Cavalier oh Cavalier!

CAVALIER SC are through to the final of the Concacaf Caribbean Club Championship after a destructive second-leg performance against Moca FC out of the Dominican Republic at the National Stadium yesterday.

The 7-0 win, inspired by a Shaquille Stein hat-trick and a Kaile Auvray brace, came after the two played to a goalless first-leg draw in the Dominican Republic on Thursday.

Cavalier were out of the blocks quickly, opening the scoring in the second minute as Auvray outfoxed Moca’s custodian Miguel Báez, shooting to his nearpost.

By the sixth minute,, Stein made it 2-0, placing a header neatly inside the Moca FC net.

As they continued to wreck the visitors, Christopher Ainsworth converted from the penalty spot in the 39th minute, and Stein completed his brace in first-half added time (45+3).

A halftime brawl reduced the visitors to nine men, with Moca FC goalie, Báez, and Jesús Correa given red cards. Cavalier made good use of the numerical advantage pumping in three second-half goals.

Auvray in the 52nd, Stein in the 61st, and Atkinson’s panenka-style spot kick in the 79th meant that the Jamaica Premier League champions will be playing their second consecutive Concacaf final.

Rudolph Speid, head coach of Cavalier, said the result, while pleasing, was surprising, given his knowledge of Moca’s quality.

“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,” he said.

With the win, and by virtue of making the final, Cavalier also punched their ticket to the 2025 Champions Cup.

Cavalier will face the winner of the semi-final tie between Real Hope of Haiti and Cibao of the Dominican Republic.

The two play their second-leg games today with Cibao leading the tie 3-2.

Real hope were the home team, though the game was played at PUCMM stadium in Santiago de los Caballeros in the Dominican Republic.

The second leg game is set for the same stadium at 7 p.m.

orane.buchanan@gleanerjm.com