James Maddison compared Tottenham team-mate Mikey Moore to Neymar, following the 17-year-old's "fearless" display during the victory over AZ.

The academy graduate made only his second senior start for Spurs, who edged out their Eredivisie opponents 1-0 to maintain their perfect start in this season's Europa League.

Moore played 88 minutes and produced an impressive performance, with only Maddison registering more touches in the opposition box (12 to six), passes in the final third (27 to 25) and dribbles (five to four) among Spurs players.

The winger also went close to breaking the deadlock with his fifth-minute header going wide, but his display was enough for Maddison to make a notable comparison.

"I thought we had Neymar on the left wing!" the England midfielder told TNT Sports. "He is fearless, [he has] that young, fearless mentality.

"He's a brilliant lad, he has bags of ability. I will, hopefully, help him with wise words, but he has all the ability, and well done to him."

Richarlison settled the contest with his 53rd-minute penalty, but only after winning a battle of wills with Maddison, as both players briefly discussed who would take the spot kick.

Maddison, who skippered a much-changed Tottenham, eventually presented his team-mate with the ball, with the Brazilian marking his first start of the season by getting on the scoresheet. 

"Initially, we both wanted to take it," Maddison explained. "I'm a senior player, I was captain today, I was going to take it, but I thought Richarlison has come back from an injury. It's difficult for a striker - a first goal gives confidence.

"It was a split-second decision to let him take it. [It's] leadership. Even if I wasn't the captain, I still like to think I would make a decision that is best for the team. Hopefully, that gives him a big boost."

The Pocket Rocket Foundation is set to host its 9th annual Six-A-Side ‘Peace Through Sports’ Football Competition, kicking off on Sunday, October 27, 2024, at the Red Stripe Sports Complex, 214 Spanish Town Road in Kingston.

The event will begin with an Opening Ceremony and Dress Parade. Over the course of five weeks, 20 teams will compete every Saturday and Sunday, culminating in a grand finale on Saturday, November 30, 2024. Entry is free to the public.

Founder Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce spoke about the competition’s mission, saying, “This is about more than just football. It’s an opportunity to bring people from rival communities together and use sport as a way to build unity, trust, and discipline. We want the players from these communities to not only enjoy the game but also take away valuable life lessons.”

Dr. Jermaine McCalpin, Executive Director of the Pocket Rocket Foundation, added, “The foundation is excited to facilitate this competition once again. It remains a powerful way to promote unity within communities and provide a platform for men with a passion for football to participate and compete for prizes. We are also grateful for the continued support from the Hunts Bay Police for their support in ensuring a safe environment, allowing players to focus on the competition and the camaraderie it fosters.”

Teams will be divided into five zones, competing in a round-robin format. The top team from each zone, along with the three best second-placed teams, will advance to the quarterfinals. Prizes include cash awards, trophies, and individual accolades such as Most Valuable Player, Leading Goal Scorer, Best Defender, and Most Disciplined Team.

This year’s competition is made possible by sponsors NIKE, AFIMI, GraceKennedy’s 876 Water and Lucozade, FESGas, Rymax Lubricants, and Sanmerna Paper Products Limited.

After Sunday's Opening Ceremony and Dress Parade, six matches will be played from 3:00pm-5:00pm.

At 3, Real City will take on Red Stripe while Asoka Road face Dream Team. At 4, Fes Gas will take on Youths while Basement faces Friends For Real before at 5, Boom Riddim faces Legacy and Ball Spot takes on Basic 1.

Vaclav Cerny shone as Rangers cruised to a commanding 4-0 victory over FCSB in the Europa League on Thursday.

The Czech winger scored twice and provided an assist for Tom Lawrence, while Hamza Igamane was also on target during a dominant performance by the hosts at Ibrox.

Nicolas Raskin had already had a long-range effort pushed away when Rangers broke through in the 10th minute. Cerny drove down the right flank and cut the ball back for Lawrence, whose first-time shot bounced in beyond FCSB goalkeeper Stefan Tarnovanu.

Cerny doubled the lead just after the half-hour mark, pouncing on loose possession by the visitors before bending into the bottom-left corner from 20 yards out.

The Czech grabbed his second in the 55th minute. A lovely exchange of passes released him, and he ran half the length of the pitch unchallenged before cutting inside and slotting home.

Igamane put the icing on the cake 18 minutes from time. Connor Barron robbed FCSB of possession and found the substitute, who drilled into the bottom-right corner.

Data Debrief: Cerny matches Morelos as Rangers claim biggest Europa victory

Cerny became only the second Rangers player to be directly involved in three or more goals during a single Europa League match, after Alfredo Morelos against Royal Antwerp in February 2021.

Registering 23 shots - their highest total in a single Europa League game - the hosts claimed their first European victory by four or more goals since beating Hapoel Tel Aviv 4-0 in the UEFA Cup in February 2007. It was also their biggest Europa League win since the competition's rebrand in 2009-10.

As for FCSB, they have now lost each of their last eight European matches against British opposition by a combined scoreline of 24-2, conceding three or more times in six of those eight games.

Manchester United were held to a third straight Europa League stalemate, as they squandered a 1-0 lead to draw 1-1 with Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce in Istanbul.

After being held by both Twente and Porto, United travelled to Turkiye requiring a win to ease the mounting pressure on boss Erik ten Hag.

However, they were unable to hold on after Christian Eriksen gave them an early lead, with Youssef En-Nesyri heading a second-half equaliser to lift Fenerbahce to five points from three Europa League matches.

Fielding a strong lineup, United went on the front foot early on and were rewarded after 15 minutes, Eriksen firing home after being fed by Joshua Zirkzee on the edge of the area.

Marcus Rashford went close to doubling United's lead after cutting in from the left-hand side, but the Red Devils were indebted to Andre Onana for preserving their lead in the 39th minute.

Onana got down to his right to claw En-Nesyri's header away, then sprung to his feet to tip the Moroccan's second effort away in an incredible double-save.

En-Nesyri was not to be denied four minutes after half-time, though, getting between Victor Lindelof and Lisandro Martinez to direct Allan Saint-Maximin's cross past Onana.

Fenerbahce wanted a penalty when Manuel Ugarte collided with Bright Osayi-Samuel, with Mourinho sent to the stands for his furious reaction to the challenge, but they largely failed to trouble United's goal after drawing level.

The visitors were also unable to find a winner, Rashford missing their clearest chance when he could only prod Diogo Dalot's inviting cutback wide.

Data Debrief: Six of the worst for United

United have now gone six games without victory in European competitions, drawing four and losing two, their longest such run since an identical streak between 1980 and 1983.

They have won just one of their last 11 matches in Europe overall and are now without a win in their last three trips to Fenerbahce, losing two and drawing one.

There was to be no statement victory for Mourinho, either. He has only won two of his last 18 matches against teams he has previously managed, drawing five and losing 11. 

Richarlison's penalty extended Tottenham's 100% start to their Europa League campaign, as they edged out 10-man AZ 1-0.

The Brazilian marked his first start of the season with the only goal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as his second-half spot kick made it three wins from three for the hosts in this competition.

Ange Postecoglou's side created the better opportunities in the first half. Mikey Moore headed wide from a Timo Werner cross, while the German shot straight at AZ goalkeeper Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro.

At the other end, Fraser Forster produced a superb reflex save to push away Alexandre Penetra's header.

Spurs broke through within eight minutes of the restart, though, Richarlison calmly converting from 12 yards after Maxim Dekker tripped Lucas Bergvall in the box.

Rodrigo Bentancur made a timely block to prevent a potentially swift equaliser from Ernest Poku, but that was as close as it came for the visitors, who had David Moller Wolfe sent off for a second bookable offence when he felled Brennan Johnson five minutes from time.

Data Debrief: More home comforts for Spurs

Tottenham maintained their hugely impressive record on home soil in the Europa League. They have now won all seven such matches, while scoring 19 goals without reply.

As for AZ, their miserable travels to England continue. They have now lost all nine of their away matches against English opponents in all competitions.

Any hopes they had of ending that dismal streak were extinguished when Moller Wolfe was dismissed for the second match running.

Jamaica’s senior Reggae Girlz Head coach Hubert Busby and standout defender Allyson Swaby are confident that the team is ready for the challenge to come against France when the two cross swords in a friendly international at the Stade Auguste-Bonal on Friday.

The contest, which will be a repeat of their 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup clash, is scheduled for 2:10pm Jamaica time.

Whether the 42nd-ranked Girlz will be able to hold their number 10-ranked hosts to another goalless stalemate like they did at last year’s global showpiece is left to be seen.

Still, regardless of the outcome, Busby pointed out that the encounter represents not only a test against a top European side but also a significant opportunity for his team to continue its growth on the global stage, as well as for the newcomers—Taylor Hinds, Lulu Jarvis, Reanna Blades, and Natasha Thomas—in particular to fit in and show that they belong.

“This game is about testing ourselves against the best. Obviously, France is a powerhouse in women’s football, and for us, playing against a team of this calibre will help us assess where we are in terms of our playing model. I think it's important for us to also continue to build on our playing principles so that we can ensure that we're flexible in and out of possession,” he told SportsMax.Tv.

“But I am feeling good about how things are looking so far. The players have responded really well. We had some intense sessions with a lot of information in a short period of time, but they responded well. This is a good group that takes on information and looks to apply, so we look forward to a good game tomorrow (Friday),” Busby added.

Busby emphasized the importance of these international fixtures in building momentum for future competitions, especially as the Reggae Girlz set their sights on qualifying for a third consecutive World Cup in 2027.  

Following this French encounter, the Girlz will lock horns with now number 50-ranked South Africa on November 29 and December 2 in Jamaica.

“Yes, results are always the main thing at senior international play, but the longer-term picture is for us to be successful come next year when we're in our first round of qualifying for the World Cup. I think that's really the main goal is for us to be peaking at that sort of time, heading into those qualifiers,” Busby declared.

“So, the experience we gain from playing these high-profile matches is invaluable. Our goal is to continue improving and competing at the highest level, and these games help us grow and understand what we need to do to close the gap on those ahead of us in particular,” he noted.

Allyson Swaby, one of the team’s most experienced players, echoed her coach’s sentiments.

The central defender, who plies her trade in Italy with AC Milan, believes the Reggae Girlz are more than up for the task.

“I think the team looks good; everyone is happy to be back together first and foremost, and its always exciting when we’re going to play strong opposition. So, I think everyone is just looking forward to a good test and just getting back into the swing of things together,” Swaby shared.

Swaby also noted that the team has grown in confidence over the past few years, especially after their successful World Cup campaign last year, where they contested the knockout round for the first time in the programme’s history.

“It is always good to play against teams like this. I think the group is excited to play France, especially when a lot of us are in mid-season. So, having that confidence of the routine of training day in and day out coming here, I feel like once you’re in your best form, it gives you that psychological edge to compete against teams like this,” she said.

Despite the absence of talismanic striker Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw due to issues with her passport, Swaby highlighted the depth of the squad, which is a blend of experienced players and new recruits who are eager to make their mark on the international scene.

“It is really important to see that the pool continues to grow; it brings competition to everyone that’s already here, and it expands the reach of the team globally to continue to take players from all across the world to represent Jamaica. So it helps tremendously to get new faces in and keep everybody sharp and competing at all times,” she ended.

Chelsea made it two wins and eight goals from two Europa Conference League games, as Joao Felix scored twice in a routine 4-1 success at Panathinaikos on Thursday.

Having beaten Gent 4-2 in their opening match in UEFA's third-tier competition last month, Enzo Maresca's much-changed Blues produced another scintillating display in Greece.

After Filip Jorgensen kept them level with a reflex save to deny Tin Jedvaj, Chelsea surged ahead in the 22nd minute as Mykhailo Mudryk squared from the left for Joao Felix to finish.

They were held at arm's length for the rest of the first half, but two goals in seven second-half minutes soon put the game beyond Panathinaikos, Mudryk meeting Pedro Neto's searching cross to head in the first.

Joao Felix then had his second goal – and Mudryk his third goal involvement – in the 55th minute, the former taking in the latter's pass before his deflected shot squirmed into the bottom-left corner.

Christopher Nkunku added a fourth from the penalty spot after Joao Felix's cross was handled by Daniel Mancini, with the hosts – who marked the death of right-back George Baldock before kick-off – getting a consolation shortly afterwards through former Manchester United man Facundo Pellistri.  

Data Debrief: Mudryk the main man

While Joao Felix scored twice, it was Mudryk that delivered a Man-of-the-Match performance with a goal and two assists, taking full advantage of his opportunity as Maresca made 11 changes to his lineup.

He created a game-high three chances, completed 100% of his 14 passes and had more touches in the opposition area (four) than any other player.

Roberto Mancini has left his role as head coach of the Saudi Arabia national team, the country's football federation has confirmed.

Mancini reached a surprise agreement with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) in 2023, just a few weeks after resigning as Italy coach.

However, the former Inter and Manchester City boss struggled to make an impact in the role, only winning seven of his 18 matches at the helm.

He also oversaw an underwhelming Asian Cup campaign in January, as Saudi Arabia were beaten in a last-16 penalty shoot-out by South Korea in Qatar.

A statement issued by the SAFF read: "The Board of Directors of the Saudi Football Federation and the coach of the national team, Roberto Mancini, reached a joint agreement today, which includes the end of the contractual relationship."

Mancini's position had reportedly been under consideration following a goalless draw with Bahrain earlier this month, a result that leaves them outside the automatic spots in their 2026 World Cup qualification group.

Two of this season's title challengers go head-to-head in this weekend's headline Premier League clash as league leaders Liverpool travel to Arsenal.

The Gunners are looking to put things right after suffering a shock 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth last time out in the competition, putting them on the back foot in the race for top spot already.

And they face a Liverpool side that are flying high under Arne Slot, who passed his first 'real' Premier League test on Merseyside by seeing off high-flying Chelsea last week.

The Dutchman has overseen a seamless transition after taking over from Jurgen Klopp and is the first manager to win as many as 11 of his first 12 games in charge across all competitions in English top-flight history.

They now face off in what both managers will deem a must-win after both posting scrappy 1-0 victories in the Champions League in midweek, over Shakhtar Donetsk and RB Leipzig respectively.

Here, using Opta data, we delve into the key insights ahead of Sunday's clash at the Emirates.

What's expected?

Arsenal have won their last two Premier League home games against Liverpool and are looking to win three on the bounce for the first time since a run of four between 2004 and 2006.

In fact, the Gunners are unbeaten in their last four Premier League games against Liverpool (two wins, two draws), taking more points from those four games (eight) than they had in their previous 14 against the Reds (seven – one win, four draws, nine losses).

Arsenal have also lost just twice in the Premier League in 2024 (21 wins, three draws), though they are hoping to avoid losing back-to-back games in the competition for the first time since December 2023.

Despite their recent result, Arsenal are still tipped as slight favourites in this tie, with the Opta supercomputer giving them a 41.3% chance of victory.

Liverpool, however, come out on top in 32.3% of the simulations, with a draw potentially on the cards at 26.5%.

While the Reds have not beaten Arsenal since March 2022 in the Premier League – a 2-0 victory thanks to goals from Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino – they did win at the Emirates earlier this year by the same scoreline in the FA Cup third round.

And one thing you can almost guarantee for Liverpool in this tie is goals. They have not failed to score in any of their last 17 Premier League meetings with Arsenal since a 0-0 draw back in August 2015.

Arteta struggling for balance

Mikel Arteta will be hoping that Arsenal's defeat to Bournemouth was nothing more than a blip come the end of the season, but there were worrying signs for the Spaniard, especially before one of their biggest games.

The Gunners' downfall on the south coast was of their own making as they were undone by a set-piece before David Raya gave away a penalty that secured their fate, all after another first-half sending-off.

William Saliba was given his marching orders in the 30th minute, Arsenal's third of the Premier League campaign already. Another one against Liverpool would equal an unwanted record for the most dismissals after nine matches of a single season in the competition – done twice by the Reds and once by Leicester City and Sunderland.

Saliba had played every Premier League minute since the start of last season before his red card. Since his debut, Arsenal have a 74% win rate and concede an average of 0.8 goals per game with him in the team, but that drops to 45% and 1.6 conceded per game without him.

And it has given Arteta a dilemma, as he is expected to be light on defenders due to Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber's injuries. They may also be without Bukayo Saka again, but even if the England international does miss out, Arteta has plenty of firepower available.

They have scored 15 goals in the Premier League this season, the same as Sunday's opponents, while only Manchester City, Tottenham and Chelsea have netted more than them.

And Gabriel Martinelli loves playing against Liverpool – he has been involved in more goals against them in all competitions than he has against any other side (seven – five goals, two assists). Four of those five goals have put Arsenal in the lead in the match, including all three such Premier League strikes.

For Arteta, this game will be all about trying to find the right balance, though his main aim will be trying to keep all 11 of his men on the field until the final whistle.

Standing strong at the back

Much has already been made about Slot's start in the Liverpool dugout, but a result against one of last season's top two will still go a long way to silencing the last of his doubters.

The Dutchman's only blot on his record was their 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest at Anfield, but their away record has so far been perfect. They are just the seventh top-flight English side to win each of their opening six away games across all competitions in a season.

In fact, they are the third team to do so in the Premier League era, after Newcastle in 1994-95 and Manchester City in 2017-18.

Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz are sitting towards the top of the goalscoring charts, benefitting from Slot's free-flowing style of play, but it is their defensive stability that has made them tough to beat.

Liverpool have conceded fewer goals than any other team in the Premier League this season (three), while they also have the lowest xG against total (6.2).

Their three goals conceded are also their joint-fewest after eight games of a league campaign in club history (also three in 1978-79 and 2018-19).

And while there were some questions about how well Liverpool would cope without Alisson in goal, those issues look to have been eased too. In their Champions League win over Leipzig on Wednesday, Caoimhin Kelleher made six saves.

Indeed, his 16 saves this season have a goals-prevented value of 3.0, just above the Brazilian's 2.6 in 2024-25, so Slot's solid foundation should prove a real test for the Gunners.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Arsenal – Kai Havertz

Kai Havertz has scored in each of his last five Premier League appearances at the Emirates Stadium.

The only Arsenal player to score in more successive home appearances in the competition is Thierry Henry, who has done so twice (six from March to August 2000 and seven from May to October 2004).

Liverpool – Mohamed Salah

Salah has five goals and five assists in the Premier League this season - with just eight games played, this is the earliest into a season a Liverpool player has both scored five or more goals and assisted five or more goals in the competition.

He has also scored and assisted in 34 different matches in the Premier League: the second-most of any player in the competition's history, only behind Wayne Rooney (36).

Leah Williamson admitted she is happy to be back with the national team having endured a "different" start to the season with Arsenal.

The Gunners have made a poor start to 2024-25, and are currently without a full-time manager after Jonas Eidevall left his position last week.

He left Arsenal when they were sixth in the Women's Super League table, having won just one of their first four matches in the competition.

In his final week, they were beaten 5-2 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League before suffering a 2-1 loss to reigning champions Chelsea in the league.

Interim boss Renee Slegers has since won both of her games in charge to somewhat steady the ship, and it is rumoured that New York City FC's head coach Nick Cushing is currently the favourite to take the full-time job.

For now, Williamson is enjoying the change of environment.

"It's been a different start to the season. We've obviously been at our clubs for a long time," Williamson said.

"Normally we'd have an international window before this. So, it's been different in that sense of being there for so long and being in one place. We're not used to that.

"I think results tell a story, but I think the work that I've seen going on, especially from my club, I can only speak for that, I think you can see again that the level of the whole world of football has gone up, and everyone’s enjoying that challenge, and things change every year.

"But this is a Euros year now and everyone will have a plan for the weekend and a plan for the next year. You'll see that sort of iron out over the next couple of months.

"Our job is to win games and that hasn't happened so smoothly. Like I said, results tell a story.

"Performance is another thing that you can actually change and affect on a day-to-day basis. And to be honest, I'm happy to be here in a different environment.

"I think sometimes that comes at the right time and, since I've been here, I've had no contact with the club."

England face Germany in the first of two international friendlies, a replay of the Euro 2022 final, at Wembley on Friday, before facing South Africa on Tuesday. 

Denmark have appointed Brian Riemer as their new head coach after Kasper Hjulmand stepped down in the aftermath of their Euro 2024 exit in July.

Riemer served in a variety of coaching roles with Copenhagen before joining Brentford as an assistant to Thomas Frank in 2018, leaving to take the top job at Anderlecht four years later.

He oversaw a third-place finish in the Belgian Pro League last season before being relieved of his duties, but he will now take over from interim Denmark coach Lars Knudsen, who oversaw a return of seven points from their first four matches in Nations League Group A4.

"With Brian Riemer, we get a coach with the energy, passion and great commitment that we have been looking for," DBU football director Peter Moller said in a statement. 

"He shares our view of football about trying to dominate matches and playing attacking and technical football."

Denmark, who reached the semi-finals of Euro 2020, suffered a disappointing group-stage exit at the 2022 World Cup before being eliminated by Germany in the last 16 at Euro 2024.

"Becoming the national coach for Denmark is a big dream that is coming true, and I am enormously proud and honoured. At the same time, I feel completely ready for the task and am extremely motivated," Riemer said.

"I will give everything for this fantastic team and country, and together with the players, the staff and all the Danish fans, we will fight to achieve something great together."

The Boys Town football community is mourning the loss of Donald Walters Jr who was shot and killed on North Street in Kingston on Tuesday.

Walters was walking to work alongside his friend Michael Mitchell at about 7:30 am before they were pounced upon by unknown assailants armed with guns.

The gunmen opened fire at the men before making their escape. The injured men were taken to the hospital where they were pronounced dead.

Walters Jr was a member of the Boys Town team that won the KSAFA Championship earlier this year.

Feyenoord's players may not fully realise the enormity of their surprise Champions League victory at Benfica, says head coach Brian Priske.

Antoni Milambo scored twice, becoming the first Feyenoord player to net an away Champions League brace since 2000, while Ayase Ueda was also on target in a 3-1 victory for the Eredivisie side in Lisbon.

It was a second successive away win for Feyenoord in the competition's new-look league phase, and they are up to 16th in the 36-team table.

"This is certainly a great victory. I don't know if we realise how great it is until the heart rate drops a bit and we can enjoy it," said Priske, who was appointed after Arne Slot left for Liverpool.

He struggled initially but has now seen them to four successive wins in all competitions.

"This [Benfica] is a very big club in Europe, with top quality players and a great stadium. This is really a great achievement," said the Danish-born coach.

"The mentality of these boys is incredible. I am very proud of them, how we kept fighting after they pulled one goal back and were mentally strong enough to pull the match over the line with the 3-1 win."

Hailing his players' defensive work, Priske continued: "First of all, you have to work hard, suffer, take on some pain when they have the ball, sacrifice yourself for the team and defend really well. 

"And then offensively we also needed to take moments to outnumber them in the midfield, see if we could outplay them and create some danger.

"Credit to the players. I think they showed all the elements that I talk about here. It's a massive result, but also a performance that shows everyone in our dressing room that we were capable of a lot of things."

Feyenoord’s next Champions League game is at home to Austria's Salzburg, who have lost their opening three games, on November 6.

Dominican Republic’s Cibao FC drew first blood in their Concacaf Caribbean Cup semi-final tie as they clipped Haiti’s Real Hope FA 3-2 in first leg action in Santiago de los Caballeros on Wednesday.

Jean Lopez (fourth), Juan Diaz (49th) and Rivaldo Correa (90+1) did the damage for Cibao FC, while Angelo Exilus (11th and 83rd) grabbed a brace for Real Hope.

With the win, Cibao have placed one foot in the Caribbean Cup final, but will have to complete the job in next Thursday’s second leg in order to book a spot in next year’s Concacaf Champions Cup.

It was a frantic start for Cibao FC, as they broke the deadlock inside five minutes when Lopez expertly headed home from a weighted corner kick.

However, Real Hope pulled level seven minutes later through Exilus, who converted from the penalty spot.

Both teams continued to show life in the attacking third and had a few half chances to cause some problems, but failed to make them count in a bid to add to their respective tallies, as the score went unchanged at the break.

Cibao FC, like they did at the start, were quick out the blocks and again took the lead four minutes into the resumption courtesy of Diaz’s well-struck effort from a distance.

But, Exilus again popped up to keep Real Hope in the contest as he headed home from Steeve Mondestin’s perfectly weighted cross seven minutes from time.

With the scores leveled and time winding down, it seemed as if both teams would share the spoils. However, Huguens Michel took out an attacker in the danger area and was sent for an early shower, leaving Real Hope a man short.

To make matters worse, Correa stepped up and converted the 12-yard kick to put Cibao FC 3-2 up in added time, which meant there was no coming back for Real Hope on this occasion.

Correa improved his tally to four goals and now enters the race for the coveted Golden Boot. That race is currently being led by Exilus, whose brace took his tally to five goals in the tournament.

Reigning Jamaica Premier League (JPL) champions Cavalier FC will take their rich vein of form into the Concacaf Caribbean Cup semi-final clash against Dominican Republic’s Moca FC as the two continue their hunt for a spot in next year’s Concacaf Champions Cup.

Though they will be away at Estadio Moca 85 for Thursday’s first-leg clash, Cavalier, who are currently on a five-match unbeaten run in the JPL, will start as slight favourites, as they were 3-0 winners when the two teams last met at Sabina Park.

However, Moca FC are no flukes and will enter the encounter on the back of an unbeaten run of their own after they registered three wins and a draw in the group stages of this tournament. In fact, they were only edged by their compatriots Cibao FC on goal difference for the top spot and, as such, will have Cavalier to contend with.

Cavalier FC topped Group A with three wins and a loss, but were still the most lethal attacking team in the group stages with 11 goals to their credit.

Dwayne Atkinson, with four goals and two assists, and Shaquille Stein, with four goals and an assist, head the race for the coveted golden boot, and both are expected to prove problematic for Moca FC’s defensive unit.

Cavalier’s Head coach, Rudolph Speid, is confident about his team’s chances in the two-leg tie.

“We will give a good account of ourselves. We are really going there to get a positive result, not going there to try and draw and come back to win at home.

“We are the only team from Jamaica left in the competition, and we really need to do something special this year so that Jamaica can feel proud.

“We are very comfortable playing home or away. I don’t think that will be affecting us. And we have prepared properly,” he said.

Still, Moca possesses enough quality in that regard, as their backline is marshalled by the ever-reliable Guillermo de Pena. De Peña was one of the top defensive players of the group stage with six steals, one goal, and seven shots.

Beyond him, Moca will also have the likes of midfielder Clifford Thomas and striker Gustavo Ascona, who were both named to the group stage Best XI, along with de Pena, giving the Dominican Republic side a top player in the tournament across each line.

Thomas provided one goal and one assist, along with nine steals and two clearances, while Argentine-born Ascona added three goals and one assist.