Jamaica’s Cavalier FC and Haitian outfit Real Hope FC confirmed their spots in the Concacaf Caribbean Cup semi-finals after comfortable 4-1 and 2-0 wins over Jamaican clubs Arnett Gardens and Mount Pleasant FA in their final Group A fixtures on Thursday.
A brace from Jalmaro Calvin (35th and 71st) and one each from Shaquille Stein (29th) and Dwayne ‘Busy’ Atkinson (59th) brought Cavalier from behind to top Arnett Gardens, who took an early ninth-minute lead through captain Shai Smith.
With the win, Cavalier, the reigning Jamaica Premier League (JPL) champions, consolidated the top spot with nine points, one ahead of Real Hope, who had a brace from Angelo Exilus (12th and 77th) to deny Mount Pleasant in the battle for the runner-up position.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Police FC (five points), Mount Pleasant (four points), and Arnett Gardens (one point) completed the table.
Cavalier will square off against Dominican Republic’s Moca FC in one semi-final, while Real Hope will lock horns against the other Dominican Republic outfit, Cibao FC, in the other. The semifinal date is yet to be confirmed.
Despite already having a spot in the final four, Cavalier FC were in no mood to relent and duly took apart Arnett Gardens at the National Stadium.
It was Arnett Gardens though that showed more purpose at the start as they sought to salvage some pride to end their campaign on a high. The ‘Junglists’ seemed on their way to achieving that feat when Smith connected with a pass from Marlon Allen and fired past Vino Barclett inside 10 minutes.
However, Xavier Gilbert’s side lost focus after taking the lead and were completely outplayed by Cavalier, who pulled level through Stein, who met Atkinson’s corner kick and slotted home at Roje Williams’ near post.
Real Hope's Angelo Exilus celebrate one of his two goals against Mount Pleasant.
Calvin then put Cavalier in front six minutes later with a tidy header past Williams from Jaheem Frazer’s weighted cross as they went to the break 2-1 up.
Cavalier picked up where they left off after the interval as Atkinson won possession deep in Arnett Gardens quarters and rounded the hapless Williams to slot home his team’s third.
Calvin later completed his brace with a tidy right-footed finish to cap Cavalier’s victory.
Meanwhile, a short distance away at Sabina Park, Mount Pleasant were also slow to get into stride, but unlike Cavalier, they couldn’t get back to Real Hope.
After Daniel Saint Fleur’s fourth-minute effort came back off the left upright, Exilus eventually broke the deadlock for the visitors with an easy tap-in from Watz Leazard’s pass.
Mount Pleasant tried to mount a comeback and had two decent efforts through Devonte Campbell and Sue-Lae McCalla in the 33rd and 49th minutes, but Real Hope’s custodian Gooly Elien came up big on both occasions to deny their host.
Raheem Edwards also went close for Mount Pleasant in the 70th, but he too failed to beat Elien’s glove.
With the equaliser proving elusive for Mount Pleasant, Exilus eventually found another open and made no mistakes from close range to secure the crucial win for his team.
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.
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
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.
Cavalier Football Club will contest the 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Cup final after they held Harbour View to a goalless stalemate in their second leg semi-final clash at Sabina Park on Tuesday.
With the result, Cavalier win the series 5-0 on aggregate to advance to the final where they will face either Suriname's Robinhood or Dominican Republic's Moca FC. They have also officially qualified for the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup.
Harbour View will look to claim a 2024 Champions Cup berth in the third-place Match.
Needing five unanswered goals to pull level in the series, Harbour View came out the much more aggressive and Jahshaun Anglin almost steered one in at the far post in the 14th, but his effort was kept out by Vino Barclett in goal for Cavalier.
Cavalier started to find space going forward and tournament top scorer Shaniel Thomas almost found his ninth goal in the 39th. However, he was denied by Harbour View's custodian Anthony Bennett.
Harbour View kept their foot on the gas in search of a goal and Shaquiel Bradford looked set to pull a goal back, but missed the target from inside the area after the preceding shot was blocked.
A defensive mishap by Harbour View in the 79th, almost gifted Jalmaro Calvin the breakthrough, but Ajeanie Talbott was on hand to avert the danger.
It would prove to be the final chance of the match, but it mattered less to Cavalier, who did much if the hardwork in the opening leg.
Cavalier continued their high-flying, goal-scoring form, as they hammered Harbour View 5-0 in the first leg of the 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Cup semifinals at Sabina Park on Tuesday.
With the win, Cavalier is now on the cusp of securing a spot in the Caribbean Cup Final, as well a spot in the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup.
Shaniel Thomas hit the ground running and after scoring seven goals in the group stage, the dynamic Cavalier striker tallied his eighth goal of the tournament with just five minutes on the clock. The former Jamaica College standout volleyed home a cross from Orlando Russell from the left wing.
Cavalier continued to apply pressure and quickly doubled their lead in the 12th, courtesy of Jamaro Calvin, who latched on to a loose ball in front of the Harbour View's goal after a free kick was played into the area.
Harbour View were down but not out, and they soon found their range. However, Vino Barclett in goal for Cavalier, proved equal to the task.
The "Stars of the East's" best effort at that point came when a Jahshaun Anglin shot deflected off Shaquiel Bradford and spun over the crossbar on the stroke of halftime.
Harbour View kept pushing for a goal and a snap header from Bradford in the 52nd was well kept out Barclett with a reaction save.
Ludlow Bernard's side later paid for their profligacy, as Cavalier extended their lead to in the 64th, when a cross from Calvin clipped the heel of Harbour View's defender Keven Clark and rolled over the line for a goal.
The Cavalier attack was unyielding, and they soon went 4-0 up in the 73rd on an excellent finish from Jeovanni Laing.
Dwayne Allen then completed the rout for Rudolph Speid's side with an easy finish from close range in the 87th.
The group stage of the 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Cup came to an exciting conclusion on Thursday night.
There were many excellent individual performances over the course of the group stage, yet these 11 players stood out the most at their respective positions.
Goalkeeper
Jonathan Fonkel, Robinhood – Robinhood captured the top spot in Group B thanks in part to the efforts of Fonkel, who conceded just four goals while making 23 saves and 19 clearances.
Defenders
Manuel Vidal, Moca – Vidal played a big role in Moca marching forward to the semifinals by making seven steals and nine clearances, plus scoring a goal.
Alierio Belfor, Robinhood – Sixteen clearances and six steals from Belfor was one of the many reasons why 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Club Shield winners Robinhood surged to a first-place finish in their group.
Justin Garcia, Defence Force – Garcia was one of the best passing defenders in the group stage, completing 92 percent of his passes while making eight steals and 10 clearances.
Midfielders
Clifford Thomas, Moca – Thomas was one of the anchors in the Moca midfield with seven steals while completing more than 90 percent of his passes.
Jalmaro Calvin, Cavalier – Calvin was seemingly everywhere for Cavalier. He scored two goals and chipped in three assists on the attacking end, and had a clearance and a steal on the defensive end.
Reon Moore, Defence Force – Moore performed at a high level in every match and finished with two goals, an assist and a steal.
Renske Adipi, Robinhood – Robinhood were in good hands with Adipi in midfield, evidenced by him completing 80 percent of his passes, scoring a goal and making four steals.
Forwards
Shaquiel Bradford, Harbour View – Bradford wreaked havoc on defenses in the group stage and finished the four games with three goals and an assist.
Shaquille Cairo, Robinhood – The top scorer in the Shield with 10 goals followed that effort up with a five-goal haul in the Caribbean Cup group stage for Robinhood. He also had two steals.
Shaniel Thomas, Cavalier – Simply put; Thomas was breathtaking for Cavalier. He twice notched hat tricks during the team’s four games to help him finish with a tournament-leading seven goals. Defensively he helped, too, with three steals.
Young striker Shaniel Thomas registered a second hat-trick of the Concacaf Caribbean Cup, as he combined with Jalmaro Calvin to hand Jamaica's Cavalier FC a 5-2 win over host Golden Lion in their Group A curtain-call contest at the Stade Pierre-Aliker in Fort-de-France, Martinique, on Wednesday.
Thomas, who earlier in the tournament became the youngest and first player to score a hat-trick when he achieved the feat against Dominican Republic's Moca FC last month, again proved too good in the final third for his French-speaking rivals on this occasion, and now has a Caribbean Cup-leading seven goals in four games. His combination with Calvin also ensured the Rudolph Speid-coached side topped the group on their way to the semi-final.
Cavalier could not have asked for a better start, as they quickly grabbed a 1-0 lead in the sixth minute, when Calvin's cross from the right wing took a wicked deflection off the foot of Golden Lion's defender Marvin Bellance, leaving goalkeeper Alan Rose wrong-footed, as the ball rippled the net.
Calvin continued to be a nuisance on the right flank and made a big impact again in the 14th minute with a dashing run that ended with a strong right-footed finish for a 2-0 lead.
The nippy Calvin added another notch to his first half belt with an assist on a Thomas goal in the 34th. In that build up, Calvin shook markers on the right channel before cutting back to Thomas, who swept in a shot past Rose to put Cavalier 3-0 up.
Thomas was once again at the right place at the right time in the 37th when an under-hit back pass allowed him to swoop in and score for a 4-0 Cavalier lead.
The Calvin-Thomas combination continued to wreak havoc on Golden Lion, who had no response to their onslaught. Calvin again played provider for Thomas, who applied another powerful finish in first half stoppage time, to put the Jamaicans 5-0 up at the break.
Golden Lion came out with a renewed purpose on the resumption and pulled one back in the 51st minute, through a Thierry Catherine header.
They added another in the 71st, courtesy of Wilfrid Charloton’s finish inside the area, but in the end the spoils and first-place finish in the group belonged to Cavalier.
Jamaica's Cavalier will have their sights set on a first-place finish in Group A of the 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Cup when they pay a visit to Martinique to take on Golden Lion at the Stade Pierre-Aliker in Fort-de-France, on Wednesday.
Cavalier, who currently occupies pole position in the group on seven points, one ahead of second-placed Moca of the Dominican Republic, and two in front of third-placed Defence Force from Trinidad and Tobago.
With Moca and Defence Force squaring off as well on Wednesday, Cavalier are assured of a top-two finish in the group and a place in the semifinals, but the Jamaican side will be keen to collect all three points and win the group.
After opening with a 1-1 draw at Defence Force, Cavalier rolled to victories in their next two games against Port of Spain (2-1) and Moca (3-0).
Leading the way has been Shaniel Thomas, who has four goals in the tournament, including a hat-trick against Moca, to lead the competition in scoring. Thomas has also drawn the most fouls for his side, with seven.
Jalmaro Calvin and Nicholas Hamilton have contributed to Cavalier’s attacking prowess as well, with Calvin scoring a goal and adding an assist and Hamilton with two assists.
Golden Lion will be trying to end their Caribbean Cup on a positive note, as they sit in fourth place in the group with three points, the lone win coming in a 3-2 final with Port of Spain.
As always, legendary Martinique striker Kevin Parsemain will be one for the Cavalier defense to watch. Parsemain has a goal and an assist in the tournament and has totaled 13 shots.
Marvin Bellance has enjoyed a good tournament with seven ball recoveries and Jordy Boriel is a striker also capable of finding the back of the net, having done so against Port of Spain.
Though welcoming the 2-1 win which puts his team in a handy position heading into a break, Cavalier’s Technical Director Rudolph Speid was far from satisfied with his team’s overall execution in a lukewarm Concacaf Caribbean Cup against AC Port of Spain at Sabina Park on Thursday.
In fact, Speid believes the time off augurs well for the Jamaican outfit currently going through a rebuilding phase, as they intend to use it to good effect to improve certain aspects of their game.
While Jalmaro Calvin (8th) and Christopher Ainsworth (60th) got the goals for Cavalier, Port of Spain seemed the more dominant team at one point, but for their faulty shooting and some good glove work by Vino Barclett in goal for Cavalier at times.
However, the Trinidad and Tobago team ended with some consolation, courtesy of captain Duane Muckette’s 71st-minute strike.
With the win, Cavalier, who drew their opening contest 1-1 with another Trinidad and Tobago outfit Defence Force, assumed pole position in Group A on four points. Defence Force, who defeated Golden Lion of Martinique 1-0 on Wednesday, also moved to four points, but are second with an inferior goal difference.
Dominican Republic representative Moca FC are third on three points, with Golden Lion and Port of Spain, still without a point.
Speid agreed as much that his players lacked fitness and their drop in performance at certain points in the game, could have proved costly.
“It’s a new team and we’re trying to rebuild, but it’s three points and we were able to get them. This is our second game of the season, so you have to give and take. We’re not pleased, but we have another match on (September 19th) and we’ll put in some work to that end,” Speid said in a post-game press conference.
“We were doing some things wrong, but then in the second half, we kind of fixed it, but it’s a long road. We’re happy for the break so we’ll move on and get better as we progress,” he added.
After Calvin fired home from a Ronaldo Robinson assist, Cavalier, instead of pressing home the early ascendancy, opted to sit back and absorb consistent pressure, forcing their St Lucian goalkeeper Barclett to do more than he would have hoped.
In the 15th minute, Port of Spain’s midfielder John Paul Rochford was allowed space and time on the ball to get a right-footed shot off from a distance which was parried by Barclett diving full stretch to his left.
Cavalier again rode their luck in the 26th minute when defender Jeovanni Laing was dispossessed deep inside their quarters, paving the way for Che Benny to test his accuracy with a clever effort that kissed the crossbar on its way out.
Port of Spain again went close to pulling level on the stroke of the half-time interval, but Barclett again came up big with reflex save to deny Tyrone Charles, who twirled his way around two defenders to make space for the right-footed shot.
Things were a bit more balanced on the resumption, as Cavalier again showed life on the attacking front and caused a few problems for their Trinidadian counterparts.
But it wasn’t until the hour-mark that they extended the lead from a well-worked counterattacking play. It was orchestrated by Calvin, who picked out an unmarked Ainsworth at the top of the 18-yard box and the young player, sporting the number 11 jersey, maintained his composure to put a left-footed effort beyond Marvin Phillip in goal for Port of Spain.
Down, but not out, Port of Spain fought on bravely and pulled one back through Muckette, who expertly headed past the well-advanced Barclett, who was left in no-man’s land.
Port of Spain’s Head Coach Walter Noriega also rued his team’s sub-par display.
“It’s a disappointing result. I think the boys didn’t execute in the attacking play because we dominated possession, but possession doesn’t win you games. We’ll work on the finishing part and the execution,” he shared.
For their next assignments, Cavalier will play host to Moca on Tuesday, September 19, while Port of Spain will host Golden Lion a day prior.
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