Jamaican champions Cavalier FC had a number of standout performances in the recently-concluded Concacaf Caribbean Cup semi-finals, and so it comes as no surprise that seven of their players are named in the organiser’s Best Eleven (XI) from those fixtures.
Cavalier, who are set to contest the two-leg finals against Dominican Republic counterparts Cibao FC on November 26 and December 3, will be hoping to continue their rich vein of form to cop the Caribbean Cup on this occasion. They lost last year’s final to Suriname’s Robinhood.
Among those that had standout performances for Cavalier are Suriname-born Shaquille Stein and Trinidad and Tobago’s Kaile Auvray, along with defenders Richard King and Jeovanni Laing.
The 2024 Concacaf Caribbean Cup Best XI for the semifinal fixtures is:
Goalkeeper
Miguel Lloyd, Cibao FC – With four saves in two games, Lloyd helped decide a tightly contested series against Haiti’s Real Hope to help Cibao reach the final. He had a clean sheet in the second leg to seal a 4-2 win on aggregate.
Defenders
Jimmy Guillaume, Real Hope FA – Guillaume was active along the defensive line for Real Hope in the series against Cibao. He was one of the most effective passers of the semifinals with an 88% accuracy.
Richard King, Cavalier FC – King contributed to two clean sheet performances in their contest against Dominican Republic outfit, Moca FC. He had two steals and five shots in 190 minutes to help Cavalier reach the final.
Jeovanni Laing, Cavalier FC – Laing had three steals and one shot in 180 minutes to help Cavalier keep consecutive clean sheets and advance to the final.
Christopher Ainsworth, Cavalier FC – Ainsworth scored a goal to help Cavalier to victory in the second leg. He also had one steal for a defensive line that did not concede in the semifinals.
Midfielders
Rivaldo Correa, Cibao FC – Correa added two goals to his tally in the semifinals, along with one steal, to help Cibao reach the final with a 4-2 aggregate.
Jean López, Cibao FC – Lopez struck the opening goal of the series against Real Hope and contributed one assist and two steals.
Juan Díaz, Cibao FC – Díaz scored a goal and added three steals to help Cibao advance to the final, overcoming Real Hope.
Dwayne Atkinson, Cavalier FC – Atkinson continued his offensive rhythm in the current campaign with one goal, 10 attempts and two assists.
Forwards
Shaquille Stein, Cavalier FC – Stein struck a hat-trick to help Cavalier advance to the final while also taking the lead in the Golden Boot race.
Kaile Auvray, Cavalier FC – Auvray scored a brace, including the series-winning goal, to help Cavalier return to another Caribbean Cup final.
Jamaica’s reigning Premier League champions Cavalier FC booked a spot in the Concacaf Caribbean Cup final for a second consecutive year after they mauled Dominican Republic’s Moca FC 7-0 in a lopsided second leg semifinal tie at the National Stadium on Wednesday.
A hat-trick from Suriname's Shaquille Stein (6th, 45+3, 62nd) and a brace from Trinidad and Tobago’s Kaile Auvray (1st, 51st) did most of the damage for Cavalier, while Christopher Ainsworth (39th) and Dwayne Atkinson (79th) also got in on the act.
With the win, Cavalier, who lost last year’s final to Suriname’s Robinhood, now have a shot at redemption as they await the winner of the second semi-final between Dominican Republic’s Cibao FC and Haiti’s Real Hope in the showpiece. By virtue of making the final, Cavalier also secured a return to next year’s Concacaf Champions Cup.
Head coach Rudolph Speid was pleased but also surprised at the margin of victory, especially after being held to a goalless stalemate in the first leg.
“It was very pleasing. We didn’t expect to win by such a large margin; however, this is our third time playing them, so they aren’t strangers to us,” Speid said.
Cavalier wasted little time to make their intentions known as Auvray found the opener shortly after kickoff when he drove home a firm left-footer from a distance.
The Jamaican team struck again before Moca could regroup as Stein expertly headed home from Jalmaro Calvin’s weighted cross five minutes later.
Ainsworth extended the lead when he converted from the penalty spot as Moca FC’s custodian Miguel Baez was left flat-footed.
Stein then notched his second and Cavalier’s fourth with another comfortable finish as they went to the break 4-0 up.
With the writing on the wall, frustration set in, and Moca lost Baez and Jesus Correa to straight red cards and, as such, contested the second half with nine players.
Cavalier showed no mercy and made full use of the numerical advantage when Auvray completed his brace with another well-struck effort from outside the 18-yard box.
Stein completed his hat-trick soon after to move his tally to seven so far in the tournament, before Atkinson added his name to the scoresheet from the penalty spot 11 minutes from time.
Despite the loss, Moca FC still stand a chance of making the Champions Cup, provided they come out tops in the third-place playoff.
With nothing separating them so far, Jamaica’s Cavalier FC and their Dominican Republic counterparts Moca FC will have all to play for in the decisive second leg of their Concacaf Caribbean Cup semifinal tie at National Stadium on Wednesday.
The teams, who will meet for the third time in Caribbean Cup history, played out a goalless stalemate in the Dominican Republic last week, which means it is anybody’s game to take when the ball gets rolling at 7:00pm.
Prior to their goalless scoreline, Cavalier won the first meeting between the two 3-0 last year at Sabina Park. With that in mind, Cavalier should again start slight favourites, especially being at home.
However, the reigning Jamaica Premier League (JPL) champion will have to tread cautiously as Moca will be riding high on the fact that the away goal rule is in effect. That means a 1-1 draw would be enough to see Moca FC through to the Caribbean Cup final and, by extension, next year’s Concacaf Champions Cup.
Should the contest again end scoreless, then extra time and penalties, if necessary, will decide the winner.
While declaring that his players are ready for the challenge, Cavalier’s Head coach, Rudolph Speid, is wary of the away goal rule.
“I don’t think it’s an advantage for us, because the away goal rule is in effect and we didn’t score one goal away. So, if they score one, we’ll have to score two. So I’m not really pleased, and we don’t have an advantage at this point,” Speid said.
“Moca is a good team, and you can see they have a lot of structure. They have players from Argentina and from all over South America, so they are not an easy team. Those players are well versed in the art of playing, so we have to give them a lot of respect,” he added.
Dwayne ‘Busy’ Atkinson is again expected to be the point man in Cavalier’s attacking line, which has tallied 27 goals across last year and this year’s editions and stands as the team with the best offensive power in the history of the tournament.
They also placed second last year when they lost to Robinhood of Suriname and will be hoping to go one better on this occasion.
For Moca FC, this campaign is about seeking redemption after they were eliminated at this same stage last year by eventual champion Robinhood. They take an unbeaten record into Wednesday’s decisive leg and will be intent on keeping that record intact.
It is as you were between Jamaica's Cavalier FC and Dominican Republic's Moca FC in their Concacaf Caribbean Cup semi-final tie, after they played out a scoreless stalemate in first leg action at Estadio Moca 85 on Thursday.
The result means that both teams will still have all to play for in next Wednesday's second leg at the National Stadium to secure a spot in the final and, by extension, in next year's Concacaf Champions Cup.
Cavalier was the more dominant outfit throughout, as they bossed possession and created the best of chances to break the deadlock. Jerome McLeary got the first look at goal in the 26th minute, but he dragged his effort just wide of the target.
Dwayne 'Busy' Atkinson proved his usual menacing self and also went close in the 31st, but Moca's custodian Miguel Baez proved equal to the task.
Moca tried to play their game and had their best effort on goal courtesy of Clifford Thomas, whose 51st minute shot from just outside the 18-yard box did little to bother Vino Barclett in goal for Cavalier.
In the 55th minute, Atkinson worked his way into the danger area and pulled the trigger from close range, but Báez again came up big to deny him.
The nippy former Kingston College standout again showed his class to open space for a 65th-minute effort but put too much force behind his attempt, which sailed over the crossbar.
With Moca's defence struggling to contain him, Atkinson again found himself in a sweet spot with Baez at his mercy. However, it was not to be, as his strike from deep inside the box veered just wide of the right upright on the stroke of full time.
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.
Jamaica’s Cavalier FC suffered their first loss of the Concacaf Caribbean Cup campaign as they were stunned 2-1 by Haitian counterparts Real Hope FA in a keenly contested Group A encounter at the National Stadium on Tuesday.
After taking an early lead through Dwayne Atkinson in the fourth minute, the reigning Jamaica Premier League (JPL) champions lapsed in concentration in the second half and Real Hope capitalised through Rikanel Chery (60th) and Steeve Mondestin (66th) to secure their first win of the tournament.
Despite the loss, Cavalier remain atop the standings on six points, two ahead of Real Hope, who inched up to second on four points. Mount Pleasant (three points), Police FC (one point), and Arnett Gardens (zero) complete the group.
Knowing a victory would put them one step closer to the semi-final, Cavalier started spiritedly and quickly broke the deadlock when Atkinson fired home from Shaquille Stein’s pass after a tidy buildup on the left channel.
The score remained unchanged at the break as both teams created a few half chances but failed to make them count.
Though there was a lengthy delay to the start of the second half, due to a section of the Stadium lights going out, Real Hope were unflustered and pulled level at the hour mark when Chery got on the end of Jeudy Jhonson’s through ball and fired home from close range.
The Haitian club found the lead six minutes later when Mondestin converted from the 12-yard spot after being awarded a penalty.
Still, Cavalier found a fresh wind at the backend of the contest and almost secured a share of the spoils, but Kaile Auvray’s well-struck effort was cleared off the line by Peterson Pierre five minutes from time.
Real Hope will seek to maintain its momentum against another Jamaican outfit, Arnett Gardens, next Wednesday at the same venue, while Cavalier’s next assignment will also be against the ‘Junglists’ on October 3.
Jamaica’s Cavalier FC maintained their perfect start to the Concacaf Caribbean Cup as they registered a comfortable 4-1 over Trinidad and Tobago’s Miscellaneous Police FC in a lopsided Group A affair at Sabina Park on Thursday.
A brace each from Shaquille Stein (22nd and 65th) and Dwayne Atkinson (77th and 90+2) got the job done for the Rudolph Austin-coached Cavalier, which now sits comfortably atop the group on six points, three ahead of Jamaican counterpart Mount Pleasant FA.
Kevon Woodley (32nd) got Police's consolation as they remain fourth in the standings with a point.
Riding high from their opening 2-0 win over Mount Pleasant, Cavalier were always expected to start slight favourites, and they justified that with the opening strike less than 30 minutes in.
Suriname’s Stein, who is proving a valuable asset to Cavalier’s attacking line so far, got on the end of a through pass from Christopher Ainsworth and tucked home a right-footed effort from deep inside the 18-yard box.
However, Police were back on level terms 10 minutes later as Woodley converted an expert diving header from Alvin Jones’ perfectly weighted cross to make it 1-1 at the break.
Like they did at the start, Cavalier showed more purpose and regained the lead five minutes past the hour-mark, when Stein drove an effort past Adrian Foncette, in goal for Police, from a low pass from Atkinson.
Atkinson then added his name to the scoresheet 12 minutes later when he applied to finishing touches to a blistering counterattack to put Cavalier 3-1 up.
With Police down and unable to find a response, Cavalier continued to apply pressure and added a fourth when Atkinson fired home on the volley after Police’s custodian Foncette punched clear from a corner kick in time added.
Cavalier will next meet Haiti’s Real Hope FA in Kingston on September 17, while Police FC will seek its first victory of the campaign against Arnett Gardens FC in Couva on September 19.
On Thursday, Dominican Republic’s Ciabo FC climbed to second in Group B on four points with a 2-1 win over Antigua and Barbuda’s Grenades FC, who were wetting their feet for the first time in the tournament.
Cavalier Head Coach Rudolph Speid says the 2-0 win over Mount Pleasant FA to kick off their 2024 Concacaf Caribbean Cup campaign provides a solid platform to build on in their charge to achieve long-term goals this season.
Christopher Ainsworth (ninth) and Shaquille Stein (25th) got the job done for Cavalier in a keenly contest encounter at Sabina Park on Tuesday.
“The win is very important, because when teams are in your zone and they’re from the same country or same city, it’s really a derby. It doesn’t matter how strong each team is, it’s a derby, and derby games are the most difficult games you’ll come up against, so getting the first win is always important,” Speid said in a post-game interview.
Cavalier, the reigning Jamaica Premier League (JPL) champions and runners-up in the 2023 edition of the Concacaf Caribbean Cup, were more purposeful at the start, and they were duly rewarded when Ainsworth converted from the 12-yard spot after Stein was felled inside the red zone by Jamoi Topey.
Mount Pleasant created a few half chances in their press for the equaliser, but they found Cavalier’s defenders and goalkeeper Jeadine White in defiant mode.
Stein later doubled Cavalier’s lead when he expertly headed home from Jalmaro Calvin’s weighted cross.
Try as they did, Mount Pleasant’s attackers couldn’t find a way past White, who ended the contest with six crucial saves, including a last-minute reflex stop diving low at his near post to deny Rayonne Mbougain in time added.
Cavalier also had their fair share of chances to add to their tally, the best of which fell to Kaile Auvray in the 49th minute, but Mount Pleasant’s custodian Tafari Chambers came up big to stop the close-range effort.
Speid lauded his team for a solid defensive effort, which ensured they sit atop Group A on three points heading into the second round of games on August 29.
Then, Cavalier will host Trinidad and Tobago outfit Police FC in Kingston, while Mount Pleasant FA will look to rebound against CFU Club Shield winners, Arnett Gardens FC, on August 27 at Sabina Park.
“We did not know what Mount Pleasant was going to do. We decided we were going to be tough on defence. The defence, including the goalkeeper, stood out. It is not easy to keep a clean sheet against those players from Mount Pleasant, as they can turn a game on its head,” Speid reasoned.
“So our concentration was spot on from minute one. Although we defended stoutly, we were positive all the time. We attacked when the occasion aroused, and we didn’t hesitate. We could have even scored two more,” he noted.
His counterpart Harold Thomas, who took over from Theodore “Tappa” Whitmore in June, believes his side lacked the hunger and conviction of their opponents.
“One of the things we have to do is look at the players who are hungry for it. You hear Cavalier’s approach to the game, they have a group of youngsters that don’t have the kind of reputation that our players have, but they’re hungry. They want to make a name for themselves,” Thomas stated.
“We need to find players who want to make a name for themselves or even those who have a name to improve their credibility. We know the quality of the players. There are some things we have to change, but the quality is there. The motivation will be a great factor because what we saw today (Tuesday) wasn’t a team as hungry as they should have been,” he added.
After a 6-0 aggregate beating from Major League Soccer (MLS) outfit FC Cincinnati in Concacaf Champions Cup play, Rudolph Speid and his Cavalier unit would have hoped for better fortunes on return to the Wray and Nephew Jamaica Premier League (WNJPL).
While they did well to come from behind in a 1-1 stalemate with Humble Lion, the outcome was by no means pleasing to Speid, who felt they were undone by poor officiating in the lukewarm contest at Stadium East field on Monday.
With the score tied in the dying moments of the game, after Andre Clennon (56th) fired Humble Lion in front, and Jalmaro Calvin (72nd) responded for Cavalier, Jeovanni Laing thought he had the winner for Speid’s side, but the goal was disallowed by referee Andre Farquharson.
This, as there was some contact between Laing and Humble Lion’s goalkeeper Shamal Briscoe in a challenge for possession leading up to the goal. However, replay showed that Laing got to the ball well ahead of the advancing Briscoe, who through momentum, then collided with the attacker’s trailing leg on his way towards goal.
The call left Speid fuming, as it denied his team two points which would have pushed them back to the summit of the league, albeit on goal difference. Instead, they remain second on 44 points, two behind reigning champions Mount Pleasant FA (46 points), but with a game in hand.
“There was another call for a penalty that we didn't get, and then that was a clean goal. These are not easy things to miss. It is the most difficult thing for you make a call like that wrong. I mean after we spend millions of dollars to play football, we are supposed to win our game, if we get to win our game. Frankly, I think we won the game, except for that blatant call that has no place in football,” Speid argued.
Cavalier earlier dominated proceedings, and squandered numerous chances, in a goalless first half, much to Speid’s disappointment.
It was almost like rubbing salt in a wound when Clennon put Humble Lion in front 11 minutes into the resumption, as he fired home from close range, after Cavalier failed to clear their lines from Xavian Virgo’s freekick.
Cavalier later bossed possession in their press for the equalizer, which eventually came in the 72nd when Calvin glanced a perfectly weighted cross from Laing into the far corner of the goal for his 10th of the season.
Speid’s side maintained the momentum from there, and thought they had the winner in time added, but for the controversial call.
“I am not happy with the performance because we got a lot of opportunities, especially in the first half that we could have done better with. But again, it was just a difficult game to play, every time we challenged, it was a call, so it was just difficult for us to play this game,” Speid said.
“It is very important that we maintain it (our challenge for the top spot), but if we get games like this, we don't know what's going to happen because I didn't think this was a fair result,” he added.
Humble Lion’s Head coach Vassell Reynolds found more positives in the result, especially with his Clarendon-based team fighting to stay above the relegation zone.
They are currently in 12th position on 19 points, seven points ahead of Treasure Beach (12 points), who occupies the drop zone with the other promoted team Lime Hall Academy (seven points).
“Many people thought that we would have come here and get a beating, but I thought the guys played gallantly and I think we deserve at least a point from the game,” Reynolds said.
“We want to move away from this, from this dreaded zone just to prevent us looking over our shoulder when we are playing, and also, so that we can go out and play with a little bit more confidence. So, a few more points in the upcoming games and we should be fine,” he noted.
Though faced with uphill tasks to overturn 0-2 and 0-3 deficits, Caribbean clubs Cavalier of Jamaica and Dominican Republic’s Moca FC, will be intent on leaving everything on the pitch when they challenge FC Cincinnati and Nashville SC in Round one return leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup on Wednesday.
Cavalier will be away to FC Cincinnati at the TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio t 7:00pm, while Moca FC are also away to Nashville SC at Geodis Park in Tennessee for the 9:15pm encounter.
Last week’s first leg was the first ever Champions Cup match for both Cavalier and FC Cincinnati, with the Major League Soccer (MLS) side proving too good for their Jamaica Premier League (JPL) counterpart, despite a gritty effort by the latter.
Sergio Santos and Malik Pinto did the damage for FC Cincinnati inside Jamaica’s National Stadium. But perhaps more impressive was the effort from FC Cincinnati’s defence to shutout the highest scoring team from the 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Cup, which comprises Golden Boot winner Shaniel Thomas.
With a two-goal cushion and a pair of away goals, FC Cincinnati, playing their first ever Champions Cup match at home, are in the driver’s seat to progress to the Round of 16, and only need a repeat of last week’s performance to confirm that much.
While MLS clubs hold a seven-win advantage in meetings with Jamaican clubs, that statistic will mean very little to Rudolph Speid and his Cavalier side, who will be hoping to summon their best all-round performance to not only shutout the menacing Luciano Acosta and company, but more importantly, score some goals of their own.
Cavalier twice scored five goals during last year’s Caribbean Cup, doing so in the group stage against Golden Lion of Martinique in a 5-2 win, followed by a 5-0 win at fellow Jamaican club Harbour View in the semifinals.
Cavalier will require that kind of output if they are to turn this series around in their favour. In addition to Thomas, Jalmaro Calvin and Orlando Russell, will need to fire on all cylinders.
Meanwhile, Nashville SC, who got their first-leg goals from Hany Mukhtar, Sam Surridge and Tyler Boyd, will be aiming to maintain their dominance to also confirm their spot in the Round of 16.
However, with Mukhtar and Surridge both carrying injuries, their absence could dampen Nashville’s attacking prowess and possibly present a window of opportunity on which Moca FC will be aiming to capitalise on.
A win on United States soil would see Moca FC being the first Dominican Republic team to do so. Though highly unlikely, it is by no means impossible and Gustavo Ascona, who was one of the stars of the 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Cup with four goals, along with Juan Angeles, will be integral to their chances.
Jamaican club Cavalier and Dominican Republic’s Moca FC will be targeting quick starts in their respective 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup Round One campaigns, as they tackle Major League Soccer (MLS) outfits FC Cincinnati and Nashville FC in first leg action on Thursday.
Moca FC hosts Nashville SC at the Estadio Cibao in Santiago de los Caballeros at 7:00pm, while Cavalier will also be at home to FC Cincinnati at the National Stadium at 9:00pm Jamaica time.
Cavalier, who secured their spot in this edition of the Champions Cup by virtue of their runner-up finish in last year’s Concacaf Caribbean Cup, will be hoping to carry their form from the Jamaica Premier League into play and upset the proverbial applecart across the two-leg tie.
The Rudolph Speid-coached side currently head the Jamaica Premier League standings on the back of a 12-match unbeaten run, the last four of which ended in clean sheet victories.
“We have only conceded two goals in 12 (Jamaica Premier League) games, one being an own goal. So, we are on a trajectory and it is something that we plan because we know that we will be up against some good attackers in the Concacaf Champions League, so we try to hone our defence,” Speid said.
While the level of competition on the Champions Cup stage is more formidable that the Jamaica Premier League and the Caribbean Cup, Cavalier have proven that they can compete and, if their rich scoring from the Caribbean Cup, in particular, is anything to go by, then FC Cincinnati will have to put every foot right defensively.
No player had more goals in the Caribbean Cup than Shaniel Thomas, who finished with eight goals, including a pair of hat-tricks. However, Thomas didn’t do it alone as Jalmaro Calvin also scored four goals and was one of the playmakers in attack.
Speid is backing that dynamic duo and others to execute accordingly against an FC Cincinnati team playing its first match of the year.
“We just want to see what we can get from the two games against Cincinnati,” Speid added.
Cincinnati FC also enjoyed a fruitful 2023 season in MLS, where they won the Supporters Shield as the team with the best regular season record.
Like Cavalier, the Ohio-based club will be making their Champions Cup debut as well but boast both quality and experience within the squad. Attacking midfielder and 2023 MLS Most Valuable Player Luciano Acosta, who had 17 goals and 14 assists in 2023, is no stranger to the Champions Cup, as he enjoyed a stint with DC United in 2015-16 season. Now, almost eight years later, Acosta will get another crack at Concacaf glory.
FC Cincinnati also have great strength in defence, especially in central defenders Matt Miazga and Miles Robinson, both of whom have won a Concacaf Gold Cup with the United States Men’s National team.
A pair of seasoned FC Cincinnati defenders going up against Cavalier’s prolific attack should make for an intriguing first leg.
Moca FC vs Nashville SC
These two teams will also be making their Concacaf Champions Cup debuts, as Moca FC progressed by virtue of their third-place finish in the Caribbean Cup, while Nashville SC, due to their runner-up finish in last year’s Leagues Cup.
Moca used a stifling defence and timely goal-scoring to reach the knockout stage of the Caribbean Cup, as they conceded just three goals in their four group stage games.
In attack, Gustavo Ascona was a headache for opponents defence in scoring four goals, while Victor Sanchez was also threat in notching two goals.
But they are up against an MLS team that boast one of the strongest squads in the Eastern Conference, which makes for a daunting assignment.
Leading the way for Nashville is talented midfielder Hany Mukhtar, who pocketed MLS’s Most Valuable Player for the 2022 season, a feat he followed up with 15 goals and 11 assists in 2023. New arrival Tyler Boyd should also help in attack, after scoring seven goals and contributing four assists last season with the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Nashville SC are also quite strong in defence, with United States Internationals Walker Zimmerman and Shaq Moore at the back.
New ground will be broken in this year's Concacaf Champions Cup when Jamaica's Cavalier Football Club square off against Major League Soccer's (MLS) FC Cincinnati in Round One action next month.
Not only will it be the first time that both teams will parade their skills in the tournament, but it will also be the first time that a Jamaican club will lock horns with an MLS outfit that is not DC United.
This two-legged encounter, like others in the first round, is possible due to the tournament's expanded format to accommodate 27 teams.
By virtue of winning the MLS Supporters Shield for the 2023 season, in which they had the league’s best record during the regular season, FC Cincinnati qualified for their first Champions Cup, while Cavalier qualified by way of their runner-up finish in the 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Cup.
This means that two teams making their Champions Cup debut will meet in the first round of action, for the first time since the 2020 edition when New York City FC faced Costa Rica's San Carlos in the Round of 16.
In all four previous instances when Jamaican teams drew an MLS opponent in the Champions Cup, all were somehow pitted against DC United. This started in the 2005 quarterfinals, where DC United eliminated Harbour View 4-2 on aggregate with a pair of 2-1 victories.
Three years later in 2008, those same two sides met again in the quarterfinal round. Harbour View earned a 1-1 draw at home, but succumbed 5-0 away loss, as DC United won 6-1 on aggregate.
In the 2014-15 Champions Cup, Waterhouse was the Jamaican opponent for DC United in the group stage. DC United narrowly won that encounter 1-0 at home and then 2-1 in Jamaica on their way to group honours.
The following season in the 2015-16 group stage, DC United faced Montego Bay United, and again came out tops. DC United collected a 3-0 win at home and then rallied from a three-goal deficit to claim a 3-3 draw in Jamaica.
Thanks to DC United’s prowess, MLS teams have six wins and two draws against Jamaican opposition in the Champions Cup, a mark that will be put to the test by Cavalier against FC Cincinnati in next month’s fixture.
It is always exciting when a club makes its debut on a stage which they long dreamed of. Such is the case of Jamaica Premier League outfit Cavalier, who is among the first-timers set to grace this year’s edition of the Concacaf Champions Cup, after they finished as runner-up in last year’s Concacaf Caribbean Cup.
Anchoring what is the youngest team in Jamaica’s top-flight league is goalkeeper Vino Barclett, who started all eight matches for Cavalier during the tournament, and made 28 saves, which assisted the Rudolph Speid-coached team to the Caribbean Cup showpiece.
Though they lost 0-3 on aggregate to Suriname’s Robinhood, their main objective was met, as their vision of playing against some of the best clubs in the Concacaf region, has come to fruition.
“It was a big achievement for a Jamaican club. We played in a knockout tournament domestically and got to the finals, we played in the domestic league and got to the finals and so getting to the Caribbean Cup final and qualifying for Champions Cup was another big achievement for us,” Barclett said in a recent interview with Concacaf.com.
“All of the players were deserving, we worked hard for it, the only thing we lacked was winning silverware,” he added.
While most of his Cavalier teammates are from Jamaica, Barclett is one of the team’s full-time international players, as he represents St Lucia on an even bigger stage. Giving his vast experience representing St Lucia in Concacaf Nations League, Barclett is not one to shy away from tough competition and, as such, is now eager to parade his skill in Concacaf’s premier club competition.
“Representing St Lucia on this stage is like a dream come true. I’m still a relatively young player, just 24 years old, I think I’m the only goalkeeper from St Lucia to have played in this tournament. It is a big achievement for me, and I want to show our amateur players back home that they can be on this big stage. I’m excited for the exposure and opportunity,” Barclett shared.
Cavalier’s Round One encounter will be against Major League Soccer (MLS) outfit FC Cincinnati, scheduled for February 22, and Barclett knows a sturdy challenge awaits as their opponents capped the 2023 MLS regular season with the best record.
“The preparation has been going up to standard, we have been putting in the work. In our domestic league in the last six games, we are unbeaten with five wins and one draw, so I think the team has prepared with full conviction. We know it won’t be easy game. We have to be focused in every second of the game, we cannot switch off. Our team has a good chemistry and in preparation for that game we are working very hard,” the agile goaltender said.
With Cavalier boasting so many young players, the 2024 Champions Cup represents the perfect platform on which a group of hungry players can demonstrate their skills to the world. It is also a chance to show everyone the strength of Jamaica’s domestic football.
“I would say this is the biggest moment of my career. I have been in finals, but this will be the biggest game of my career. This is a game that can be an opportunity for many of us. Maybe scouts see us and who knows where that might lead. Representing the Caribbean is a responsibility that we embrace, knowing that we are representing the Jamaican nation, so we will be relying on our fans in the home game,” Barclett ended.
Cavalier Football Club registered a fourth win on the trot and, more importantly, moved closer to a top two position, after they blanked a lacklustre Arnett Gardens 3-0 in a lopsided rescheduled Wray and Nephew Jamaica Premier League (WNJPL) contest at Sabina Park on Sunday.
Captain Kyle Ming (9th), Dwayne ‘Busy’ Atkinson (21st) and Shaneil Thomas (90+1), shared the goals, as the Rudolph Speid-coached team extended their unbeaten run across five matches –the last four with a clean sheet intact.
The win, Cavalier’s seventh of the season, propelled them into fourth position on 24 points, same as third-placed Tivoli Gardens, who has a slightly better goal difference.
Arnett Gardens, who ended the contest with 10 players after Roshawn Amos straight red card in the 80th, are also on 24 points, but were relegated to fifth position as the margin of defeat dented their goal difference.
Having addressed their previous defensive issues, Speid expressed pleasure with his team’s current vein of form.
“I remember we went 10 matches without a clean sheet (across competitions), we worked on it, and it is now paying dividends.
“We saw some things that we could exploit, so we changed the system and decided that ‘Parko Blacks’ [Fabian Reid] was going to have to play the hardest game of his life and it worked for us,” Speid said in a post-game interview.
“Another thing we are working on is making it difficult for opponents to pinpoint where the goals are coming from which is a good thing from our point of view. But we remember, we had it hard early in the season, so we are just getting back some of the players and the commitment, and I think that is what is now carrying us through,” he added.
Cavalier started spiritedly, as they wasted little time to impose their will on the game, which placed Arnett Gardens in an uncomfortable situation to play catch up.
Atkinson, who is one of a few players returning from overseas stints, proved menacing to the ‘Junglists’ defence, as he was involved in two of the goals.
The diminutive winger first floated in a weighted corner kick which eluded defenders and fell kindly for Ming, who easily headed past Asher Hutchinson, in goal for Arnett Gardens.
Atkinson, who was in Iceland, then displayed immense composure when he fired past Hutchinson at his near post, after a well-worked one-two combination with Dwayne Allen.
Orlando Russell, another player returning from overseas, should have extended Cavalier’s lead five minutes later when he went on the break and dismissed a lone defender, but his left-footed effort was kept out by Hutchinson.
In the 39th minute, Atkinson served up another weighted cross inside, this time an unmarked Russell at the far post, but he went for the spectacular and the chance went begging.
Arnett Gardens best chance of the half came on the stroke of the break when Warner Brown got behind defenders, but couldn’t beat Jeadine white, who left his line well.
The Xavier Gilbert-coached Arnett Gardens looked more purposeful on the resumption and created a few half chances, which they failed to make count.
That allowed Cavalier to get back into rhythm and it took Hutchinson diving full stretch to his right, to deny substitute Jalmaro Calvin’s 66th-minute effort.
Rushike Kelson went close for Arnett Gardens in the 72nd, as his well-taken free kick from the top of the arc rendered a five-man wall useless, but the effort couldn’t beat the right upright.
With Arnett playing a man short after Amos’s dismissal, Thomas capitalised on their poor defending, as he waltzed his way into the final third to fire past the hapless Hutchinson and cap the win.
Gilbert was left disappointed by his team’s dismal display.
“We were very flat; I don’t think we provided what we should have provided to cause problems to the Cavalier team. I think we were too narrow when we were in possession of the ball and they hit us in transition a couple of times, and we just didn’t execute so credit must be given to Cavalier for the way they executed,” Gilbert said.
Sunday’s results
Cavalier 3, Arnett Gardens 2
Harbour View 2, Treasure Beach FC 0
Caribbean Cup champions Robinhood of Suriname joined Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup winners Columbus Crew as the biggest movers in the latest edition of the Concacaf Club Rankings (CCR).
The Confederation launched a revamped rankings system earlier this year, with clubs gaining points for results in official domestic league matches, regional cup matches, and Concacaf Champions Cup play. The CCR was also used to determine draw seedings and pots for the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup.
Club America retain top spot
Mexican giants and seven-time Champions Cup winners, Club America remain atop the rankings for the second straight month. Club America marched their way to the final of the 2023 Liga MX Apertura, eliminating 2023 Champions Cup winners Club Leon and Atletico San Luis along the way with respective 4-2 and 5-2 aggregate victories. Club America will face Tigres in the final.
MLS Cup champions Columbus Crew vault into Top 10
For the first time, Columbus Crew are in the top 10, thanks to their 2-1 victory over Los Angeles FC in the 2023 MLS Cup final. The victory also earned Columbus Crew their third MLS crown, as they moved into ninth position in the Rankings.
The top four remained the same, with Club America, Monterrey, Tigres and Club Leon. Philadelphia Union and Toluca swapped places, as the former inched up to fifth, while Toluca were relegated to sixth.
There was also a change in places between Pachuca and Chivas. Pachuca moved to seventh and Chivas in eighth. MLS Cup runners-up LAFC rounded out the top 10.
Eight of the top 10 clubs will contest the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup - Club America, Monterrey, Tigres, Philadelphia Union, Toluca, Pachuca, Chivas and Columbus Crew.
Saprissa surge past Alajuelense in Central American Top 10
There was a shake-up in the Central American top 10. Honduran giants Olimpia maintained their spot as the top Central American side at 39th overall, ahead of Costa Rican club Deportivo Saprissa, who surged to 44th overall, and Alajuelense, who fell to third in Central America and 46th overall. Saprissa did so on the strength of reaching the Costa Rican final, while Alajuelense were eliminated in the semi-finals by Herediano.
Herediano (49th) and Comunicaciones of Guatemala (52nd) remained fourth and fifth in the region, while newly-minted Panamanian champions CAI (53rd) reclaimed sixth spot in front of seventh-place Municipal of Guatemala (56th). Rounding out the Central American Top 10 was Motagua of Honduras (57th), Guatemala’s Antigua GFC (58th) and Tauro of Panama (59th).
Robinhood keep climbing in Caribbean
Recently crowned Concacaf Caribbean Cup champions Robinhood of Suriname made another big move in the Caribbean top 10, after they picked up another eight points to go from sixth to fourth in the region and 100th overall.
Haiti’s Violette (68th) kept their lead as the top Caribbean club, with no change in the second and third Caribbean spots held by Cibao FC of the Dominican Republic (92nd) and Jamaican side Mount Pleasant (99th). Following Robinhood is Haitian club Arcahaie in fifth (106th), while Caribbean Cup finalists Cavalier of Jamaica are sixth (108th), one spot ahead of Caribbean Cup third-place series winners Moca FC (109th) of the Dominican Republic. The rest of the Caribbean top 10 is rounded out by Trinidad and Tobago’s Defence Force (110th), ASC of Haiti (113th) and Jamaican club Arnett Gardens (114th).
Robinhood register biggest upset win
Robinhood’s 3-0 aggregate victory over Cavalier in the final of the 2023 Caribbean Cup, also went down as the biggest upset win over the course of last month. Heading into the final, Robinhood were 110th, overall while Cavalier were 100th, but now Robinhood have moved past Cavalier with their victory, as the Jamaican club slipped eight places.
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