Mount Pleasant exit Under-13 Champions League at quarters

Mount Pleasant Academy Champions League run ended as they fell in the quarter-finals to Comunicaciones FC of Guatemala in the Concacaf Under-13 Champions League tournament in San Jose, Costa Rica, yesterday.

The St Ann-based club got off to a great start taking the lead on the stroke of half-time, courtesy of Rackeem Grizzle. Midfielder Tyrese Gowe controlled the long goal kick from goalkeeper Oren Campbell, playing a great pass to Armarlie King who was fouled but the ball fell to the feet of Grizzle who slotted home past the goalkeeper.

Comunicaciones, however, got back into the game four minutes after the restart. Axel De La Cruz intercepted the ball from a Mount Pleasant defender and combined with midfielder Joshua Valencia, who found Raul Tobias and fired a shot that Campbell could not keep out.

Play was halted 16 minutes into the second half due to thunderstorms and when the two teams finally got back on the field half an hour later to resume, they both pressed hard for the crucial winner.

Final minute

But Mount Pleasant were undone in the final minute of the game when Jorge De Leon received a great pass down the right hand side and managed to find substitute Luis Suiecio whose one-time effort skipped past Campbell to win it for the Guatemalan side.

Head Coach Vanny Clarke was disappointed with the result but proud of how the team played.

"I thought it was a good game. That Comunicaciones team is a really good team, a very strong one. Overall, we got the better opportunities, we just weren't clinical today," he said.

"Literally 30 seconds after we missed an open opportunity they went ahead [with] their second goal so we are very disappointed about the final 10 minutes of the game."

Clarke praised the improvement that the academy has made considering that we were only able to register one win in the tournament last year and is optimistic on the future of his young players.

"Overall, we are pleased with the performance throughout the tournament. We were entertaining and played some good football," he reflected.

"What this says is that we are absolutely moving in the right direction. Last year when we came to this tournament we were only able to secure one victory and this year we were unbeaten in group play, not just unbeaten but we were dominant. We continue to grow. The programme is on the right path and we are very positive about tomorrow and what the future holds."