Jamaican defender Latanya Wilson, produced a Player of the Match performance in her 50th national league game to assist Adelaide Thunderbirds to a comfortable 58-33 win over New South Wales Swifts in a lopsided affair at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Saturday.
The contest, which was a repeat of last year’s grand final, was expected to be just a fierce, but Wilson and her Thunderbirds teammates were in a no-nonsense mood, as they won all but one quarter of the encounter to bounce back from last week's nail-biting one-goal loss to West Coast Fever.
Wilson, 23, notched up 118.5 Nissan Net Points thanks to four intercepts, seven deflections and nine pick-ups in a performance that matches her milestone.
“It feels so amazing. What a milestone. It is such a great feeling and I am so happy we got the win. We are evolving and we are hunting something new, whatever that looks like, I am so happy that I am a part of this great team,” a beaming Wilson said in a post-game interview.
While the wing defence did her part along with compatriot and goalkeeper Shamera Sterling-Humphrey, who had five deflections and three intercepts, another Jamaican Romelda Aiken-George led the Thunderbirds attack with 30 goals from 32 attempts.
Lucy Austin (12 goals from 12 attempts), Georgie Horjus (nine goals from 10 attempts), and Lauren Frew (seven goals from nine attempts), contributed the others.
Wilson was on song in the Thunderbirds defence.
Meanwhile, the Swifts, who were off beat all-around, got most goals from Sophie Fawns (16 goals from 19 attempts). Helen Housby (10 goals from 14 attempts), Trinidad and Tobago’s Samantha Wallace-Joseph (five goals from seven attempts) and Grace Whyte (two goals from four attempts), got the others.
Aside from the opening quarter in which they came out strong and secured a 13-12 lead over the Thunderbirds, the Swifts struggled to maintain momentum throughout.
In fact, they made a number of errors in the second quarter that shifted things in favour of the Thunderbirds, who capitalised and won the quarter 11-7 to overtake the lead at 23-20 at the half-time interval.
Wallace-Joseph finally entered the court for the Swifts to start the third quarter which meant Housby moved back into her preferred position of goal attack, but the move proved futile.
While both teams made some uncharacteristic errors, the Thunderbirds recovered best and later asserted their authority on the contest in what turned out to be a match-winning third quarter.
Sterling-Humphrey made her presence felt and picked up a flying intercept, after which, Wilson took the mantle to shut out the Swifts, as they ended the quarter 13 goals up at 41-28.
Faced with the huge deficit, it was crucial for the Swifts to come out firing in the fourth quarter - and they did for the most part, but another intercept from Sterling-Humphrey prevented them from scoring.
From there, the Swifts racked up penalties and turnovers, while missing six of their 11 attempts, as Thunderbirds effortlessly took the quarter 17-5 to complete the 25-goal rout.
While all the excitement is rightly around the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, West Indies Women’s captain Hayley Matthews and her team are steadily building towards their own global T20 showpiece, which is scheduled for October.
Having lifted their first and only T20 World Cup title in 2016 when they defeated favourites Australia by eight wickets in Kolkata, Matthews, who was 18 years old at the time of that accomplishment, is hoping to repeat the feat in five months time, but for now, her immediate focus is on their build up to the tournament.
The Caribbean women are set to tour Sri Lanka for three One-Day Internationals and three Twenty20 Internationals, from June 15-28, and those encounters Matthews said will kick start their preparation for the Women’s T20 World Cup to be staged in Bangladesh.
This upcoming tour follows the West Indies Women’s successful outing in Pakistan where they won both the ODI and T20 series, losing just one of eight matches played.
“Everyone would have had a nice month or so at home, so it’s about getting ourselves into tip top shape before we head off for a camp in Sri Lanka before the series,” Matthews told Barbados TODAY, shortly after a presentation to the Barbados Royals Girls Cricket Club at Friendship.
“(Winning) the T20 World Cup is probably the main goal for the year, but at the same time on the Sri Lanka tour, we have ICC Championship points to play for that would help our qualification for the 50-over World Cup next year. So I think that both the 50-over and the T20 aspects of this upcoming tour are going to be pretty serious and we’re going to want to do really well in both the formats,” she added.
Hayley Matthews engage a member of the Barbados Royals Girl Cricket Club in practice. (Photo: Haroon Greenidge)
On a more personal note, Matthews, 26, expressed delight that her hard work behind the scenes have been bearing fruit in terms of her remarkable performances over the past year, in particular.
The Barbadian, who is currently the number one ranked women’s T20 all-rounder in the world, recently became the first female to be named Wisden’s Leading Twenty20 cricketer in 2023, following a run of eight consecutive T20 match awards, in which she averaged 88 with the bat.
Last year, in 14 T20 internationals, Matthews recorded 700 runs from 14 matches at an average of 63, and snared 19 wickets at an economy rate of 6.84. Across men’s and women’s T20 – domestic and international – her tally of 1,551 runs was topped only by England’s Jos Buttler.
But, amidst all the accolades, Matthews is eyeing further improvements for the remainder of the year and beyond.
“I am truly grateful. From the time I was 10 years old I knew I wanted to be a professional cricketer, and anytime you set out those dreams and want to do something so big, when success comes you’re obviously really grateful for it. Hopefully I can continue to grow, get better and have an even better 2024,” she shared.
Luchi Gonzalez admits his team need to learn the difference between competing and winning as they aim to bounce back against Austin FC on Saturday.
The Earthquakes currently sit bottom of the Western Conference with 10 points, having won just three games this season.
Gonzalez highlighted his team has no trouble competing with their opponents and is optimistic they can turn leads into actual wins soon.
"The result of the last game [against Austin], we didn't get the job done there at the end even though we thought we were about to, but we're competing consistently in any competition," he said.
"We've had the lead in eight out of [14 MLS games]. That does show you that we're ready, we're prepared and we compete. Competing and winning are two different things. We've got to keep working on our ability to make decisions individually, collectively."
At the other end of the table, Austin sit in third with 22 points, just six behind leaders Real Salt Lake after back-to-back wins over Houston Dynamo and Sporting Kansas City.
Head coach Josh Wolff was pleased with his side’s approach in recent weeks but urged them to keep up that level as they head into a busy week.
"We're very spirited, we're very organised and opportunistic," Wolff said.
"We've shown we can score goals, that's not a problem. We have to keep approaching games in a meticulous way, a responsible and disciplined way so that we can win."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
San Jose Earthquakes – Jeremy Ebobisse
Ebobisse has scored five goals in seven career matches against Austin FC. Only Jesus Ferreira (6) has scored more MLS goals against the Verde.
Austin – Sebastian Driussi
Driussi has scored seven goals in seven career games against the Earthquakes. No player has scored more goals against a single opponent than Driussi against San Jose since he joined MLS in 2021.
MATCH PREDICTION: SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES WIN
Austin recorded their first-ever win over San Jose on April 6 with a 4-3 home victory (D5 L2). There have been at least four goals scored in five of the eight matches between the sides, including a pair of seven-goal games.
San Jose has lost four of their first six home league matches this season (W2) after losing just twice at PayPal Park during the 2023 regular season. The ‘Quakes have conceded at least once in 11 straight regular-season home matches dating back to last year.
Meanwhile, Austin have won six of its last nine regular-season matches (D1 L2), including the last two in a row. Only three teams have collected more points than Austin’s 19 since that run began in late March.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
San Jose Earthquakes – 41.2%
Draw – 28.6%
Austin – 30.2%
Phil Neville has called for Portland Timbers to be more "ruthless" as they aim to get back to winning ways against Sporting Kansas City on Saturday.
The Timbers sit 11th in the Western Conference having won just one of their last 11 matches, though their 4-2 comeback win against 10-man San Jose Earthquakes did come in their last home outing.
Despite their poor run of form, Neville is pleased with what he has seen from his side in recent weeks.
"We do feel as if we're heading in the right direction. There are signs," he said.
"Now it's about us picking up points and making sure we stay in the pack and be more ruthless with what we're doing. It's time that we've got to go out there and deliver."
Kansas City are three points behind Saturday’s opponents in 13th, having failed to win any of their last seven matches.
After a U.S. Open Cup win over FC Tulsa on Wednesday though, midfielder Erik Thommy believes Kansas City can start to build some momentum.
"It's the perfect time for us to turn the season around. We've got to start to collect the points as soon as possible," Thommy said.
"We need the right players on the pitch and look forward while looking at what made us strong in the past. We need to believe in ourselves and trust in yourself and the club. We have to take all of these positive things [from recent matches] into the next game."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Portland – Maxime Crepeau
Portland’s 2-1 defeat to Minnesota marked the 10th straight regular-season match in which they have conceded multiple goals, the longest streak in MLS history. The Timbers have not kept a clean sheet in their last 20 regular-season games dating back to last September, and Crepeau will be hoping to change that.
Kansas City – Johnny Russell
Russell scored his 57th regular-season goal for Kansas City on Saturday, equaling Dom Dwyer for second in the club’s history. Only Preki (71) has scored more goals for Kansas City in regular-season MLS play.
MATCH PREDICTION: PORTLAND TIMBERS WIN
The Timbers have won four straight home matches against Kansas City dating back to 2019. Prior to 2019, Portland had managed just two wins in 10 all-time meetings with SKC at Providence Park (D4 L4).
However, the Timbers have won only one of their last 11 matches (D3 L7) following a 2-1 loss at Minnesota on Saturday. Only CF Montreal (five) have collected fewer points than Portland (six) since this run began in mid-March.
Kansas City are winless in seven straight MLS matches including losing the last four in a row. It has been 13 years since Sporting lost five straight MLS matches, last doing so in April-May 2011.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Portland – 40.3%
Draw – 24.8%
Kansas City – 34.9%
Eric Ramsay urges Minnesota United not to get ahead of themselves despite a high-flying start to the season as they prepare to travel to Colorado Rapids.
Minnesota have lost just two games in the MLS this season and are currently second in the Western Conference after a run of five without defeat.
However, Ramsay is keen to make sure his side do not get complacent despite their good run of form.
"I'm trying not to read too much into the table because it changes so quickly," he said.
"You can feel as we are at the moment that you're on a really good run, but when you look at the table, and you find you haven't really got much separation, although you feel like you've had five games when you've had to grind out good performances and results.
"I've used the phrase with the players a few times that we're starting from zero every game. Our form that we go into games with is meaningless."
Colorado are just three points behind Minnesota in the table, sitting in sixth, having alternated between a win and a loss in their last six matches.
Head coach Chris Armas remains optimistic after their defeat to FC Cincinnati last weekend, saying: "We're on our way to becoming a really good team," he said.
"The results show that, the performances show that, the mentality of the team shows that. We've beaten some pretty good teams this year.
"We gave everything we had [in the defeat to FC Cincinnati] and fell a little short, but it makes us no less competitors or winners. We think we're better for [the loss]."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Colorado Rapids – Rafael Navarro
Navarro is the first Rapids player since Kei Kamara in 2019-20 to score in four consecutive regular-season matches. Only three players in the team’s history, most recently Omar Cummings in 2010, have scored in five straight league matches.
Minnesota United – Joseph Rosales
Rosales has recorded an assist in five consecutive regular-season matches for Minnesota United, the first player to do so in the team’s history. Rosales has totaled seven assists in those five games after recording just two assists in his first 53 MLS matches.
MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW
The Rapids suffered a 5-3 loss to Real Salt Lake on Saturday, the club’s fifth defeat of the season. Colorado have bounced back following their first four losses of the season, winning the next match three times, and drawing once.
Minnesota earned a 2-1 win against the Rapids in their last visit to Colorado in March 2023 – it was their first road win against the Rapids in club history (D1 L5 prior).
Indeed, Minnesota have 24 points from their first 12 games this season (W7 D3 L2), six more than they have ever had at this stage of a season before. The Loons have won four of their last five matches (D1).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Colorado Rapids – 36.1%
Draw – 25.8%
Minnesota United – 38.1%
Reigning champion Ackelia Smith will get an opportunity to defend her NCAA Division I Outdoor long jump title after securing her spot at this year’s championships at the NCAA West First Round in Fayetteville, Arkansas on Thursday.
Smith needed only one legal attempt to produce 6.86m (3.4 m/s) and advance to the NCAA Championships set for June 5-8 at Hayward Field in Oregon.
The 22-year-old Texas junior produced 6.88m to win the NCAA title last year.
On the track, reigning national champion Nickisha Pryce ran 50.31 to secure her spot in Saturday’s 400m quarterfinals.
The Arkansas senior became the second-fastest Jamaican ever in the distance when she ran 49.32 to win the SEC Outdoor title on May 11.
Jamaican San Diego State sophomore Shaquena Foote (51.35), Jamaican Arkansas junior Joanne Reid (52.54) and Guyanese Kansas junior Deshana Skeete (52.70) also made it through to the quarters.
A pair of Jamaican Texas standouts, sophomore Dejanea Oakley and senior Kevona Davis, advanced to the quarterfinals in the 200m.
Oakley, who recently won the SEC 200m title, ran 22.73 while Davis ran 22.97.
Bradley Carnell has challenged St. Louis City to make Citypark a formidable place to play as they prepare to welcome the Seattle Sounders on Saturday.
St. Louis have lost just one of their six MLS home games this season, helping them to ninth in the Western Conference.
Carnell’s side have, however, lost their last two matches, including their most recent home outing, but the head coach is not worried about their recent form.
He said: "The standings are not an indicator of if we give everything or not. Everything should be on the line every single day.
"For sure, there are moments of ebbs and flows through a season, and you get to mitigate through those just like every other team in the league. We're just focusing on our next game against a respectable opponent.
"We want to see if we can keep up and keep on pushing and turn Citypark into the fortress we know it can become to get three points."
Seattle sit two points below St. Louis in 10th after failing to win their previous two matches.
Head coach Brian Schmetzer wants his side to use last season’s win over St. Louis as inspiration to get back to winning ways.
"It's a tough place to play, they were on a good roll last year," he said.
"This year their results aren't quite as good, but they're still a good team. Last year's performance there away from home was good, it was solid. We scored early goals and held on. Good defence. Solid performance."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
St. Louis City – Joao Klauss
Klauss has scored in four of St. Louis’ last nine matches in the MLS, netting the opener on two occasions. He is also the club’s top scorer this season with five goals.
Seattle Sounders – Cristian Roldan
Roldan completed 82 of 88 passes in Seattle’s draw with Vancouver on Saturday, both the most in a match by a Sounders player this season. It was the most passes Roldan has completed in an MLS match since connecting on 109 passes against the Galaxy in August 2019.
MATCH PREDICTION: ST. LOUIS CITY WIN
After losing only one of their first 11 regular-season matches in 2024 (W3 D7), St. Louis have lost consecutive games. This is the fifth time they have lost two straight regular-season matches, though they have never lost three in a row in league play before.
Seattle have won both of their matches against St. Louis, outscoring them, 5-0, in those two games. The Sounders were the only team to keep clean sheets in two matches against St. Louis last season.
Seattle drew 1-1 with Vancouver last Saturday, thanks to a Ryan Gauld equalizing penalty for the Whitecaps at 93:59. It was the latest result-changing goal the Sounders have ever conceded in a regular-season MLS match.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
St. Louis City – 44.8%
Draw – 27%
Seattle Sounders – 28.2%
In a bid to foster a deeper appreciation for cricket among the youth of the Caribbean, Cricket West Indies (CWI) provided tickets for students and teachers, as well as members of Jamaica’s age-group teams to enjoy the three-match series between West Indies and South Africa at Sabina Park.
The initiative which CWI says forms part of its corporate social responsibility efforts. The regional body provided 2,685 tickets to students, 412 to teachers, and 198 tickets to players from the Under-15, Under-17 and Uner-19 teams, ensuring these young athletes have the chance to experience top-tier cricket action.
The Schools Ticketing Programme, a central element of this initiative, is designed to immerse young minds in the thrill of cricket, offering them the opportunity to witness international matches and develop a lasting passion for the sport.
CWI President, Dr. Kishore Shallow, underscored the importance of cultivating a strong cricket culture across the region, and this he said reflects his administration’s ongoing commitment to youth engagement and sports development.
"We are keen to help revitalize cricket in Jamaica. Introducing the children to cricket is vital for the future of the sport in Jamaica and the entire region. By bringing students to these matches, we are not only providing them with an enjoyable experience but also nurturing an appreciation and love for cricket that can grow with them,” Shallow said.
"This Schools Ticketing Programme initiative is about more than just watching a game; it's about creating a connection with the sport that can inspire future generations,” he added.
Recently-elected Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) President Dr. Donovan Bennett, expressed enthusiasm for the initiative and its potential impact.
"We are thrilled to collaborate with CWI for this Schools Ticketing Programme. This initiative promotes cricket and instils values of teamwork, discipline, and perseverance in our young people," he said.
"By exposing students to live cricket matches, they are getting a deeper understanding and appreciation for the game. This experience is invaluable for their personal and athletic development,” Dr. Bennett noted.
West Indies won Thursday’s first game by 28 runs. The remaining two matches of the series are scheduled for Saturday, May 25 and Sunday, May 26 at the same venue. Start time is 2:00pm.
Nashville SC interim head coach Rumbani Munthali aims to get a more recognizable look about the team as he prepares for his second game in charge against CF Montreal.
Gary Smith, who led Nashville for seven years, made a shock exit following their 2-0 win over Toronto FC on May 16, with Munthali stepping up from player development coach to take his place.
Nashville’s first game under him ended in a 1-1 draw with Atalanta United on Saturday, leaving them 11th in the Eastern Conference.
With little time to put his stamp on the team, Munthali believes being able to welcome back injured players will help to get them back on track.
"I think as you see players come back into the team [from injury], you see that we're starting to be a little more recognizable as a team that went on a 10-game undefeated streak last season," Munthali said.
"What I would hope is you get a team that represents what the club is: hard-working, forward-thinking and positive, and I hope that's a team we can put onto the field that will compete from start to finish.
"I think those are the cornerstones of who we are as a club."
Montreal are on a four-game losing streak that started with a 4-1 defeat to Nashville, and head coach Laurent Courtois accepts they need to do more to get back to winning ways.
"Doing my 'job' is not enough. We have to be ready to offer a little 'extra' and help each other out. For the moment, in fits and starts, I have the impression that we are just doing our job.
"Now, we are doing our mea culpa, we are coming back to things that we thought we had figured out."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Montreal – Sunusi Ibrahim
In the absence of top-scorer Matias Coccaro, Ibrahim netted Montreal’s lone goal in their defeat to Toronto last week. Montreal have scored in all four games during their current losing run, with the Nigerian extending that run.
Nashville – Hany Mukhtar
Mukhtar attempted five shots, including scoring Nashville’s lone goal from the penalty spot, against Atlanta United on Saturday, taking him to 404 career shot attempts in regular-season MLS play. No other player has attempted 300 shots since Mukhtar joined the league in 2020.
MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW
Montreal’s lone win in eight all-time meetings with Nashville SC came in their last home match against them, a 1-0 win in June 2023. Nashville has won five of the other seven meetings (D2), including a 4-1 victory on May 4.
However, Nashville have won only one of their last 15 MLS away matches (D5 L9 incl. playoffs) dating back to early June 2023. Nashville scored three goals in the lone win in that time (3-0 at Kansas City) but have totaled just five goals in the other 14 matches.
Meanwhile, Montreal have lost four straight matches within a single regular season for the first time since September 2020. They haven’t lost five in a row in a single regular season since a five-match losing run to end the 2017 campaign.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Montreal – 39%
Draw – 27.8%
Nashville – 33.2%
FC Dallas coach Nico Estevez was more satisfied with the performance of his side as he looks ahead to a tough home game against Real Salt Lake.
Dallas head into Saturday’s match sitting 12th in the Western Conference, while RSL top the standings on 28 points.
A 1-1 draw with the Houston Dynamo in last week’s Texas derby followed on from a 2-1 win over Dallas’ other state rival, Austin FC, so they do at least head into the meeting with the West’s best team in some kind of form.
But Estevez, whose team overcame the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the U.S. Open cup in midweek, knows this is only the start.
Reflecting on the draw with the Dynamo, Estevez said: “We felt like we could win this game. We had one of the best first halves on the road this season. We just had a moment late in the first half after the water break where we dropped our level.
“Overall, the first 30 minutes were the best that we have played on the road combining good defensive work, good possessions and good plays. In the second half, we started a little bit slow but as the second half went on, we did a very good job creating chances and playing in their half, keeping the ball moving from one side to the other. The subs did a really good job coming in and provided the new energy that we needed. We wanted to win tonight, but we feel good about it.
“We need to recover really well, we need to rest. We want to improve every game.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
FC Dallas – Jesus Ferreira
Ferreira will have been disappointed to miss out on the United States’ Copa America squad, and will now be out to prove Gregg Berhalter wrong. He has scored seven goals in 10 career MLS matches against Real Salt Lake, his most against any opponent. No player has scored more goals for either side against the other in the history of the rivalry.
Real Salt Lake – Cristian Arango
Arango (six goals, five assists) has contributed to at least one goal in six straight away matches, the longest streak in MLS since the beginning of last season. Arango is the second player since the start of the 2006 season to record 11 goal contributions in a span of six away matches (Carlos Vela – 2019).
MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW
RSL are unbeaten in 10 straight regular-season matches (W7 D3) for the fourth time in club history and the first since 2013-14 (16 straight). No team has had a longer unbeaten run in league play since Cincinnati went 11 straight without a loss in July-September 2022.
Dallas have won three straight home matches in all competitions for the first time since July-August 2022. Dallas had won only two of its previous 10 at home (D6 L2) prior to winning each of its last three at Toyota Stadium.
Dallas have lost only two of 24 all-time home matches against Salt Lake in all competitions (W16 D6). Dallas’ 2-1 home win over RSL last April, however, ended a five-match unbeaten run for RSL at Toyota Stadium (W1 D4).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Dallas – 36.5%
RSL – 35.9%
Draw – 27.6%
Gonzalo Pineda insists Atlanta United "are on the right path" as they look to get back to winning ways in MLS.
The Five Stripes are 12th in the Eastern Conference following a run of eight matches without victory.
Although, they enjoyed a reprieve in the U.S. Open Cup last time out, defeating Charleston Battery on penalties to reach the quarter-finals.
And Pineda hopes his side can build on that momentum when they welcome Los Angeles to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
"I think we are on the right path," he said. "I think it is really encouraging for the team, for the mentality of the team, to win.
"There are many positives out of that. We have to hold onto that positivity, and the mentality of the players that fought and put that together on Saturday."
"I think that, especially being at home, we need to make sure we are on the front foot right away," midfielder Dax McCarty added.
"Obviously, our stadium is such a fortress. When you score an early goal, you get everyone excited and the other team feels that pressure, which is such a benefit."
By contrast, LAFC are fifth in the West and on a four-match winning streak across all competitions – during which they have scored 11 goals and conceded just once.
"The team is in a good way – winning games, scoring goals and not conceding – and we'd like to continue that," head coach Steve Cherundolo said.
"We feel good about the moment we're in, and our players are confident.
"The players have shown an amazing response [to their defeat by San Jose Earthquakes at the start of the month]. We were shooting ourselves in the foot by making some mistakes in portions of the field where we don't usually do that.
"The message was that we are really in control of our own destiny, which is a great place to be."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Atlanta United – Thiago Almada
Atlanta will be hoping for inspiration from the likes of Almada as they look to end their winless streak.
The Argentina international has scored in two of their last three league games on home soil.
Los Angeles FC – Denis Bouanga
Bouanga scored both goals in LAFC’s 2-0 win over St. Louis City last time out in MLS.
He has now found the net 33 times since the start of last season (including play-offs), seven more than any other player during that time.
MATCH PREDICTION: LOS ANGELES FC
Only once in their MLS history have Atlanta endured a longer winless streak, going 12 straight games without victory between May and August 2021.
Meanwhile, LAFC have won successive games to nil for the first time during the regular season since August 2022.
That came after they recorded just one victory while keeping a clean sheet in their previous 21 such matches.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Atlanta United: 38.2%
Los Angeles FC: 32.8%
Draw: 29.0%
In an exciting development for Jamaican football, Reggae Boyz captain and goalkeeper Andre Blake has secured a new two-year sponsorship deal with Spectrum Systems Limited, Jamaica's leading distributor of roofing and building products. This deal comes hot on the heels of Blake's recent sponsorship announcement with Supreme Ventures.
Blake's new partnership with Spectrum Systems highlights the company's commitment to supporting local sports, adding to their existing sponsorships of the Waterhouse Football Club and race car driver Sara Misir. As part of this agreement, Blake will be featured prominently in Spectrum's advertising campaigns and will support the company’s sponsorship initiatives within the football community.
The collaboration was celebrated with Blake's attendance at the Jamaica Premier League Superfinal last Sunday. During the event, he presented a gift to Waterhouse FC, which secured fourth place in the 2023/24 season, underscoring Spectrum Systems' ongoing support for the club.
Contributed: Andrew Stanigar Managing Director of Spectrum Systems greets Andre Blake on Sunday at the Jamaica Premier League Super Final.
Andrew Stanigar, Managing Director of Spectrum Systems Ltd., expressed his enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, "We invest in sports sponsorships because they allow us to connect with our customer base. Both Andre Blake and Spectrum Systems have a lot in common—quality, reliability, and consistency. It makes sense to align the number one roofing company with Jamaica's number one goalkeeper."
For Andre Blake, the endorsement deal represents a valuable opportunity to further engage with the local football community. "Sponsorships like this allow me to connect better with Jamaica football fans," Blake commented. "I look forward to what we will be able to achieve together as I aim to inspire and connect footballers across the island while also championing Spectrum's advertising campaigns. It's a win for everyone."
With this new deal, Blake continues to expand his influence both on and off the pitch, leveraging his prominence to promote and support local sports. The two-year agreement promises to be beneficial for both Blake and Spectrum Systems, strengthening their ties to the Jamaican football community and beyond.
Oscar Pareja admires the fight Orlando City are showing as they prepare to welcome Columbus Crew to Inter & Co Stadium on Saturday.
Orlando are unbeaten in their last three matches, including a late victory over San Jose Earthquakes last weekend.
They are now within one point of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, sitting 10th on 16 points.
Pareja praised his team for being able to hold onto results in recent weeks, but he now wants to translate that into consistent success at home.
"I see a team that is growing," Pareja said. "Their confidence is growing.
"The way we're playing is much better in terms of efficiency on the other side of the box, and we're proud. The thing that we're most happy with is seeing them try to do the right thing.
"They've got through difficult moments together. The way they fight every single game is always the same. We're more knowledgeable now that we're getting results, but I haven't seen one game where they gave up.
"Now we need to go and do it at home in front of our fans. Nothing has changed, we just haven't been very good in some home games, but we will be."
Columbus sit five points above Saturday’s opponents, having won back-to-back games against CF Montreal and the Chicago Fire.
Going into the third of their successive away matches, head coach Wilfried Nancy hailed the Crew’s spirit.
"It's true that last year I didn't like the spirit that when we were playing away - it was not the same spirit," he said.
"Now, they try to play their game home or away. This is something that for me, this is growth. This is something that has been better."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Orlando City – Pedro Gallese
Gallese has kept clean sheets in two straight matches after Orlando managed just two in their first 11 regular season matches in 2024.
The Lions have never kept a clean sheet in three straight league matches within a single season before.
Columbus Crew – Diego Rossi
Rossi managed a goal and two assists in Columbus’ win over Chicago last Saturday. It was his sixth MLS match with at least three goal contributions (including playoffs) but his first with the Crew.
MATCH PREDICTION – DRAW
Orlando City have won just one of their first seven home matches this MLS season (three draws, three losses), with their six points won equalling the fewest they have ever recorded in their first seven home matches of a season (also in 2015).
Meanwhile, Columbus have lost only one of their last eight away matches in MLS (four wins, three draws incl. playoffs), including winning their last two in a row on the road. The Crew have not won three consecutive away matches in the league since a four-match run between August and September 2015.
Columbus knocked Orlando out of last season’s MLS Cup Playoffs with a 2-0 road win in the Conference Semifinals. That win was just the Crew’s second in their last 11 meetings with Orlando dating back to October 2018 (one draw, eight losses).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Orlando City – 34.5%
Draw – 26.8%
Columbus Crew – 38.7%
Frank Klopas and the Chicago Fire may not have to worry about demotion from MLS, but he wants them to adopt a "relegation battle" mentality ahead of Saturday's visit to D.C. United.
The Fire sit 14th in the Eastern Conference standings after losing four straight games, with three of those defeats coming at home including last week's 3-1 reverse against the Columbus Crew.
Their current losing run is their fifth streak or four or more regular-season defeats since the start of 2021, though they have not lost five in a row in league play since 2018.
"The thing is trying to simplify things in practice, I think that's the most important thing with teams going through a difficult moment," Klopas said.
"The mental state of the team is obviously down. I think that's expected when you don't get results, when performances are not going your way.
"Even though there's no relegation battle in this league, we have to approach every game right now like it's a relegation fight until we can get out of this situation we're in."
D.C. are also looking to respond after back-to-back losses to the New York Red Bulls (1-4) and Inter Miami (0-1), with those results leaving them ninth in the East.
Troy Lesesne's team have won praise for their counter-pressing approach this year, but he says they still have plenty of room for improvement when playing on the break.
"No matter who the opponent is, we want to be difficult to play against and to break down, but we're also doing that so we can create," Lesesne said.
"We're top in the league for expected goals on the counterattack, but we have to finalise those situations.
"We're going to keep working on that, keep gaining those moments and keep improving."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
D.C. United – Christian Benteke
Benteke has scored 11 of D.C.'s 20 goals this season, with no other team-mate netting more than once in MLS play.
D.C. United are one of two MLS teams (also the Houston Dynamo) to only have one player with multiple goals this season.
Chicago Fire – Carlos Teran
Teran scored the Fire's only goal against the Crew last week and has now netted once for them in each of the last four seasons, making him the only player to score in each of the last four campaigns for Chicago.
The Colombian defender is hardly a goal machine, but Chicago will hope he can have an impact at both ends here.
MATCH PREDICTION – D.C. UNITED WIN
Chicago's tally of 10 points through 14 matches in 2024 is their worst total at this stage of a season in club history.
Things may not get any better for them on Saturday against a team known for employing an energetic approach.
D.C. United recorded a 4-0 home win over Chicago in the teams' last meeting last September, and they are looking to post back-to-back victories over the Fire for the first time since a four-game winning run against them between 2014 and 2016.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
D.C. United – 47.7%
Chicago Fire – 26.6%
Draw – 25.7%
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