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Cavalier FC aim to defend slim advantage against Cibao FC to claim Concacaf Caribbean Cup
Written by Sherdon Cowan. Posted in Caribbean Club Championships. | 03 December 2024 | 149 Views
Tags: Football

Jamaica’s Cavalier FC will hope to maintain or even extend their one-goal advantage against Dominican Republic’s Cibao FC to cop their first Concacaf Caribbean Cup crown as they two meet in the decisive second leg of the final on Tuesday.

Cavalier, who topped the first leg 1-0 at the National Stadium last week, travel to Estadio Cibao FC in Santiago de los Caballeros brimming with confidence of getting the job done on the second time of asking after they lost last year’s showpiece against Suriname’s Robinhood.

Kick off 7:00pm.

In fact, Head coach Rudolph Speid believes the away-goal rule heaps pressure on the home team to stop them from scoring.

“The shoe is now on the other foot. They have to prevent us from getting on the scoresheet, because they are the ones who are going to get in trouble with the away-goal rule. So we just need to score a goal, and they will be the ones chasing the game,” Speid said.

“As you can see in this competition, we are a team that scores anywhere. We are not worried. We believe that on the day we will give a good account of ourselves,” he added.

With the likes of Shaquille Stein, the tournament’s leading scorer with eight goals in their lineup, along with the nippy Dwayne ‘Busy’ Atkinson, Cavalier seem poised to extend their unbeaten record against Dominican Republic clubs in the tournament’s history (3W-2D-0L).

The visitors will look to maintain their defensive solidity and capitalize on the away goals rule as they aim to clinch the title.

However, Cibao FC will seek to overturn the deficit and reclaim their dominance after the first-leg loss ended a seven-match unbeaten run and snapped their five-game winning streak. Known as "The Orange Beast," Cibao has been the tournament’s most prolific shooting team, recording 99 shots with 45 on target and 13 goals.

Rivaldo Correa remains a key threat for Cibao, with five goals in the tournament. The striker was particularly active in the first leg, firing seven shots and testing Cavalier’s backline.

This final is a clash between the group-stage winners and the competition’s two highest-scoring teams. Both clubs have already secured places in the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup, but the champion will enjoy an added perk—a bye to the Round of 16.

In the event of a tie, the away goal rule will serve as the first tiebreaker. If necessary, extra time and penalties will decide the champion.