2012 Caribbean Cup

2012 Caribbean Cup
Tournament details
Host country	Antigua and Barbuda
Dates	7–16 December[1]
Teams	8 (from 1 sub-confederation)
Venue(s)	2 (in 2 host cities)
Final positions
Champions	Cuba (1st title)
Runners-up	Trinidad and Tobago
Third place	Haiti
Fourth place	Martinique
Tournament statistics
Matches played	16
Goals scored	29 (1.81 per match)
Attendance	6,350 (397 per match)
Top scorer(s)	Eight players; (2 goals each)

The 2012 Caribbean Cup was the 17th edition of the Caribbean Cup, an international football competition for national teams of member nations affiliated with the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) of the CONCACAF region. The final stage was hosted by Antigua and Barbuda.[2] The tournament determined the four Caribbean teams that qualified for the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup.[3]

Originally the competition's final round was to be scheduled for June and July[4] however it was delayed. The title was won by Cuba for the first time.[5]

Qualification

The first and second rounds were scheduled for August and September, and October respectively. The draw for the qualifying round was made in March 2012.

The following teams qualified:

Antigua and Barbuda (Automatic qualification as host)
Jamaica (Automatic qualification as title holders)
Haiti (Qualification as Group 6 winners)
French Guiana (Qualification as Group 6 runners-up)
Dominican Republic (Qualification as Group 7 winners)
Martinique (Qualification as Group 7 runners-up)
Trinidad and Tobago (Qualification as Group 8 winners)
Cuba (Qualification as Group 8 runners-up)

Preparations

This is the first international tournament organised by the CFU since the corruption scandal. Prior to hosting the tournament, Paul "Chet" Greene, a former General Secretary of the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association raised concerns that Antigua's FA may not be able to afford to host the tournament and suggested that it would require state aid. It was the incumbent ABFA General Secretary Derrick Gordon that went on to become the President of the Caribbean Football Union and ultimately select the host nation. Greene stated, "Antigua [are] not necessarily in a position to give as [much] they normally would, I think government becomes the only option at this stage and a call for larger than usual attendances to allow the association to pay the bills." Greene also said that in the event of a grant from the CFU (via CONCACAF), the association would "still have a chunk of expenses to bear."[6]

ABFA President Everton Gonsalves responded, "the value to football is not something that can be valued in dollars."[7] CFU President Gordon Derrick stated that "Football is an expensive venture in all aspects; development comes at a cost so monies have to be spent."[7] At the 2013 CFU Congress, Derrick Gordon stated that they could not come to an agreement with usual sponsors Digicel as they "couldn't agree on a deal in time for the Caribbean Cup, as Digicel's budget year had closed."[8]

Venues

Two venues have been chosen to host the tournament.[6]

St. Johns	North Sound
Antigua Recreation Ground	Sir Vivian Richards Stadium

Capacity: 12,000	Capacity: 10,000
St. Johns North Sound 2012 Caribbean Cup (Antigua)

Squads

Draw

Teams were allocated to this stage based on a fixed draw. The draw was decided thus:[9]

Group A

Host
Group 6 winner
Group 7 runners-up
Group 8 winner

Group B

Previous competition winner
Group 6 runner-up
Group 7 winner
Group 8 runner-up

The result of the draw was amended on 19 November, the Group 7 runner-up was transferred to Group B and the Group 7 winner was transferred to Group A.[10] As a result of the amendment Group A contains three qualifying group winners and the host, whilst Group B contains three qualifying group runners-up and the previous edition competition winner. Martinique, the team transferred to Group B containing no qualifying group-winners, is the only association in the competition with a CFU Executive Committee member (Maurice Victoire) besides hosts Antigua and Barbuda (Gordon Derrick).

Group stage

The complete schedule for finals was released on 20 November.[11]

Tiebreakers

Greater number of points in matches between the tied teams.
Greater goal difference in matches between the tied teams (if more than two teams finish equal on points).
Greater number of goals scored in matches among the tied teams (if more than two teams finish equal on points).
Greater goal difference in all group matches.
Greater number of goals scored in all group matches.
Drawing of lots.

All times local (UTC−4)

Group A

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Haiti	3	2	1	0	6	3	+3	7
Trinidad and Tobago	3	2	1	0	5	3	+2	7
Dominican Republic	3	0	1	2	3	5	−2	1
Antigua and Barbuda	3	0	1	2	4	7	−3	1

7 December 2012

18:00

Haiti	1–1	Trinidad and Tobago
Saint-Preux 7'	Report	Carter 19'

Antigua Recreation Ground, St. John's

Attendance: 150

Referee: Valdin Legister (Jamaica)

7 December 2012