By Audley Boyd, Assistant Sports Editor
NATIONAL Premier League champions Portmore United have given up home advantage for their CONCACAF Club Championship semi-final clash against Trinidad and Tobago's W-Connection.
The move is a cost-cutting measure and is expected to save the Jamaican team well over $600,000.
"It's a financial move. We're trying to offset some of the costs," Portmore United's manager Clive Marshall told The Gleaner yesterday. "It would cost us less to travel and play the game than to host one leg."
The Jamaican team was scheduled to face-off tomorrow against their Trinidad and Tobago counterparts in the first leg encounter of a two-way tie at their Portmore base, Ferdie Neita Park, with the return leg set for Trinidad next Wednesday.
"We'd have to foot the cost of the referee and the match commissioner, we'd have to finance their per diem, provide hotel accommodation, separate and apart from ground costs," Marshall explained of the expenses that would have faced Portmore United if they had hosted the match.
"Our budget for the T&T game was running close to $900,000," Marshall admitted.
"We're working out a plan with W. Connection in that they will pay our airfare, but we may be responsible for accommodation.
"One of the advantages they will have is they will host both games," he added.
The national champions will travel today for tomorrow's opening tie and remain in the twin-island eastern Caribbean state for the return-leg, which has been brought forward to Friday.
"It's a brave move and one may wonder why we're giving up our home advantage," Marshall pointed out. "But we've to put it to our players that we've a challenge at hand. We also believe in their ability, that they can go over there and get the job done," the manager emphasised.
Lenworth Hyde, the team's coach, said they are undaunted by the challenge.
"We'll play anywhere and we'll play anyhow," he sounded off in his usual optimistic style. "The team is alright and we get together better when we play away."
