2018 Caribbean Club Championship

(Redirected from 2018 CFU Club Championship)

The 2018 Caribbean Club Championship was the 20th edition of the Caribbean Club Championship (also known as the CFU Club Championship), the first-tier annual international club football competition in the Caribbean region, held amongst clubs whose football associations are affiliated with the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), a sub-confederation of CONCACAF.

2018 CONCACAF Caribbean Club Championship
2018 Flow CONCACAF Caribbean Club Championship
Tournament details
Host countriesGroup stage:
Trinidad and Tobago (Group A)
Dominican Republic (Group B)
Final stage:
Jamaica
DatesGroup stage:
31 January – 11 February 2018
Final stage:
11–16 May 2018
Teams8 (from 4 associations)
Final positions
ChampionsDominican Republic Atlético Pantoja (1st title)
Runners-upJamaica Arnett Gardens
Third placeJamaica Portmore United
Fourth placeTrinidad and Tobago Central
Tournament statistics
Matches played17
Goals scored43 (2.53 per match)
Top scorer(s)Dominican Republic Luis José Espinal (5 goals)
Best player(s)Dominican Republic Miguel Odalis Báez
Best goalkeeperDominican Republic Miguel Odalis Báez
Fair play awardTrinidad and Tobago Central
2017
2019

The winners of the 2018 CONCACAF Caribbean Club Championship would qualify to the 2019 CONCACAF Champions League, the second and third place teams would qualify to the 2018 CONCACAF League, while the fourth place team would play against the winners of the 2018 CONCACAF Caribbean Club Shield, as long as the Shield winners fulfill the CONCACAF Regional Club Licensing criteria, in a playoff match to determine the final Caribbean spot to the 2018 CONCACAF League.[1]

Cibao were the title holders, but were not eligible to enter since they failed to reach the final of the 2017 Liga Dominicana de Fútbol. For the second season in a row, the CONCACAF Caribbean Club Championship was won by a team from the Dominican Republic, with Atlético Pantoja crowned champions and qualifying for the CONCACAF Champions League. Runners-up Arnett Gardens and third place Portmore United qualified for the CONCACAF League, but fourth-placed Central lost to Shield winners Club Franciscain in a playoff and failed to qualify for the CONCACAF League.

Teams

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Location of teams of the 2018 CONCACAF Caribbean Club Championship

The CONCACAF Council, at its meeting on 25 July 2017 in San Francisco, California approved the implementation of the following two-tier competitions for affiliated clubs of Caribbean Member Associations starting in 2018:

  • The Tier 1 competition, known as the CONCACAF Caribbean Club Championship, is contested by the champions and runners-up of the top professional and semi-professional leagues in year 1 (2018), and open to only fully professional leagues in year 2 (2019) and onwards.
  • The Tier 2 competition, known as the CONCACAF Caribbean Club Shield, is contested by the champions of the top leagues in Member Associations that have no professional or semi-professional leagues in year 1 (2018), and open to amateur and semi-professional leagues in year 2 (2019) and onwards.

The new two-tier format of the CONCACAF Caribbean Club Championship and CONCACAF Caribbean Club Shield, as well as the teams participating in each tournament, were announced by CONCACAF on 15 December 2017.[2] Among the 31 CFU member associations, four of them were classified as professional leagues and each may enter two teams in the CONCACAF Caribbean Club Championship.

A total of eight teams from four associations entered the 2018 CONCACAF Caribbean Club Championship (officially the 2018 Flow CONCACAF Caribbean Club Championship for sponsorship reasons).[3]

Association Team Qualification method
  Dominican Republic Atlántico 2017 Liga Dominicana de Fútbol champions
Atlético Pantoja 2017 Liga Dominicana de Fútbol runners-up
  Haiti Real Hope 2017 Ligue Haïtienne Série d'Ouverture champions
Racing 2017 Ligue Haïtienne Série d'Ouverture runners-up
  Jamaica Arnett Gardens 2016–17 National Premier League champions
Portmore United 2016–17 National Premier League runners-up
  Trinidad and Tobago Central 2016–17 TT Pro League champions
W Connection 2016–17 TT Pro League runners-up

Group stage

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The draw for the group stage was held on 21 December 2017, 11:00 EST (UTC−5), at the CONCACAF Headquarters in Miami, United States,[4] and was streamed on YouTube.[5] The eight teams were drawn into two groups of four. The two group stage hosts were placed in Pot 1, while the remaining six teams were placed in Pot 2. Teams from the same association could not be drawn into the same group.

Pot 1 (hosts) Pot 2

The matches were played between 31 January – 4 February 2018 (Group A) and 7–11 February 2018 (Group B).[6] The top two teams of each group advanced to the final stage.

Group A

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Host venue: Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, Trinidad and Tobago. All times local, AST (UTC−4).

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   Atlético Pantoja 3 2 1 0 6 0 +6 7 Final stage
2   Arnett Gardens 3 1 1 1 5 2 +3 4
3   W Connection (H) 3 1 0 2 2 5 −3 3
4   Real Hope 3 1 0 2 1 7 −6 3
Source: CONCACAF
(H) Hosts
Atlético Pantoja  0–0  Arnett Gardens
Report
W Connection  0–1  Real Hope
Report
  • Jeudy   3'

Real Hope  0–3  Atlético Pantoja
Report
W Connection  2–1  Arnett Gardens
Report

Arnett Gardens  4–0  Real Hope
Report
W Connection  0–3  Atlético Pantoja
Report

Group B

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Host venue: Estadio Cibao FC, Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic. All times local, AST (UTC−4).

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   Central 3 2 0 1 4 2 +2 6 Final stage
2   Portmore United 3 1 1 1 4 3 +1 4
3   Atlántico (H) 3 1 1 1 4 4 0 4
4   Racing 3 1 0 2 2 5 −3 3
Source: CONCACAF
(H) Hosts
Central  0–2  Portmore United
Report
Atlántico  2–1  Racing
Report

Racing  0–3  Central
Report
Atlántico  2–2  Portmore United
Report

Portmore United  0–1  Racing
Report
Atlántico  0–1  Central
Report

Final stage

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Jamaica was announced as the host nation of the final stage on 1 May 2018.[7] The matches were played between 11–16 May 2018.

Bracket

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The semi-final matchups are:

  • Group A Winners vs. Group B Runners-up
  • Group B Winners vs. Group A Runners-up
 
Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
11 May
 
 
  Atlético Pantoja4
 
13 May
 
  Portmore United3
 
  Atlético Pantoja (p)0 (6)
 
11 May
 
  Arnett Gardens0 (5)
 
  Arnett Gardens2
 
 
  Central0
 
Third place
 
 
13 May
 
 
  Portmore United2
 
 
  Central1

Host venue: Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex, Kingston, Jamaica. All times local, EST (UTC−5).

Semi-finals

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Atlético Pantoja  4–3  Portmore United
Report

Arnett Gardens  2–0  Central
Report

Third place match

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Winners qualified for 2018 CONCACAF League. Losers advanced to CONCACAF League playoff against the 2018 CONCACAF Caribbean Club Shield winners for a place in the 2018 CONCACAF League.

Final

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Winners qualified for 2019 CONCACAF Champions League. Losers qualified for 2018 CONCACAF League.

CONCACAF League playoff

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Qualified teams from 2018 Caribbean club competitions
CONCACAF Champions League  Atlético Pantoja
CONCACAF League  Arnett Gardens
  Portmore United
  Club Franciscain

The CONCACAF League playoff was played between the 2018 CONCACAF Caribbean Club Championship fourth-placed team, Central, and the 2018 CONCACAF Caribbean Club Shield winners, Club Franciscain, with the winners qualifying for the 2018 CONCACAF League.

Central  1–2  Club Franciscain
Report

Top goalscorers

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Rank Player Team Goals
1   Luis Espinal   Atlético Pantoja 5
2   Fabian Reid   Arnett Gardens 4
3   Jovan East   Portmore United 3
  Jeremie Lynch   Portmore United
5   Eduardo Centeno   Atlético Pantoja 2
  Herlyn Cuica   Atlántico
  Marcus Joseph   W Connection
  Armando Maita   Atlético Pantoja

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "CONCACAF Circular no. 555". CONCACAF. August 31, 2017.
  2. ^ "CONCACAF Announces Expanded CONCACAF Caribbean Club Championship for 2018". CONCACAF. 15 December 2017.
  3. ^ "CONCACAF and FLOW ink mega multi-year deal". Sport Caraibe. 23 February 2018.
  4. ^ "Groups and Schedule Set for January Kickoff for Expanded CONCACAF Caribbean Club Championship". CONCACAF.com. 21 December 2017.
  5. ^ "CONCACAF Caribbean Club Championship 2018 – OFFICIAL DRAW". CONCACAF. 21 December 2017. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  6. ^ "Schedule Confirmed for the First Round of the 2018 CONCACAF Caribbean Club Championship". CONCACAF.com. 12 January 2018.
  7. ^ "Jamaica to Host Final Round of the 2018 Flow Concacaf Caribbean Club Championship". CONCACAF.com. 1 May 2018.
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