Moca FC of the Dominican Republic qualified for the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup after playing to a 1-1 stalemate with Jamaican side Harbour View in the second leg of the 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Cup Third-Place playoff at the Estadio Cibao in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic, on Tuesday night.

The result earned Moca a 3-2 victory on aggregate and passage to Round One of the 2024 Champions Cup. It is their first Champions Cup qualification.

There was not much in the way of chances in the first 45 minutes. It was not until toward the end of the half that the best looks at goal arrived, and they were both for Moca. 

Victor Sanchez was in on goal, but saw his effort denied by Harbour View's goalkeeper Anthony Bennett. That was quickly followed by a swerving, dipping shot from Sebastian Valencia that sliced wide of net.

Harbour View started carving out some chances for themselves in the second half, and Andre Fagan could only shake his head in disbelief after he headed over the crossbar when left unmarked on a corner kick in the 56th.

The "Stars of the East" kept pressing and their efforts bore fruit in the 64th, when a free kick was played deep into the Moca FC area, and Ajuma Johnson arrived at the far post to finish on the volley.

Still requiring another goal due to Moca's away goal tiebreaker, Harbour View pushed for another, but Moca FC had other ideas and quickly evened the contest in the 68th, when a ball from Sebastian Valencia went through a sea of players.

Harbour View doubled down on attack and Moca FC's goalkeeper Odalis Baez was summoned to make a big save in 78th from an Ajeanie Talbott effort. 

Harbour View’s last push came in the waning seconds, and a mad scramble in front of goal saw a shot ring off the crossbar, before eventually being cleared by Moca's defence, as they were resolute in holding on to their aggregate advantage.

Dominican Republic side Moca FC overcame a slow start to edge Jamaican club Harbour View 2-1 in their Concacaf Caribbean Cup first-leg third-place encounter at Sabina Park on Tuesday night.

Moca FC will take that one-goal advantage and two away goals into their home leg, with hopes of also seeing off a possible Harbour View comeback, especially with a place in the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup at stake.

Omar Thompson has been one of a key player in Harbour View's attacking force in this Caribbean Cup, and he was the impetus behind the opening goal in the 15th minute.

Thompson produced a run down the left channel, and later floated a deep cross that came off of Moca defender Clifford Thomas and into net for an own goal.

Moca FC sought a response, and a buzzing freekick taken by Sebastian Valencia in the 35th, required Harbour View's goalkeeper Anthony Bennett to stay calm and make a save in front of a sea of players.

The visitors eventually pulled level in the 43rd minute through Gustavo Ascona, who got on the end of a freekick and expertly headed past Bennett, to make it 1-1 at the break.

Harbour View again started best on the resumption and almost regained the lead in the 53rd minute, when Jahshaun Anglin rifled an effort that rocketed off the crossbar.

However, it was Moca FC that found the go-ahead goal in the 65th, as Jose Francisco smacked home a header that gave Bennett no chance at a save.

From there, Moca's defence withstood everything thrown at them by Harbour View to secure a crucial advantage ahead of next week’s second leg.

While Humble Lion’s Head coach Andrew Price and his Harbour View counterpart Ludlow Bernard welcomed the point from their 2-2 stalemate, both rued the manner in which their respective teams conceded in a lively Wray and Nephew Jamaica Premier League (JPL) encounter at Sabina Park on Monday.

In fact, if the disgust expressed by both coaches is anything to go by, then their teams should be defensively on point for the remainder of the season.

Shaqueil Bradford gave Harbour View a 22^nd minute lead, but Jardel Williams (25^th) and captain Andrew Vanzie (35^th) responded for Humble Lion, before veteran Andre Fagan (52^nd) salvaged a point for Bernard’s side.

With the point, Humble Lion, who remain unbeaten after three games, inched up to five points in sixth position, while Harbour View are 11^th on two points.

Price was firm about what will be required of his team going forward.

“We are short some players because of injuries, but we have people that have to go out there and do the work because we have to stop conceding those goals. The manner in which we conceded, especially the equalizing goal, I am unhappy about it and the team will tell you I don’t have a lot of time for that (sloppy defending). But we take the point, it is better than a loss, but we will correct things and get ready for our next game,” he said in a post-match interview.

Bernard was also adamant that he will not accept any more sub-par defending from his team.

“We need to stop conceding unnecessarily. I think that the efforts we made to go ahead were two good build-up plays, but whenever we give up goals like these, it is a cause for concern, and I think that my defenders need to do better at the back of the pitch and give attackers a chance. Because I know that we will score goals, but we need to stop conceding and it is getting out of hand right now. But we will take the point,” Bernard noted.

The contest started at a decent tempo, as Harbour View grabbed the ascendancy with a few chances in the early exchanges, particularly through Bradford, who inevitably found the target.

Fresh from his senior Reggae Boyz outing in a Friendly International against Guatemala last Saturday, Bradford was on hand to finish rebound with aplomb after Omar Thompson’s initial shot came off the crossbar.

However, Harbour View’s celebrations were short-lived, as their Clarendon-based opponents replied soon after Xavian Virgo’s cross found Williams, who fired excellent right-footed effort past goalkeeper Anthony Bennett at his near post.

Vanzie then put Humble Lion ahead 10 minutes later when he finished off a good team build up with a firm left-footer from just outside the 18-yard box.

Harbour View’s press for the equalizer, forced Humble Lion into a defensive posture and they went close to pulling level from a set play, but Prince Daniel-Johnson did well to keep out Okeemo Jones’s well-taken freekick to ensure Humble Lion remained 2-1 up at the break.

The “Stars of the East” were back on level terms five minutes into the resumption courtesy of Fagan, who rose above defenders to finish a thumping header from Odorland Harding’s weighted cross.

Both teams had a few half chances from which they could have notched the winner, had it not been for a lack of composure.

Humble Lion had the first in the 70^th minute through Afiba Chambers, who turned his marker, but dragged a right-footer just wide of the upright.

Four minutes later, Bradford did well to get in between two defenders on his way towards goal, but unselfishly went for a pass instead of the shot and the opportunity went abegging.

Price also chided his team for their lack of conviction in the final third, particularly in the second half.

“I think we didn’t play the way we played the first half when we were more intense and aggressive. We came down a little bit low and when our energy level dropped, we brought Harbour View back into the game. But despite that, I thought we had some very good looks in the second half when we should have really taken the game,” he said in his assessment.

“We got two chances in the penalty box and with a little bit more composure, we should have put away those chances. All in all, I think it is a fair result, but we are going to have to continue work hard because we have to be consistent and we are going to have to keep our energy levels high for 90 plus minutes,” Price added.

Meanwhile, Bernard felt his team failed to match the aggression of their opponents.

 “The sorry thing about it is that nobody is putting their hands up everybody is pointing the blame elsewhere. I think that we need to be a little bit more aggressive, if we had some of the grit that Humble Lion got this would have been a clean sheet here. I am pleased with the fact that my forwards are getting into position, probably Bradford could have played another one in to David Reid and we probably would have had the win,” Bernard reasoned.