1 year ago
76
AFTER EIGHT months of competitive and exciting football, the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) culminates with its grand Super Final between last season’s finalists and the top two teams this season in defending champions Mount Pleasant and Cavalier, this evening at the National Stadium starting at 6:30 p.m.
Mount Pleasant topped the league standings with 59 points after 26 games, five clear of second-place Cavalier, and will start as favourites.
The St Ann club, which has won 18 and lost just three games this season, has built their campaign on a solid defence, with the least number of goals conceded (15). Despite their host of attacking talent, they have just scored 37 goals.
Sporting director Paul Christie believes that no matter what statistic you look at, Mount Pleasant only need to come out and apply themselves.
“We have detailed discussions with the technical team – Mr (Theodore) Whitmore and Mr (Davian) Ferguson. They are in a good place. The players just need to go out there and follow the coach’s instructions.
“As long as we stay with the coach’s instruction, we should be okay,” he said.
Despite being considered favourites to retain their trophy, Christie insists that it is how the team executes on the day that really matters.
“Favouritism does not cause you to lose or win. It’s execution that makes you win or lose.
“Mr Speid has been selling the underdog tag, but he has the most consistent team (in the league) for the last five years.
“He has the same defenders and goalkeepers for the last five years. His winger (Dwayne) Atkinson and some midfielders have been there for over five years.
“So he has a consistent team over that five years, and they have been doing very well. So it is not a surprise that they are in the final again.
“But the better team will win on Sunday. The team that executes and makes the least mistakes will win,” he contends.
He added that at this point, there is no room for excuses and that their aim is to win it for the fans, who have given them unwavering support throughout the season.
“This game is truly for the fans. They have been with us all season, and we just want to oblige them. So everything will be taken care of within that rectangle.
“At this point there are no excuses because no one is buying their ticket to come and listen to excuses.
“People are coming there to see who executes better on the night. That is all that matters to the fans, and we are aware of that, so we are not in the business of excuses.”
Cavalier coach Rudolph Speid said that though Mount Pleasant will start the game as favourites, it does not give them any right to the trophy and that they are a much more mature team than last season.
“The only reason people believe Mount Pleasant should beat us is because they beat us in the final last year.
“But if you look at it, we have been the consistent team since they came into the league and they have not dominated us either.
“But all of what happened in the past accounts for nothing now, and this season, we won one and they won one. So it is even, and both of us have a chance of winning the game,” he said.
“So they might be favourites because someone has to be a favourite, but I do not think that gives us less of an opportunity to win because everybody knows what we can do both on the attacking and on the defensive end.”
Different ball game
Cavalier boost the third best defensive record in the league, with 17 goals conceded and the second best attacking record, with 48 goals to their credit.
But Speid says the team has to get things right on the night.
“We have all our players available except for Ronaldo Barrett. We have prepared well, and this is the last game of the season,
“Last year’s team, six of those players will not be there. So it is a whole different ball game, and we are older and wiser.
“Mount Pleasant would have gone through another transformation, too. So the team that makes the least mistakes will come out the winner.
“So we are trying to prepare that we do not come out and make any mistakes. But otherwise, we have enough ammunition to win the game. So we are really not worried. We are just going to enjoy the moment,” he said.
“We are prepared for anything, and one of our strengths is flexibility, and we will use it. But it is what you do on the day, and one thing I can tell you, we will bring our A game.”
Mount Pleasant will look to goalkeeper Shaquan Davis, inspirational captain Sue Lae McCalla, Kimoni Bailey, Devonte Campbell, and Demario Phillips to help them retain their title.
Cavalier’s hopes rest on leading scorer Jalmaro Calvin (16), Shaniel Thomas, Dwayne Atkinson, Kyle Ming, and Gadail Irving.
Earlier in the afternoon, Waterhouse face Arnett Gardens in the third-place playoff at 3 p.m.
The third-place playoff is a qualifier for the Caribbean Shield, which, in turn, is a qualifier for the lucrative Concacaf Caribbean Cup.
English (US) ·