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Connection's Ronaldo on trial
Uncertain for Chivas clash
Ian Prescott Iprescott@trinidadexpress.com
Thursday, February 8th 2007
Vibe CT 105 W Connection are uncertain of having Brazilian midfielder Ronaldo Viana in their side for the upcoming CONCACAF quarter-final match against huge Mexican club Chivas of Guadalajara. The teams will then meet in a second leg in Guadalajara, Mexico, on February 28.
While the Trinidad and Tobago senior national football team were in Venezuela on their way to friendly matches against Panama and Costa Rica, Viana was on the same flight heading for his native Brazil to join a South Korean Club on trial.
W Connection are also without 19-year-old Aaron Downing and 18-year-old Mathew Bartholomew who both received work-permits on Tuesday and are off to Belgium after signing three-year contracts with England Premier League Club Sheffield United. They have been loaned out to a Belgium club who Sheffield United have a stake in.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo is with a Korean club who are currently training in Brazil after being promoted to the K-League, top flight of professional football in that country.
They spotted Ronaldo during W Connection's tour there last month. He returned to Trinidad for W Connection's successful Caribbean Club Championship series in which they beat Harbour View (Jamaica) 3-2 and the Jabloteh 1-0 in the final.
Viana, a 28-year-old left-midfielder has been playing with Connection since 2000. With them, he has won several titles including a couple of T&T Pro League crowns.
David John-Williams, the owner of W Connection said that while no club want to lose quality players, their ranks are deep enough to absorb the loss and that trials and overseas contracts lead to personal development of the players themselves.
"Ronaldo is one of the most experienced players in W Connection. He is an important man in the team. He has played for us or seven years, but when one man goes at W Connection, another man rises," John-Williams quipped.
"We have the back-up to fill the ranks. The interesting thing about Downing and Bartholomew is that they came through the club's junior rank as 13-year-olds , which is fantastic."
Meanwhile, W Connection have already looked past losing players and have moved into camp in preparation for their game against Chivas, who are the most popular team in Mexico and won the 2006 Apertura, defeating Toluca 2-1 in December 2006. Chivas also are the only Mexican team to qualify in consecutive years for the South American Libertadores Cup. In the 2005 competition they shocked Argentina Boca Junior 4-0, while a super 2006 Copa Libatadores saw them reach the semis beating Brazil's Sao Paulo 2-1 along the way.
Despite Chivas' big reputation, W Connection are not being overawed, said John-Williams, who felt his team did well in their two previous tries at CONCACAF level when losing 2-1 to the Kansas City Wizard of the USA and the following year 6-5 on aggregate to Toluca, another big Mexican club. W. Connection had led Toluca by two goals before losing the away leg 3-2. The team also battled 3-3 in Trinidad.
"We would not have wanted to win the Caribbean Club Championship if we didn't believe we could have done well against teams like these (Chivas). The altitude is not bad. I think the biggest problem when we play there is dealing with the massive support they have and the weather conditions we may meet in the return leg.".
Uncertain for Chivas clash
Ian Prescott Iprescott@trinidadexpress.com
Thursday, February 8th 2007
Vibe CT 105 W Connection are uncertain of having Brazilian midfielder Ronaldo Viana in their side for the upcoming CONCACAF quarter-final match against huge Mexican club Chivas of Guadalajara. The teams will then meet in a second leg in Guadalajara, Mexico, on February 28.
While the Trinidad and Tobago senior national football team were in Venezuela on their way to friendly matches against Panama and Costa Rica, Viana was on the same flight heading for his native Brazil to join a South Korean Club on trial.
W Connection are also without 19-year-old Aaron Downing and 18-year-old Mathew Bartholomew who both received work-permits on Tuesday and are off to Belgium after signing three-year contracts with England Premier League Club Sheffield United. They have been loaned out to a Belgium club who Sheffield United have a stake in.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo is with a Korean club who are currently training in Brazil after being promoted to the K-League, top flight of professional football in that country.
They spotted Ronaldo during W Connection's tour there last month. He returned to Trinidad for W Connection's successful Caribbean Club Championship series in which they beat Harbour View (Jamaica) 3-2 and the Jabloteh 1-0 in the final.
Viana, a 28-year-old left-midfielder has been playing with Connection since 2000. With them, he has won several titles including a couple of T&T Pro League crowns.
David John-Williams, the owner of W Connection said that while no club want to lose quality players, their ranks are deep enough to absorb the loss and that trials and overseas contracts lead to personal development of the players themselves.
"Ronaldo is one of the most experienced players in W Connection. He is an important man in the team. He has played for us or seven years, but when one man goes at W Connection, another man rises," John-Williams quipped.
"We have the back-up to fill the ranks. The interesting thing about Downing and Bartholomew is that they came through the club's junior rank as 13-year-olds , which is fantastic."
Meanwhile, W Connection have already looked past losing players and have moved into camp in preparation for their game against Chivas, who are the most popular team in Mexico and won the 2006 Apertura, defeating Toluca 2-1 in December 2006. Chivas also are the only Mexican team to qualify in consecutive years for the South American Libertadores Cup. In the 2005 competition they shocked Argentina Boca Junior 4-0, while a super 2006 Copa Libatadores saw them reach the semis beating Brazil's Sao Paulo 2-1 along the way.
Despite Chivas' big reputation, W Connection are not being overawed, said John-Williams, who felt his team did well in their two previous tries at CONCACAF level when losing 2-1 to the Kansas City Wizard of the USA and the following year 6-5 on aggregate to Toluca, another big Mexican club. W. Connection had led Toluca by two goals before losing the away leg 3-2. The team also battled 3-3 in Trinidad.
"We would not have wanted to win the Caribbean Club Championship if we didn't believe we could have done well against teams like these (Chivas). The altitude is not bad. I think the biggest problem when we play there is dealing with the massive support they have and the weather conditions we may meet in the return leg.".
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