Avenues United in Group B of CONCACAF Caribbean Club Shield

Reigning national football club champions Avenues United are busy preparing by engaging local teams in practice matches, as they head out to represent St Vincent and the Grenadines in the inaugural CONCACAF Caribbean Club Shield.

Considered Tier Two, because of the amateur status of the clubs, the CONCACAF Club Shield is set for the Dominican Republic, April 13 to 21.

Drawn in Group B, Avenues United will face Guyana Defence Force, Hard Rock Sports Club of Grenada and SV Real Rincon of Bonaire, in the round robin phase.

The others in contention are SV Deportivo Nacional of Aruba, Inter Moengotapoe of Suriname, Weymouth Wales FC of Barbados and USR Sainte-Rose of Guadeloupe, which are in Group A, while making up Group C are Cayon FC – St Kitts and Nevis, Bodden Town FC – Cayman Islands, along with RKSV Centro Dominguito – Curacao and Franciscain of Martinique.

Following the preliminary round of matches, the three group winners, together with the best second place finisher, form the semi-finals composition.

The winners of the semis will square off in the final.

The winner of the Club Shield will face off with the fourth place in tier one, in a play-off to determine the third club to represent the Caribbean in the 2018 Scotiabank CONCACAF League.

Tier One took place last month and was for full professional clubs from Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

The winner of the 2018 CONCACAF Caribbean Club Championship will qualify directly for the 2019 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League, while the runner-up and third place finishers, will qualify for the 2018 Scotiabank CONCACAF League.