Simpson has a point to prove
Cavalier’s captain Kamoy Simpson says the team will go into today’s Jamaica Premier League (JPL) final against Waterhouse at the UWI-JFF Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence to prove that youngsters can win at the highest level in local football.
The 29-year-old Simpson, one of a few Cavalier players over age 25, said being the youngest-ever team to qualify for the national football final is a special achievement in itself.
However, he said they are ready to be upsetters on the day to make their statement and start a dynasty.
“This is the youngest team to reach this level of the competition. It is a special occasion for each player as the club, after 40 years, is making it back to the final. So overall it is a great feeling to be here.
“It has been so long and this very young group of warriors has made it to the final, and we want to make a statement that young talent can win at the highest level,” he said.
KEEP FOCUS AND EXECUTE
“On the day we have to go out and keep our cool and execute the right things at the right time. We will have to keep our focus, ask for God’s help, and at the end of the 90 minutes we are looking to come out victorious. But we have to execute on the day,” he insisted.
He believes Cavalier’s performance over the course of the season deserves some reward.
The team will also welcome the return of Ronaldo Webster. Webster missed the semi-finals because of injury. The Cavalier captain expects a grand display from the team’s attacking trio of Shaniel Thomas, Webster and Dwayne Atkinson in the final.
“We played very well throughout the season and deserve a place in the final. The team is not nervous about the game. We have a close bond within the squad and it has become greater since we qualified for the final. So we are very comfortable going into the final,” Simpson said.
“Webster, Thomas and Atkinson will be real threats in today’s final,” added Simpson, who was made club captain this season after the departure of former captain Chevonne Marsh, who now plays for A.D.R. Jicaral in the Costa Rica Primera Division.