Trinidad & Tobago League Cup

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First Citizens Cup Wikipedia

The Trinidad and Tobago League Cup, or commonly known as the First Citizens Cup for sponsorship reasons, is the League Cup style football competition open for Trinidad and Tobago teams competing in the country's TT Pro League. Similar to the FA Trophy, it is played on a knockout (single elimination) basis in September and October towards the beginning of each Pro League season. Unlike the FA Trophy, where 36 teams enter each season from the top three tiers of the Trinidad and Tobago football league system and the Secondary Schools Football League, only teams from the TT Pro League compete in the league cup. The knockout tournament was inaugurated in 2000 and is currently sponsored by First Citizens Bank. Although the league cup is one of the three major domestic trophies attainable by Trinidad and Tobago league teams, it is perceived as a lower priority than the league championship and the FA Trophy. The current theme is Where Winners Reign, with TT$110,000 to the winner, TT$20,000 to the runners-up, semifinal winners receive TT$7,000, quarterfinal winners receive TT$5,000 and Play-off round winners receive TT$3,000.

W Connection is the most successful club in the league cup having won the competition eight times, including five consecutive cup titles in 2004–08 and are the current holders of the league cup having defeated Defence Force in the 2017 final.

History

The competition began in 2000, under the name of the League Cup, with San Juan Jabloteh winning the inaugural tournament by defeating Defence Force 1–0 at Marvin Lee Stadium. In 2001, First Citizens Bank began to sponsor the league cup and was officially branded the First Citizens Cup. W Connection and Defence Force claimed their club's first cup title in 2001 and 2002 respectively. The San Juan Kings became the first club to win the title twice having won the league cup again in 2003. W Connection were crowned champions for five consecutive years in 2004–08. However, in 2009, Defence Force claimed their second title and their first trophy in six years with a 1–0 win over Joe Public. The Eastern Lions exacted revenge by defeating Defence Force 3–0 on penalties after the match ended 1–1 the following year in 2010 to claim their first league cup title. Caledonia AIA claimed two consecutive league cup titles in 2011 and 2012.

トリニダード・トバゴリーグカップは、トリニダード・トバゴで開催されるサッカートーナメントです。この大会は、トリニダード・トバゴのプロサッカーリーグであるトリニダード・トバゴ・プロフェッショナルフットボールリーグ(TTプロリーグ)の一部として行われます。

トリニダード・トバゴリーグカップは、トリニダード・トバゴのトップクラブチームが参加し、優勝を争います。この大会は、トリニダード・トバゴのサッカーファンにとって非常に重要なイベントであり、多くの人々が試合を観戦するために集まります。

トリニダード・トバゴリーグカップは、数週間にわたって行われ、各チームはグループステージから始まります。グループステージでは、各チームが他のチームと対戦し、勝ち点を獲得します。上位チームは、ノックアウトステージに進出し、準々決勝、準決勝、そして決勝戦で優勝を争います。

この大会は、トリニダード・トバゴのサッカー界のトップクラブチームが一堂に会する機会であり、選手たちは自身の技術と戦術を競い合います。また、トリニダード・トバゴリーグカップは、若手選手の発掘や才能の育成にも貢献しており、将来のトリニダード・トバゴ代表選手の発掘にも繋がっています。

トリニダード・トバゴリーグカップは、サッカーファンにとっては見逃せない大会であり、トリニダード・トバゴのサッカー文化を体験する絶好の機会です。