by Chris Wondowlowski of the San Jose Earthquakes.
New trailed, 1-0, at half time after Dilly Duka put the visitors ahead, scoring on a breakaway when he beat Red Bulls goalkeeper Luis Robles at the near left post, but Henry evened the score in the 53rd minute with a superb diving header, then gave his team a 2-1 lead in the 67th minute. The Red Bulls never looked back as Wright Phillips took over the show. Montreal did close the gap, 3-1, late in the contest through Andres Romero, but Wright-Phillips was too much on the night.
The Red Bulls moved on to CONCACAF Champions League play on Tuesday night, three days after, and defeated El Salvador’s CD. FAS, 2-0, at Red Bull. Forward Saer Sene and midfielder Lloyd Sam led the Red Bulls. The Red Bulls are in Group 3 of the 2014-15 Champions League and will eventually play the Montreal Impact. The Red Bulls at D.C. United in RFK Stadium on Sunday, Aug. 31.
JONES TO NEW ENGLAND
New England signed U.S. international midfielder Jermaine Jones on a free transfer. Jones, 32, reportedly will make $4.7 million with an 18-month contract…meanwhile; the U.S. Soccer Federation announced that former national team captain Landon Donovan will make his final appearance for the U.S. national team in a friendly against Ecuador on Oct. 10 in Connecticut. Donovan, 32, announced his intention to retire from professional soccer earlier this month.
