Jorsling: Army won't park the bus despite winning 1st leg

Defence Force coach Devorn Jorsling said he and his technical staff will be guarding against complacency when the Army/Coast Guard combination play the second leg of their Concacaf Caribbean Cup third-place playoff away to Dominican Republic outfit Cibao FC on December 2.

In the first leg at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo on November 25, Defence Force got the perfect start to the tie as they blanked Cibao 3-0 in a strong performance which saw goals coming from veterans Sheldon Bateau and skipper Kevin Molino, to go along with a late strike from substitute Kathon St Hillaire.

The top three teams in the Caribbean Cup will advance to next year's Concacaf Champions Cup. And although Defence Force have a sound lead, Jorsling said they are not out of the woods yet.

"I was just really happy with the guys and the way they responded from the first-leg semifinal defeat," Jorsling said, at the post-match presser, referring to the team's crushing 5-1 loss to Jamaican powerhouse Mount Pleasant Football Academy in Mucurapo last month. That heavy defeat knocked Defence Force out of contention to qualify for the final, but their coach said their eyes are still fixated on a worthy prize.

"When we set out in this tournament, the main focus was to qualify for the Concacaf Champions Cup and put our football back on the map," he said. "This is just one leg. We have to go to Cibao and play, so the job's not over. I'm happy, but the job isn't over."

In the group phase of this year's Caribbean Cup, Defence Force got a 2-0 win away to Cibao with goals from Cassim Kellar and Molino in a must-win scenario as they made their way into the semis. Jorsling said his troops cannot take the Dominican Republic team lightly despite the recent positive results against them.

"Our (mindset for the second leg) will still have to be a positive one...we don't want to be going there and parking a bus and inviting them onto us. We'll go back and analyse it again with the technical people. But when we go to Cibao, we'll be going to get a positive result and qualify for the Concacaf Champions (Cup)."

The TT Premier Football League (TTPFL) holders were scheduled to face Caledonia AIA in a TTPFL fixture on November 28. However, the game was postponed due to the field conditions at the Phase 2 La Horquetta recreations, which have worsened in the last week or so with persistent rainfall. The postponement has given Defence Force some extra days of recuperation as they continue their Champions Cup quest. They will depart for the Dominican Republic on November 30.

Jorsling said he's happy with the attitude of his players and also heaped praises on goalkeeper Isaiah "Blinky" Williams who made at least three clutch saves in the first leg against Cibao to preserve a clean sheet – backing up his performance from the second leg of the semis against Mount Pleasant which saw the Army/Coast Guard combination getting a consolation 1-0 win.

"Sometimes in life, as a player, you just need an opportunity. And since I gave given him his chance, Isaiah has been brilliant for us.

"We've been seeing his performances. I'm grateful to have safe hands in Isaiah. We also have Jabari St Hillaire and Christopher Biggette (as keeping options), so we're kinda blessed in that department."