Battle-weary Cavalier looking to climb into third
Published:Sunday | December 15, 2024 | 12:11 AMLivingston Scott - Sunday Gleaner Writer
Cavalier Soccer Club will climb to third in the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) football competition should they defeat Chapelton Maroons in today’s lone game, at Sabina Park at 4 p.m.
The game is one of three first-round matches that are outstanding for the defending champions because they were participating in the Concacaf Caribbean Club championship, which they won two weeks ago.
Cavalier defeated Arnett 2-1 in the first of their rescheduled matches on Thursday, and will complete their first-round fixtures against Montego Bay United on Wednesday.
Rudolph Speid, Cavalier’s head coach, says the hectic schedule has been draining his players, but noted that they are winners and will seek the best way to get the points.
“We played Sunday (Molynes United FC), we played on Thursday and play Sunday (today) again, and in the week, again we will travel to play MoBay, and then we have a next game (Humble Lion) on Sunday again.
“It is really unfair. I have been talking to them (Competition’s Committee) about it but the people who make up fixtures, sometimes they just don’t understand what players go through physically. It is very rough for 90 minutes,” he commented.
“They (players) are being overworked. There’s no two ways about that. They are in the red zone. So, anytime now they can pull up, as a lot of them have niggling injuries and they cannot heal because they have no time to get the injuries healed,” Speid reasoned.
“We are playing some really hard games, some very intense matches surrounded by our (Caribbean) celebrations. So we just have to do the best we can during this period.”
Cavalier sit fifth in the table tied on 22 points with sixth-placed Portmore United.
Mount Pleasant lead the table on 28 points, followed by Waterhouse on 27, then Arnett Gardens on 25 and MoBay United on 24.
A win for Cavalier would lift them to 25 points and ahead of Waterhouse on goal difference. Speid emphasised the importance of getting the win if they are to continue their climb up the standings in a clustered top six.
“We will be positive and keep things in perspective. We will assess the situation and go for it,” he said.
“Dwayne Atkinson will be out. He picked up a grave injury against Arnett Gardens and will be out for more than one game,” the coach shared. “But we will not back down. We we will do what we have to do because we need the points. Things are very close in the top six. So we are hoping for a positive result.”
Athough Chapelton Maroons are struggling at the foot of the table with just nine points from 12 games, and they are winless in their last eight, Speid does not expect this to be a walkover.
“I don’t think so, because there are no easy games in the Premier League. They also have a new coach and you have to remember the new-coach syndrome,” he said.
“It should give them a bounce, let them train a little harder and try to make a statement. So I don’t think it is going to be any easier. I think it is going to be much more difficult for us because they were resting on Thursday and we were playing one of the form teams in Arnett Gardens.
“So, the truth is, we are struggling physically, but my players do not know how to lose. They will have to beat us. We will not give them anything.”
Several attempts to reach Chapelton Maroons’ coaching personnel for a comment proved futile.