Cavalier targeting Lynk Cup title
Published:Friday | May 12, 2023 | 1:12 AMDaniel Wheeler/Staff Reporter
Having secured a first-round bye in the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) playoffs, Cavalier will be hoping to navigate through a long road to a potential double-winning domestic season as they face Dunbeholden in the first leg of their Lynk Cup semi-final today at 8 p.m. at the Stadium East Field.
Both teams have secured passages to the JPL playoffs. Cavalier gained second place and a direct berth into the semi-finals while Dunbeholden qualified for the playoffs on the final day of the regular season and now face a quarterfinal tie with Mount Pleasant.
Cavalier will have an easier schedule to navigate than their opponents Dunbeholden. Technical director Rudolph Speid said after their Lynk Cup quarterfinal win over Mount Pleasant that securing a top-two league finish would be crucial to their chances of challenging on both fronts, having not won the all-island knock-out competition in the club’s history.
“One of the main things that we have to make sure of is a top-two place so we don’t have to play that extra game,” Speid said.
Cavalier and Dunbeholden have had contrasting paths to the final four. While Cavalier edged Mount Pleasant 2-1 in their quarterfinal tie, Dunbeholden overcame Tivoli Gardens on penalties after levelling the series 2-2 in their quarterfinal.
After a season that started far lower than the highs they experienced in 2022 when they went all the way to the JPL final, Dunbeholden head coach Harold Thomas believes that the team is coming together at the right time.
“The club has always had this mindset and the belief that they can compete at the highest level. We were a little bit disappointed with the first half of the season, but it is a work in progress still. We still have a lot of work to do,” Thomas said on April 21. “It has been a challenging season for us for some other reasons, but the lads are coming into their own now, and they will do well.”
The first game of the double-header will see reigning JPL champions Harbour View take on Portmore United at 5:30 p.m. Harbour View defeated Chapelton Maroons 3-2 on aggregate en route to the semi-finals while Portmore United survived a late surge to defeat Molynes United 4-3 on aggregate.
Lynk Cup semi-finals at Stadium East field
Habour View vs Portmore United - 5:30 p.m
Cavalier vs Dunbeholden - 8 p.m