River Plate Puerto Rico News Release – www.rivercaribe.com
Thursday, April 14, 2011
USL PRO’s River Plate Puerto Rico will try to take the next step in the Caribbean Football Union’s Club Championship as it faces Alpha United from Guyana over two legs this Friday and Sunday for a place in the tournament’s semifinals.
The club left for Guyana on Tuesday to prepare for the contests, and the team’s technical director Fabián Zermatten was confident and optimistic as his side entered coming off a 4-1 victory in the Puerto Rico Soccer League over the weekend against Leones FC.
Zermatten is expecting two very difficult games, however, since as in the previous round against Bodden Town of the Cayman Islands both legs of the contest will be played at Alpha United’s home stadium. River defeated Bodden 2-1 on aggregate to advance to this weekend’s quarterfinal.
Zermatten said the side would need to play with speed and physicality, allowing the team to establish its style of play on both occasions and in turn counteracting Alpha United’s options.
“Our goal is to play football and we must remain focused on that to achieve further progress in the tournament,» Zermatten said.
River Plate General Manager Claudio Alvarez Dunn said the team had almost all of its squad available, which should help the side as it faces two games in three days.
Should River earn victory, it would advance to meet either Tempete from Haiti or Caledonia AIA in the semifinals. The top three teams in the tournament earn a place in the draw for the CONACACF Champions League later this year.
