3 months ago
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IT HAS been two seasons and six matches since Arnett Gardens last scored a win over Cavalier in the Jamaica Premier League (JPL).
Still, that history hasn’t prevented the coaches from believing Arnett start favourites when the whistle blows in the semi-final at the Catherine Hall Sports Complex this evening at 6:00.
In the second semi-final, starting at 8:30 p.m., Montego Bay United take on Mount Pleasant Football Academy.
Cavalier coach Rudolph Speid said his team is physically drained, having played more than 50 games this season.
In addition, the defending champions have had injuries to key players. Striker Shaquille Stein and their team’s leading scorer, Jalmaro Calvin, are carrying knocks, while Dwayne Atkinson is not fully fit, though he is likely to start.
Despite being behind the eight ball going into the last four, Speid said his team is resilient and has the mentality to overcome the hurdles.
“Basically, we have played our 54th match [of the season]. This is going to be our 55th match, and that basically means we have not stop playing for two years now ... from we entered the Caribbean Cup.
“So we are going to end up playing 57 matches this season, one way or the other, and I don’t think another Jamaican team has ever played 57 matches in one season,” he pointed.
“So fatigue is killing us and we have a whole lot of injuries, as Stein and Jalmaro Calvin are injured and Atkinson limped off the last game. He will likely play, but not at a hundred per cent. So we are struggling on that front.”
Speid has already surmised the approach Arnett will take to the match, but pointed that they take no comfort in the fact that his opponents have not beaten them in two seasons.
“I know Arnett will try to run us into the ground. They have been just sitting and waiting, and I am sure they are watching and taking notes. So they have all the advantages. We will also have to travel to MoBay, which will take out a lot of time out of our recuperating,” he said.
A NEW GAME
“We take no confidence from the fact that they have not beaten us in two years. I would be glad to get back one of those victories. This is a new game. We threw away all of what happened in those games.
“And when a team haven’t beaten you for so long that beating is drawing nearer,” he said.
“We have many issues, but Cavalier is not one of the teams that is going to lie down. We are one of the most resilient teams. And we will give our best with whatever we have.
“This team has a winning mentality and we hope it can bring us through.
“But we have to be on our A-game, and we have to assess the opponent that we are playing and come with a plan to see if we can defeat them,” he said.
Meanwhile, Arnett coach Xavier Gilbert, who has been in charge of the team since last term and has yet to beat Cavalier, said they are well aware of that statistic, and that it is serving as a motivation going into the semis against their nemesis.
“It (winless run against Cavalier) is a factor, but in a positive way. The players are raring [to go] because we haven’t beat them in the last two seasons. So they are mindful of that and want to stop it. So I think it’s going to have a positive effect where that is concerned.
“We know what we have to do, and those previous results don’t matter right now. It is how you execute on the day,” Gilbert commented.
Gilbert is under no illusions about how difficult the task will be.
“It will be a tough matchup. It is not going to be easy for us. One thing with Cavalier is, they find a way to get the results that they desire.
“We are going to have to pull out all the stops to ensure that we come out on top, and ensure that we do not lose ahead of the second leg on Sunday,” he said.
But as Speid expected, Gilbert said the intention is to use the opposition’s fatigue to get an ideal result.
“They had to go into extra time in the last game and that should make them a little more fatigued. So I am hoping that we have a little more energy than them. But it is how we execute on game day,” he stated.
The JPL’s leading scorer, Warner Brown, is expected to return for Arnett after missing the last two matches in the regular season, but midfielder Rushike Kelson will be out injured.
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