Head coach Derek King and his North East Stars, champions in 2003 and 2014/2015 will continue its quest for a second straight T&T Football Federation FA Trophy crown and third in club history with a round-of-32 visit to Southern Football Association’s Pitchment FC at La Brea Recreation Ground, La Brea from 7pm tomorrow (Sunday).
Stars under the guidance of first year head coach King, a former national defender and Joe Public winning coach (five titles in one season) kicked off its title defense with a 5-1 trashing of Super League’s Siparia Spurs on Sunday September 17 at Palo Seco while Pitchment FC had a 5-4 penalty-kicks win over fellow SFA club Serial Strikers after a 0-0 draw.
Also in action tomorrow in two of the six round-of-32 matches on schedule will be fellow Pro League outfits, Defence Force and Pt Fortin Civic.
Defence Force, the most decorated club left in the competition with six titles (1974, 1981, 1985, 1989, 1991, 1996) to its name, the joint second most ever with United British Oilfieds Trinidad hosts Eastern Football Association’s Trinity Rangers at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella from 3.45pm while three-time champions Morvant Caledonia United (2008, 2011-12, 2012-13) tackles Super League’s Stokely Vale, at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo from 3.30pm.
Overall, the Pro League clubs left in the tournament were all handed favourable ties against lower league clubs, albeit the Super League.
When competition resumes on Wednesday October 4, four-time tournament winners, W Connection, who hammered Tamana United 12-0 in the round-of-64 will entertain Super League outfit Bethel United; and San Juan Jabloteh, title winners in 1998, 2005 and 2010-11 comes up Defence Force, also of the Super League.
In other Pro League vs Super League match-ups Club Sando, currently third on the table in the top flight league tangles with Guaya United, current leaders of the Super League at Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva and Pro League’s Police entertains Super League’s University of T&T (UTT) in a fifth clash between both leagues at the St James Police Training Barracks.
The other Pro League club in the club, MIC-IT St. Ann’s Rangers (Pro League) will play the winner of the lone remaining round-of-64 match between Fire Service (Central Football Association and Tobago Football Association’s Black Rock at a date to be determined.
This is because Black Rock are yet to confirm flights to Trinidad for their encounter with Fire Service.
For the first time in the history of the tournament the FA will reward winning teams of the round-of-64, round-of-32, round-of-16, quarterfinals and semifinals cash prizes of TT$3,000, TT$5,000, TT$7,000, TT$9,000, and TT$11,000 respectively while the champions and runners-up will walk away with TT$100,000 and TT$25,000 respectively.
The record for the most wins in the FA competition is held by Maple FC and Malvern United with seven titles each followed by Defence Force and United British Oilfields (six), United Petrotrin (five) and Shamrock, Casuals, Everton and W Connection with four each.
The cup has been won by the same team in two or more consecutive years on nine occasions, and seven teams. In fact, Everton remains the only club to have won the trophy four consecutive years from 1929–1932.
2017 T&TFA TROPHY
ROUND-OF-32 MATCHES
October 1
Central 500 Spartans (SL) vs Perseverance Ball Runners (CFA), Edinburgh 500 Rec. Grd, 6pm
Pitchmen FC (SFA) vs North East Stars (Pro League), La Brea Rec. Grd, 7pm
Leeds FC (TFA) vs WASA FC (EFA), Plymouth Rec. Grd, Tobago, 5pm
Morvant Caledonia Utd (Pro League) vs Stokely Vale (SL), Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, 3.30pm
Pt Fortin Civic (Pro League) vs Signall Hill United (TFA), Mahaica Oval, Pt Fortin, 4pm
Defence Force (Pro League) vs Trinity Rangers (EFA), Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella, 3.45pm
October 4
Police FC (Pro League) vs UTT (SL), St James Police Training Barracks, St James, 6pm
W Connection (Pro League) vs Bethel United (SL), Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella, 3.45pm
St Ann’s Rangers (Pro League) vs Fire Service/Black Rock winners, St Augustine Sec Grd, 4pm
T&T Prisons FC (SL) v 1976 FC Phoenix (SL), YTC Ground, Arouca, 3.45pm
San Juan Jabloteh (Pro League) vs Defence Force (SL), Barataria Oval, Lower 6th Avenue, 5pm
Club Sando Moruga (SL) vs Sangre Grande Dream Team (ECFU), Grand Chemin, Moruga, 4 pm
San Fernando Giants (SFA) vs Police FC (SL), Venue To Be Determined
Club Sando (Pro League) vs Hydo Tech Guaya United (SL), Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, 7pm
October 5
FC Santa Rosa (SL) vs Santa Flora FC (SFA), Arima Municipal Stadium, Arima, 3.45pm
Cunupia FC (SL) vs Central Soccer World (CFA), Venue To Be Determined
