Arsenal’s much-changed side were lucky to leave the Netherlands with a 1-1 draw in their dead-rubber Champions League tie against PSV Eindhoven.

A goal apiece either side of half-time saw the top two in Group B share the spoils as Eddie Nketiah’s first Champions League goal was cancelled out by Yorbe Vertessen’s smart finish in a draw.

Manager Mikel Arteta said on the eve of the game that, whoever represented Arsenal had a “duty” to win – but his unfamiliar XI were second-best for much of the night.

Arsenal had already secured top spot in Group B, with PSV assured of qualifying alongside them, and the Gunners showed eight changes to the five alterations made by the hosts.

Despite ringing in the changes, Arteta named first-choice centre-back pairing William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes and the duo were on hand to prevent PSV taking an early lead.

A fine ball from Malik Tillman played in Johan Bakayoko, who squared for Ricardo Pepi – only for a combination of Saliba and recalled goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale to stop a shot, with Gabriel brilliantly blocking the follow-up effort from Patrick van Aanholt.

The Arsenal defence was struggling to prevent the hosts breaking at their goal, even with Saliba and Gabriel present, and Vertessen rattled a post with a header after 19 minutes.

Bakayoko was the next to have Ramsdale diving at full-stretch but his shot from distance flashed just wide of a post.

Arsenal would hit the woodwork themselves just before the half-hour as Mohamed Elneny let fly with a trademark long-range effort that hit the base of a post before a well-worked PSV counter ended with Saliba blocking Pepi’s shot.

Arteta’s side had begun life back in the Champions League after a seven-year absence by easing to victory over PSV at the Emirates in September and, despite this rotated line-up, they would strike first once more.

Nketiah broke the deadlock three minutes before the break with his first proper sight of goal, angling a low drive through the legs of PSV skipper Andre Ramalho and in off the inside of a post.

Ramsdale turned a Bakayoko shot around a post to send Arsenal in ahead at the interval, even though the hosts had dominated for much of the first half.

Vertessen dragged a shot just wide soon after the restart but moments later he deservedly levelled, Saliba this time leaving himself out of position by diving in for an interception and the Belgian curling past Ramsdale.

Arteta made three alterations just after the hour, one enforced as Elneny came off with what appeared to be a thigh problem, with captain Martin Odegaard on in his place, joining both Declan Rice and Ben White off the bench.

Rice went in at centre-back in place of Saliba but was almost caught out minutes later, Ismael Saibari getting the better of the club-record signing before striking a post with Ramsdale beaten.

Jakub Kiwior headed in an Odegaard free-kick with 10 minutes to go but the goal was ruled out for offside against fellow defender Gabriel, who had also attacked the ball.

Not for the first time, Gabriel completely failed to deal with a simple forward ball, leaving Guus Til to burst through and fire wide late on as the tie finished all-square.

Rangers midfielder Jose Cifuentes will miss the Viaplay Cup final after losing his appeal against the red card shown to the Ecuadorian during Saturday’s victory over Dundee.

The 24-year-old was initially booked by referee Kevin Clancy after catching Amadou Bakayoko late with his studs after the Dundee forward slid in to win the ball midway through the Gers’ 3-1 win. But he was then sent off following a VAR review.

A fast-track tribunal has upheld Clancy’s final decision and Cifuentes will start a two-match domestic ban when Rangers meet Aberdeen in Sunday’s Hampden clash.

The Ibrox club have also been missing the injured Tom Lawrence, Nico Raskin and Ryan Jack from their midfield in recent games.

Paris St Germain captain Marquinhos insists they cannot afford to waste the opportunity of securing a place in the Champions League knockout stages.

The Ligue 1 side face Group F leaders Borussia Dortmund in Germany knowing victory will see them progress as winners, while a draw – providing Newcastle do not beat AC Milan – would be enough to see them through as runners-up.

There is even the fail-safe of a draw on Tyneside putting them through regardless of their own result but Marquinhos wants the team the seize the initiative themselves.

“If I thought this team didn’t have the character to win, I would have stayed at home,” he said.

“This is the type of match that everyone wants to play. Destiny is in our hands.

“It’s the only trophy missing for me here. It’s the dream of many players. We must not let (the chance to win) a trophy go to waste.”

PSG will be without the suspended Ousmane Dembele while a late decision will be made on Goncalo Ramos, who has flu and did not train at Signal Iduna Park.

But head coach Luis Enrique is confident even if the Portugal international does not make it he has enough quality in his squad to inflict Dortmund’s first home Champions League defeat in over two years.

“With the squad I have, it’s always easier to replace an absent player,” he said.

“It will never be an excuse. I will never complain about the absence of a player.”

PSG have yet to win the Champions League, which remains the holy grail for their Qatari owners, but aside from finishing runners-up and semi-finalists in 2019-20 and 2020-21 they have not made it past the last 16 since 2016.

Luis Enrique is the fifth head coach since then to be tasked with winning Europe’s elite club competition but having won it with Barcelona he knows all about high expectations.

“The pressure at PSG is on a daily basis but the preparation for the match remains the same; we will work on the type of football we want to play, the things we want to see happen in the match,” he added.

“I am in a very calm state of mind and with the dream and the hope that we are going to have a great match.

“We saw the qualities of the opponent (in PSG’s 2-0 win at home) but we also saw that they have difficulty defending.

“We have scored in all our matches in the competition and tomorrow the aim is to try to win.”

Hasely Crawford is very upset over a series of snubs at the facility named in his honour.

In an interview with the T&T Daily Express, the 1976 Olympic Games men’s 100 metres champion explained that there are six seats assigned to him at the Hasely Crawford Stadium for any event at the venue, as well as six parking passes. Additionally, two permanent parking spots have been set aside.

Unfortunately, those entitlements have led to numerous embarrassing incidents, the first of which was in 2001, when Trinidad and Tobago hosted the FIFA Under-17 World Cup.

“They wouldn’t give me a ticket for the final. There were instructions, ‘Don’t give Hasely Crawford any ticket’. But I got in,” Crawford shared.

T&T’s first-ever Olympic champion said he also had major issues in August this year at the Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG).

“The opening of Commonwealth was bad. For two days I had problems getting in until Ephraim Serrette brought me an accreditation. On the day of the opening ceremony, a Minister was parked in one of my spots … did move eventually but stayed for a while.”

In another recent incident, Crawford was alarmed by the disrespectful response he got from a group of students at the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) opening when he spoke to them about standing in the aisles. He said he alerted a police officer and the SSFL president, and also went to the students’ school to report the incident.

Crawford explained too that he had been offered tickets to attend SSFL games during the 2023 season.

“One time, the SSFL president gave me a ticket. I told him ‘You’re not doing me no favours, I’m entitled to six tickets.’ Another time, he gave me two tickets. I didn’t take them. The promoters are the ones who are responsible for giving me the six tickets for their events," he argued.

“The TTFA (Trinidad and Tobago Football Association) would give me tickets for their games, but I would often get them on the day, and that would create problems for my guests. One day I had a guest coming. I spoke to the guard to tell him my guest was coming in a brown car. They put someone else in the parking spot and told me a TTFA man said to put him there," Crawford added.

Crawford’s family has also faced embarrassment at the stadium.

“One year they had Soca Monarch. My wife and Kent Bernard’s wife went. They told them ‘No, no, no, this is VVIP, for the Prime Minister and a guest’. But that is where I’m supposed to go. My wife can’t take embarrassment, so she took off," he recalled. 

In order to avoid any further indignities, Crawford has opted to stay away from the Port of Spain facility, as he brought his concerns to the attention of the authorities, but to no avail.

“I decided I’m not going anything in the stadium," Crawford said, adding that there have been times when he felt he should ask for his name to be removed from the stadium, but knows this is not the way to go.

“I cannot do it because I cannot spit in the face of Trinidad and Tobago. They gave me that. Allyuh gave me that. But I hate going through this embarrassment,” Crawford told the Express.

Eddie Howe is dreaming of a “magical European night” as Newcastle attempt to book their place in the last 16 of the Champions League.

Head coach Howe will go into Wednesday night’s must-win clash with AC Milan at St James’ Park with back-up keeper Martin Dubravka having emerged as yet another selection doubt, but knowing that a win over the Serie A giants could be enough for the Magpies to extend their stay at Europe’s top table.

While injury-plagued Newcastle’s fate it not in their own hands – even victory would mean they would slip into the Europa League should Paris St Germain win at Borussia Dortmund, while defeat would see them finish bottom of Group F – the man who guided them into the competition for the first time in 20 years is allowing himself to hope.

 

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Asked how much he had enjoyed the competition, Howe said: “I’ve really enjoyed the Champions League. My only frustration is that we have not had the freedom to attack the competition as we would have liked to have done (because of injuries).

“That’s my only feeling that I’m left with that is negative.

“The tournament itself is special, the places we have been are incredible, the stadiums, the atmospheres and the experiences we have had at home have all been memorable.

“We have one more game to go and we have to make this as memorable as possible.

“My message to the fans is to make this a magical European night. They can only do so much, we have to do our bit to make it that.”

Since the competition got under way in September, Howe’s plans have been radically altered by circumstances beyond his control with Sandro Tonali’s 10-month suspension and a series of injuries which is only just starting to abate having severely reduced his options.

Slovakia international Dubravka has started the last two league games in place of Nick Pope, who dislocated his shoulder during the 1-0 win over Manchester United on December 2, but his absence from training on Tuesday morning could prove significant with Loris Karius, who played in the Champions League final for Liverpool in May 2018, standing by.

Asked if the 34-year-old would be fit, a coy Howe said: “That is slightly unclear.”

On a brighter note, striker Callum Wilson and midfielder Sean Longstaff both returned from injury as substitutes at Tottenham on Sunday and Wilson, who damaged a hamstring during the 2-0 defeat at Borussia Dortmund on November 7, in particular is desperate to make up for lost time.

The 31-year-old England frontman is yet to score in the competition, but is convinced there is a reason for that.

Wilson said: “I personally believe it hasn’t come yet because it’s waiting for a special moment to happen, and what a story it would be if it’s the winning goal tomorrow night.

“We will leave blood, sweat and tears out there. It’s what we do every time we step over the white line and for us as a football club, it’s about having no regrets.

“We have an opportunity in front of us and all we can do is focus on Milan.”

Chelsea have condemned racial abuse directed towards forward Lauren James following Sunday’s Women’s Super League clash with Arsenal.

England international James was at the centre of controversy during the game after appearing to stamp on Arsenal midfielder Lia Walti.

James was shown a yellow card after the incident in the 70th minute at the Emirates Stadium and was substituted by manager Emma Hayes soon after.

Chelsea, the WSL champions, were trailing 3-1 at the time and went on to lose 4-1.

A statement from Chelsea read: “Chelsea Football Club condemns the online abuse directed towards Lauren James following Sunday’s Barclays Women’s Super League fixture against Arsenal.

“The club stands strongly against any form of abuse and discriminatory behaviour. Discrimination has no place at Chelsea Football Club or in any of our communities.

“We will take action against any individual that we can identify. We stand with you, Lauren.”

Those sentiments have also been echoed by the Football Association.

A post on X, formerly Twitter, from the England national team account read: “We stand alongside you LJ. Online abuse and discriminatory behaviour has no place in football. This abhorrent behaviour must have consequences.”

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has hinted he will hand some players Champions League auditions as they close an unsuccessful campaign against Feyenoord.

Celtic have one point from five games and a 2-0 defeat against Lazio last time out consigned them to bottom spot and the Dutch champions to third place in Group E.

Rodgers has handed rare starts to Tomoki Iwata, Mikey Johnston and Oh Hyeon-gyu in the past two domestic games and he will partly use Wednesday’s match to continue assessing his January transfer window needs.

Rodgers, who will again be without Cameron Carter-Vickers and Daizen Maeda, said: “Because of the situation we have with injuries and with all the games, it will give the opportunity for players to play.

“When we reach January, a lot of the players in the squad will have the opportunity to play games and play games through all the levels, and then can be assessed from there.

“But whatever team we put out, we are putting a team out always to win at Celtic. There’s no gifts, there’s no free games.

“Every game is to win and, even though disappointingly we won’t have anything in Europe after Christmas, we are still playing for pride here and the support. So we will have a team looking to fight for the result.

“It’s our last game here in the competition and we want to give the supporters something to go home happy with.

“Our attitude is exactly the same, to go and look to win the game. And we do that by playing our way. I think we showed at the weekend, once we divert from that, we don’t have the same qualities and it’s not our strength. Our strength is to play the way we want to play.”

Rodgers felt his side deviated from their positive passing game as they lost a half-time lead at Kilmarnock to suffer their first cinch Premiership defeat of the season.

“The value of the game at the weekend is we know what the issues were,” he said.

“In the St Johnstone game, the intensity wasn’t right and we fixed that. Sunday for us, when we analysed the game, we didn’t play with the poise that we need to play with in the second half.

“But at least we see that and we can take that learning into the game on Wednesday.”

Celtic have now gone 15 Champions League group games without victory, a run stretching back to Rodgers’ first spell in charge.

But the manager dismissed the long-term significance of getting a morale-boosting win ahead of next season’s European campaign.

“It’s still such a long way to go,” he said. “And probably, come this time next year, the squad may look a lot different again.

“We can only focus on the present and for us it’s performing to the level we know we can consistently.

“We have done that in spells over the course of this competition and played some really high-level football and showed in those moments that we belong at the level. But you have to do that consistently.”

Carter-Vickers and Maeda trained on Tuesday and Rodgers hopes they can return from recent lay-offs when his side host Hearts in the league on Saturday.

Reo Hatate was training on his own after returning from Japan following the first part of his rehabilitation from a hamstring injury.

The midfielder does not look likely to return before the winter break.

Former Italy and Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini has announced his retirement.

The 39-year-old has called time on his career following the end of the MLS season, where his side Los Angeles FC lost the MLS Cup to Columbus Crew at the weekend.

Chiellini, who won Euro 2020 with Italy, says it is time to “start new chapters” in his life.

“You have been the most beautiful and intense journey of my life,” he wrote on social media.

“You have been my everything. With you I have travelled a unique and unforgettable path. But now it is time to start new chapters, face new challenges and write further important and exciting pages of life.”

The centre-half made over 700 career appearances after making his debut for Livorno in 2000.

He spent the mainstay of his career at Juventus, winning nine Serie A titles, before heading to LA to see out his career in America.

Juventus said in a statement on their official website: “You were always by our side, like a superhero ready to intervene if necessary. In your case, however, there was no shield, red cloak or bat-mobile: a blow to the head was enough – you took a lot of them – and off you went, all bandaged up.

“Once you wore that, there was no escape for our opponents: it was Kryptonite for any Superman who tried to challenge us, from the “Romeo Neri” of Rimini to the “Santiago Bernabeu” of Madrid.

“Even in the MLS, where you’ve brought to an end your stellar 23-season career, they had a little taste of what you could still do, at 39 years of age. On the slopes of Hollywood Hill they know how to tell the deeds of heroes from other times, of apparently normal men who later turn out to be extraordinary.

“Should they ask us which is our favourite, we have no doubt: with Giorgio from Livorno by our side, complete with that iconic bandage around his head, no one ever scared us. Wishing you all the best, captain!”

Destiny Udogie has signed a new long-term contract with Tottenham, the Premier League club have announced.

The Italian left-back, who has made a huge impression in the first part of the current season, has committed himself to Spurs until 2030.

The 21-year-old joined Tottenham from Udinese in a £15million deal in 2022 but spent last season back on loan with the Serie A club.

He returned to London in the summer and has thrived under new manager Ange Postecoglou, starting 14 of the club’s 16 Premier League games this term.

He also made his Italy debut this autumn and scored his first Spurs goal in the 4-1 victory over Newcastle on Sunday.

Udogie told the club’s website: “I’m happy because I think to be here at this club is a big joy for me, so I’m really happy for this opportunity and it’s a pleasure.

“From the first day I came in, I’ve felt at home.

“There’s just been one objective – to show my best and help the team.

“I’m happy how it’s going but obviously we can do more and I will keep working to do more.”

A Turkish club president who attacked a referee has been arrested.

Referee Halil Umut Meler was approached and hit by MKE Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca at the end of the Turkish Super Lig match against Caykur Rizespor.

Meler was taken to hospital after the attack, with the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) suspending domestic football in the country indefinitely in the wake of the incident.

The country’s justice minister, Yilmaz Tunc, said on his X account on Tuesday that Koca had been arrested “for injuring and threatening a public servant due to his public duty”.

Meler was visited in hospital in Ankara on Tuesday by TFF president Mehmet Buyukeksi and interior minister Ali Yerlikaya. Buyukeksi said Meler was likely to be discharged on Wednesday.

“This sad event should definitely not be forgotten,” Buyukeksi said in quotes reported on the TFF’s X account.

“This should be a milestone. Today we will have important meetings. With our minister of youth and sports, with our minister of internal affairs, our minister of justice and our board of directors.

“We will provide detailed information after tomorrow’s board meeting. In this meeting, we will discuss all the issues clearly. We will give detailed information about the decisions we will make about how the league will continue.

“Let’s underline again – we strongly condemn the incident on behalf of the Turkish Football Federation board of directors and myself. This incident happened, but we cannot accept it being back to its old state in two weeks.”

In October Turkey was awarded joint hosting rights for Euro 2032 alongside Italy.

Buyukeksi said he had already received assurances from UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin that Monday’s incident had not jeopardised that project.

“There is no negativity. President Ceferin called and said ‘We are with you, we are ready to do whatever is necessary’,” Buyukeksi added.

“Please let us not misinform the public. Our goal is to ensure that football is played properly in Turkey and to continue as quickly as possible without any problems.

“But right now, our referee is important, the mental health of our referees is important. Other issues are not important. That is why we are here. We will make the necessary statements later.”

Meler has refereed in UEFA club competitions, and was in charge of West Ham’s Europa Conference League semi-final first leg against AZ Alkmaar last season.

UEFA’s chief refereeing officer Roberto Rosetti condemned the attack and added: “Violence and abuse against referees have no place in football and must stop immediately.

“We urge the authorities and the responsible disciplinary bodies to take decisive and necessary action against anyone involved in acts of abuse and violence against referees.

“Such unacceptable and distressing behaviour is detrimental to the efforts of national associations to recruit referees, which are essential for the running of the game.”

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said the attack on Meler was “totally unacceptable”, adding: “Without match officials there is no football. Referees, players, fans and staff have to be safe and secure to enjoy the game, and I call on the relevant authorities to ensure that this is strictly implemented and respected at all levels.”

Erling Haaland was not involved as Manchester City trained in front of media cameras prior to their Champions League trip to Red Star Belgrade.

The prolific Norway striker had already seemed likely to miss Wednesday’s final Group G game in Serbia after sitting out the Premier League win at Luton on Sunday with a foot injury.

Manager Pep Guardiola was unsure how long Haaland would be out when asked over the weekend, but expressed hope he would be fit for their opening Club World Cup match in Saudi Arabia next week.

That would also mean the 23-year-old, who has scored 19 goals in all competitions this season, missing Saturday’s clash with Crystal Palace at the Etihad Stadium.

Winger Jeremy Doku was also absent from the part of the training session that media were allowed to film at the City Football Academy on Tuesday morning.

The Belgian has missed the last two games with a muscular problem.

Goalkeeper Ederson was also not involved, suggesting the Brazilian could be rested in Belgrade with number two Stefan Ortega given an opportunity.

There is nothing riding on the game for City, who have already qualified for the knockout stages as group winners.

Guardiola was likely to give an update on the squad at a press conference in Serbia on Tuesday evening.

Jamaica’s senior Reggae Boyz captain and shot stopper Andre Blake, will host a goalkeeping clinic at the UWI-Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence, on December 14 and 15. The clinic will run from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day.

This clinic will provide exceptional goalkeeper training to more than 24 youth goalkeepers selected from the top ISSA Manning Cup and daCosta Cup teams, and two female goalkeepers from Reinas Academy.

The goalkeepers will receive top-notch training led by the experienced Phil Wheddon, who also serves as Andre Blake’s goalkeeper coach at Philadelphia Union.

Wheddon is the only goalkeeper coach in United States history to have coached both the men’s and women’s national teams in a FIFA World Cup. He coached in three World Cups and won two Olympic gold medals with United States.

Other participating goalkeeper coaches include Jamaica Under-20 coach Andrew Sewell, national goalkeeper Jahmali Waite, Reinas Academy’s Neo Oxford and Kingston College’s Robert Beckford.

Blake, who will lead the Reggae Boyz into Concacaf Nations League semi-final action, as well as the CONMEBOL Copa America next year, explains the rationale behind the initiative.

“To whom much is given, much is required, and so this is my way of supporting the next generation of goalkeepers. I want to see what these goalkeepers look like and try to educate them on what it will take to get to the next level. Having Phil on board is great because he brings an extensive amount of knowledge and experience with him,” Blake shared.

Blake’s initiative is supported the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA), Sagicor Foundation, Spectrum Systems Limited, TruShake, Powerade, Courtyard Marriott, Leep Marketing, and UNL Sport.

Chelsea have confirmed skipper Reece James sustained a hamstring injury in Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at Everton.

The England right-back was one of three players who went off injured for the visitors during the Premier League contest at Goodison Park, along with goalkeeper Robert Sanchez and left-back Marc Cucurella.

A statement on Chelsea’s official website on Tuesday said: “Captain Reece James has undergone medical assessment following Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at Everton.

“The defender was withdrawn during the first half at Goodison Park and scan results have confirmed a hamstring injury. Reece will now begin his rehabilitation programme at Cobham.”

Speaking after Sunday’s match – about his disappointment at losing the 24-year-old to injury – Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino emphasised James’ importance, describing him as “one of the best full-backs in the world”.

Pochettino also said Sanchez had departed due to a knee issue, and Cucurella because of a twisted ankle.

Those problems add to an already-lengthy injury list for the west London club, who are 12th in the table.

Angus Eve received a contract extension to lead Trinidad and Tobago’s Soca Warriors into their crucial Concacaf Nations League playoff against Canada, as they hunt a spot in next year’s prestigious CONMEBOL Copa America tournament.

Should the Soca Warriors succeed in bettering their North American opponents in March, the possibility exists that Eve might not be the one to lead them beyond that, as he is not expected to receive a new contract before the Normalisation Committee’s term ends, also in March.

This was confirmed by the Normalisation Committee’s chairman Robert Hadad, on Saturday.

Eve, who recently blasted the twin island republic’s football fraternity for its lack of support, got his desire where signing a new contract is concerned, but Hadad ruled out another extension by the Normalisation Committee, whose own tenure will also end in March.

“His contract ends in March when our term ends, so in principle we agreed that we wanted the coach to run the same timelines as the Normalisation Committee,” Hadad said on the ISports radio programme on Saturday.

“Subsequent to that, the new in-coming president and the new in-coming ex-co (executive committee) can decide who they want to be their coach. Angus would have every opportunity with them to prove himself before (the end of his tenure) and hopefully, they would continue, and they would make that decision. But in principle, we did say all along that we do not think that we should be hiring a coach or anybody for that matter to exist beyond our term,” he added.

Hadad was also reluctant to have the Normalisation Committee extend itself more than necessary before its tenure ended.

“The Normalisation Committee has been making a lot of decisions without a technical committee in place and we believe that we need to give the new, in-coming executive committee the opportunity to set the football and Trinidad and Tobago Football Association up the way they want it,” he said, as he threw his support behind Eve.

“Angus though I would say is exceptional. He’s done a fantastic job, Angus and his entire team. I would expect him to be very professional because it is in his interest, if his desire is to continue coaching Trinidad and Tobago, to perform in that game on the 23rd,” Hadad noted.

Eve guided the Soca Warriors through a spirited Concacaf Nations League campaign, as they topped their group in League A action, and progressed to the quarterfinals where, despite losing on aggregate, they inflicted a famous second-leg defeat on United States.

Hadad pointed out that the Normalisation Committee always had confidence in Eve’s leadership.

“We were very optimistic that we would perform well all along. Angus took us to where we are today, and we had faith in Angus all the way through. We understood what his development plans were; he was very candid with us, he explained to us what he was doing and when something didn’t go right, he would not be running and hiding, he would be discussing the matter with us,” Hadad shared.

“We thought him (to be) the best option to get us to where we are today. Now that he has gotten us here, yes, it is a little uncomfortable that his term ends in March and he has this very big game, but we believe if he gets us into that game against Argentina (opening Copa America match) and we manage to defeat Canada, we think that the new executive committee would consider him,” he opined.

If ever Cavalier needed a confidence-boosting performance after their Caribbean Cup final defeat to Suriname's Robinhood, they got in in a come-from-behind Wray and Nephew Jamaica Premier League win over reigning champions Mount Pleasant at Sabina Park on Monday.
 
The win was sweetened by the fact that Cavalier, who lost Jeovanni Laing to a second yellow in the 57th minute, not only achieved it with 10 players, but were also the first time to inflict defeat on Mount Pleasant so far this season.
 
Shaneil Thomas, who led their Caribbean Cup charge from the front with over five goals, started the comeback in the 73rd minute, before Antiguan Jalmaro Calvin, made the three points safe in the 82nd. Former Arnett Gardens captain Romeo Guthrie earlier gave Mount Pleasant a 50th-minute lead.
 
With the win, Cavalier jumped up to sixth on 11 points, while Mount Pleasant remain atop the standings on 19 points.
 
Winning coach Rudolph Speid lauded his team for a performance that's true to their character. 
 
"It was a difficult match; we were like 10th, and we are not used to being down there. We lost two matches in a row, again we are not accustomed to losing two games in a row, so I had a good feeling about this game, and after going down to 10, the boys showed character," Speid beamed.
 
"I know that they (Mount Pleasant) expected me to come and play three at the back, but this time we go played four because they had two wingers, and the wing back was overlapping so we were prepared to counter that. The red card kind of set is back a bit, but we were determined. 
 
"We have a winning mentality; our right back is only 17 years old his first game in this pressure situation, so we have a winning mentality. From training that's how we operate against each other, and they just never give up," he added.

After playing out a goalless first half in which Thomas of Cavalier had the best of the few chances created between both teams, as his close-range effort was kept out by Shaquan Davis, who got down well to his right, Mount Pleasant broke the deadlock five minutes into the resumption.

Devante Campbell, who gave a workmanlike shift on the left channel, provided a cross that was headed down by Dwight Merrick for Guthrie to finish through Davis's legs.
 
Despite Laing's dismissal from their backline minutes later, Cavalier fought on and went close to snatching an equaliser in the 71st, but Davis did well to deny Dwayne Allen's effort from the top of the 18-yard box.
 
They eventually pulled level two minutes later when Thomas picked himself up and scored from the 12-yard spot, after being felled inside the danger area by substitute Shande James.
 
Before Mount Pleasant could settle back into their rhythm, they found themselves behind nine minutes later when Calvin met, and expertly steered Gadial Irvings' weighted corner kick into the far corner, for his third of the season.
 
Mount Pleasant tried desperately to get back on level terms, and almost did so from a 92nd-minute goalmouth melee, which eventually ended with substitute Nathaniel James's left-footed effort being parried by Cavalier's goalkeeper Vino Barclett, who recovered well to parry.
 
Cavalier also went close in time added, through Thomas, who on the break and had time and space for a shot, which was kept out by Davis.
 
Mount Pleasant's Head coach Theodore "Tappa" Whitmore blamed complacency for their downfall.
 
"It was a good game but unfortunately we came out on the wrong end, but I think it was a well-deserved victory for Cavalier because after we went up 1-0, we got complacent, we know the Cavalier team knows how to play with 10 men and they showed that again tonight. We gave them too many options in the last half and it cost us," Whitmore stated.
 
Matchweek 9 results
Dunbeholden FC 2, Tivoli Gardens 2
Waterhouse 1, Portmore United 1
Vere United 2, Humble Lion 1
Treasure Beach 1, Montego Bay United 2
Lime Hall 1, Arnett Gardens 1
Molynes United 2, Harbour View 2
Cavalier 2, Mount Pleasant 1
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