SOCCER SHOWDOWN

CONCACAF said recently that “an epic showdown awaits” in Group A of the 2023 CONCACAF Caribbean Cup, as Trinidad and Tobago side Defence Force hosts Moca of the Dominican Republic in a winner-take-all affair on Wednesday night at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

“Moca go into the contest with the slight advantage by sitting in second-place in the group with six points, a single point ahead of Defence Force,” CONCACAF said. “The visitors from the Dominican Republic only require a draw to advance to the semifinals, but a full three points could be enough to see them leap into first place should first place Cavalier drop points in their visit to Golden Lion.”

For Defence Force, CONCACAF said the mission is “straightforward — win, and they are in.

“A full three points would guarantee a semifinal spot and could possibly be enough to win the group as well,” it said.

CONCACAF said Moca has wins over Port of Spain (1-0) and Golden Lion (3-0) to put it in this position to advance; while Defence Force played to draws with Cavalier (1-1) and Port of Spain (1-1) and earned a victory over Golden Lion (1-0).

“Defence Force will be turning to the likes of Reon Moore, Jamali Garcia and Christopher Biggette to get the job done,” CONCACAF said. “In the tournament, Moore has a pair of goals and an assist, while Garcia has been a tireless worker in midfield with 152 passes completed and eight ball recoveries.

“Biggette has been solid in net, making 13 saves, 10 clearances and recording a clean sheet,” it added.

CONCACAF said Moca will be “out to have a strong start to nail down a positive result and the duo of Gustavo Ascona and Victor Sanchez can help get them there.”

Ascona has a goal from six shots taken, while Sanchez is coming off a brace against Golden Lion, CONCACAF said.

“No doubt an exciting contest awaits between two sides with everything on the line,” it said.