Defending champions Cavalier SC delivered a commanding 2-0 victory over a 10-man Waterhouse FC at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex on Sunday, climbing to the top of the Jamaica Premier League standings. Early goals from Jalmaro Calvin and Dwayne Atkinson sealed the win, leaving Waterhouse struggling after goalkeeper Kemar Foster was sent off in the first half.

Cavalier wasted little time asserting their dominance. Calvin fired the opening goal in the 12th minute after Atkinson skillfully turned his defender inside out and set up Calvin to score from six yards out. The defending champions nearly doubled their lead in the 24th minute, but Adrian Reid Jr couldn’t convert a free kick from close range.

Waterhouse’s fortunes worsened in the 32nd minute when a poor back pass from Nickoy Christian forced goalkeeper Kemar Foster into a last-ditch tackle outside the box, resulting in a straight red card. With substitute goalkeeper John Wilson brought on, the pressure mounted. Just three minutes after entering the game, Wilson's pass from the back was intercepted by Atkinson, who slotted home to make it 2-0.

Atkinson nearly added a third goal two minutes before halftime, rattling the crossbar after more defensive errors from Waterhouse. Despite being a man down, Waterhouse showed resilience in the second half, with Elvis Wilson coming close to pulling one back with a towering header that Cavalier’s goalkeeper Vino Barclett had to save at full stretch.

However, Cavalier continued to exploit Waterhouse’s defensive lapses, with Shaquille Stein hitting the post in the 55th minute after another error at the back. Waterhouse failed to mount a significant comeback, and Cavalier comfortably saw out the match to claim their second win of the season.

The victory lifts Cavalier to seven points, one ahead of Harbour View, who secured a 2-1 victory over Molynes United earlier in the day.

Elsewhere, Humble Lion were left frustrated after conceding a stoppage-time equalizer in a 1-1 draw with Vere United at the Wembley Centre of Excellence. Dominating much of the match despite the wet conditions, Humble Lion took the lead in the 73rd minute through a penalty from Karim Bryan after Vere defender Michael Forbes was sent off for bringing down Andre Clennon in the box.

However, Vere, despite being a man down, fought back in the dying moments of the game. Substitute schoolboy Kishane Gordon found the back of the net in stoppage time, slotting home after a neat pass from Josiah Daniel to snatch a point for Vere United.

Harbour View made their return to their home ground at Compound a successful one, securing a 2-1 win over Molynes United. The victory moves Harbour View to six points, just behind Cavalier on the Jamaica Premier League table.

In the late game on Sunday, Arnett Gardens and Racing United played to a exciting 1-1 draw.

Reigning Jamaica Premier League champions Cavalier SC began their title defense in dramatic fashion with a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Portmore United at Sabina Park on Sunday. Cavalier, who lost twice to Portmore United last season, found themselves trailing early after Tarick Ximines gave Portmore the lead in the 19th minute. However, Cavalier responded swiftly with Jalmaro Calvin netting the equalizer just six minutes later.

The turning point came in the 60th minute when an own goal from Portmore’s Akeem Mullings handed Cavalier the decisive advantage, securing all three points to kick off their season on a high note.

Elsewhere in the Jamaica Premier League, Vere United rebounded from their opening loss to Montego Bay United with a 3-1 win over Molynes United. Roshawn Oldfield opened the scoring for Vere in the 11th minute, but Jeremy Nelson quickly equalized two minutes later. Vere, determined to avoid another setback, restored their lead in the 25th minute through Denzel McKenzie before Romarion Thomas sealed the win with a late goal in added time.

Promoted side Racing United also celebrated their first-ever win in the top flight, edging Dunbeholden FC 1-0. Mikyle Williams' 40th-minute strike proved the difference, earning Racing United a valuable three points after their narrow 1-0 loss to Waterhouse FC in their opening game.

Meanwhile, Humble Lion and Tivoli Gardens played to a 0-0 stalemate, with both teams settling for a point in a tightly contested match.

The early rounds of the Jamaica Premier League have already delivered plenty of action, with Cavalier SC's comeback setting the tone for what promises to be another thrilling season.

The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) has announced that on August 31, its First Instance Body, awarded regional licenses to 11 clubs participating in this season’s Jamaica Premier League (JPL): Arnett Gardens FC, Cavalier SC, Dunbeholden FC, Harbour View FC, Montego Bay United FC, Mount Pleasant FA, Portmore United FC, Racing United FC, Tivoli Gardens FC, Vere United FC and Waterhouse FC participating in this season’s Jamaica Premier League (JPL).

The remaining 3 clubs - Chapelton Maroons FC, Humble Lion FC and Molynes United FC - received domestic licenses, meaning they will not be eligible for the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Caribbean Cup or the CONCACAF Caribbean Cup if they finish in the top three of the JPL standings at the end of the season.

Each club was required to meet the minimum criteria outlined in the 2018 JFF Club Licensing Regulations. This season’s achievement of awarding 11 regional licenses marks a significant increase from last season, when only four clubs – Arnett Gardens FC, Cavalier SC, Harbour View FC and Mount Pleasant FA - received regional licenses.

Club licensing, introduced by FIFA, is a key element in promoting the professionalization of football worldwide. This system is based on principles-driven criteria and establishes minimum standards that clubs must meet to obtain a license and participate in competitions.

The Club Licensing Regulations focus on five key areas: Administration, Sporting, Financial, Infrastructure, and Legal. The goal of these regulations is to standardize and elevate football club management globally.

Carlene Edwards, Chairwoman of the First Instance Body, expressed gratitude for the commitment displayed by the clubs in meeting the requirements.

She stated, “The process was challenging initially, as we needed to review and update clubs simultaneously, ensuring they submitted correct and updated documents while adhering to established deadlines in the Club Licensing Regulations Support Manual. Nevertheless, we remained dedicated to the task and successfully delivered all decisions within the stipulated timeframe. We look forward to continuing our collaborative relationship with the clubs and anticipate achieving 100 percent compliance in delivering regional licenses next season.”

In a statement, Michael Ricketts, President of the Jamaica Football Federation, emphasized the Federation’s commitment to supporting the club licensing process.

He stated, “I am incredibly proud of our clubs for their dedication and hard work in achieving club licensing. This milestone not only reflects their commitment to excellence but also underscores our promise to elevate football in Jamaica. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the First Instance Body for their tireless efforts in ensuring we meet our commitments to CONCACAF. Their diligence in overseeing the licensing process has been crucial in raising the standards of our football community. JFF remains dedicated to empowering our clubs as they strive to excel on both national and regional stages.”

The next category of stakeholders to be on boarded in the Club Licensing process will include the Women’s Premier League teams and the JFF Championship teams.

Cavalier SC and Mount Pleasant Academy both expressed optimism ahead of their clash to open the 2024 CONCACAF Caribbean Cup at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica on Tuesday.

The two teams most recently met in a thrilling final of the Jamaica Premier League in May which Cavalier won 4-3 in a penalty shoot-out. 

Head Coach of Cavalier, Rudolph Speid, doesn't expect that result to give his side a mental edge going into Tuesday's clash.

"The phenomenon of this clash is that every time we meet, Mount Pleasant has a new team and we have a lot of changes. It's a new game all over and we just expect to win this particular game," he said in a pre-match press conference on Monday.

The teams will compete in Group A of the ten-team tournament alongside fellow JPL outfit Arnett Gardens FC, Real Hope FC out of Haiti and Police FC out of Trinidad & Tobago.

Cavalier were runners-up in last year’s inaugural edition of the CONCACAF Caribbean Cup, losing the two-legged final by a combined score of 3-0 to Surinamese outfit Robinhood FC.

Something synonymous with Cavalier over the years is their willingness to use young players and Head Coach Rudolph Speid says this will continue to be the team’s policy going forward.

“We don’t have much new faces. Some of the younger players from our youth teams are the ones that have stepped up. That has been our policy and our motto. Every single year, Cavalier will field young players who came through our ranks.”

Despite this inexperience, Speid expects good things from his players when the time comes.

“They know what to expect. Some of them have pretty big shoes to fill and I’m confident that they will do well,” he said.

Trinidadian attacker Kaile Auvray, who joined Cavalier from Mount Pleasant recently, is hopeful that his insight on his former team will give them an added advantage tomorrow.

“Obviously being a former Mount Pleasant player, I know my former teammates very well so I’ll be sure to communicate things that can help us be successful,” he said.

On the other hand, this will be Mount Pleasant Academy’s first time competing in the CONCACAF Caribbean Cup, an achievement that is not lost on Head Coach Harold Thomas.

“It’s been a long-awaited arrival for Mount Pleasant at this level. Our preparation has been relatively smooth. Short period of time but we were able to implement all the things we wanted to. We’re happy with where we are,” he said.

“We are all excited as a club,” said Mount Pleasant skipper Sue-Lae McCalla about playing in their first CONCACAF Caribbean Cup.

“It’s a good feeling. For a new club, the first time so it’s a lot of excitement for us,” he added.

Normally, playing in a tournament of this magnitude for the first time would have a team feeling some pressure.

For Coach Thomas, however, this is not the case.

“Absolutely not,” was his response to questions about whether or not his team is feeling the pressure ahead of tomorrow’s game.

“This is what we live for. For us, it’s just a matter of getting all things right,” he said.

Mount Pleasant Football Club, the 2023 Jamaica Premier League (JPL) champions, has announced that the contracts of head coach Theodore Whitmore and his technical staff will not be renewed. The club is set to embark on a new direction that aligns Mount Pleasant Academy with the Football Club.

Mount Pleasant announced that the contracts of Whitmore and his staff will expire on July 31, 2024. In a statement, the club cited the need for a new direction as the reason for the change.

"The club is embarking on a new direction which synchronizes Mount Pleasant Academy and Mount Pleasant Football Club," the statement read. "Mount Pleasant will shortly announce a new technical team to chart the course of the club. The club is committed to achieving all the sporting goals and objectives entering this new phase and new direction."

Whitmore, who joined Mount Pleasant in July 2022, led the team to its first JPL title last year, triumphing over Cavalier 2-1 in the finals. His tenure followed his departure from the national senior men's football team in December 2021.

Mount Pleasant relinquished their title when they lost to Cavalier 3-4 on penalties in the 2024 final.

Following the success in 2023, an elated owner Peter Goule told Sportsmax.TV highlighted the club's long-term vision. "We are pretty excited, we have put a lot of work into the academy and the platform is well and truly set to accomplish all that we want to. It will take a few years to build a complete institution, but we have people willing to come along and help us to move to another level, so we firmly believe we will be able to get there and put Jamaica’s football on the map the real way," he said then.

It has now become apparent that Coach Whitmore will not be part of that vision.

"The club wishes to express profound gratitude to Coach Whitmore and his technical team for their leadership over the past two seasons which brought glory and success to the club. Their invaluable contribution has seen Mount Pleasant Football Academy make an indelible mark in the Jamaica Premier League and in the parish of St Ann. We wish them all the best in their endeavours going forward."

Whitmore's departure marks a significant change for Mount Pleasant as they look to build on their recent success and continue their development both on and off the pitch.

Cavalier SC secured their third Jamaica Premier League title in thrilling fashion on Sunday night, defeating defending champions Mount Pleasant FA 4-3 on penalties at the National Stadium in Kingston.

After a hard-fought 1-1 draw in regulation and extra time, the match was decided by a tense penalty shootout. Cavalier SC goalkeeper Vino Barclett emerged as the hero, making two crucial saves during the shootout. Nicholas Hamilton, who entered the game late in extra time, sealed the victory with the decisive penalty.

Mount Pleasant had taken the lead in the 65th minute through Devonte Campbell, whose well-placed shot found the net. However, Cavalier SC quickly responded just two minutes later when Richard King leveled the score from close range.

Despite both teams pushing for a winner in extra time, neither could break the deadlock, leading to the drama of penalties. Initially trailing 0-2 in the shootout, Cavalier SC staged a remarkable comeback, holding their nerve to prevail 4-3.

 In the playoff for third place earlier in the day, Arnett Gardens secured a convincing 4-1 victory over Waterhouse.

 Cavalier SC's triumph marks a significant achievement for the club, avenging last year's final defeat to Mount Pleasant and showcasing their resilience and determination throughout the season.

Dwayne ‘Busy’ Atkinson scored his sixth and arguably most crucial goal of the Wray & Nephew Jamaica Premier League season when he netted the opening goal for Cavalier FC against Arnett Gardens FC in their return leg semi-final at Sabina Park on Sunday.

With the tie delicately poised at 1-1 after the first leg, it was evident that in a match defined by fine margins, the first goal in the return leg would be pivotal.

The match was only 15 minutes old when Atkinson converted from the penalty spot to put the ball in the back of the net, giving Cavalier a 1-0 lead on the day and a 2-1 advantage on aggregate.

A stunning strike by Adrian Reid in the sixth minute of added time at the end of the first half then provided last season’s runners-up with a perfect 2-0 cushion heading into halftime. Keith Simpson's stoppage-time goal in the 94th minute was only a consolation for Waterhouse, as the game concluded 3-2 on aggregate in favor of Cavalier.

Atkinson was just 19 years old when he clinched the title with Cavalier in 2021. Having gained valuable experience overseas playing in Iceland last year, he hopes that the lessons learned in Europe will prove beneficial when they face Mount Pleasant FA in the final for a second consecutive season.

The designated penalty taker for Cavalier revealed that he was confident when he stepped up to take the spot-kick against Arnett Gardens goalkeeper Eric Edwards.

 He also emphasized the importance of scoring first for Cavalier to quieten the vocal Arnett Gardens fan base.

 “It was really important for us to take the lead against a team like Arnett, who have such a large fan base,” he noted.

 While expressing confidence ahead of Sunday’s showdown against the reigning champions, Atkinson remained mindful of the threat they pose.

 “I am very confident of victory, but Mount Pleasant is a very good team, so I need to put in a lot of work with the boys and stay focused for this one,” said the diminutive winger.

 Last year’s painful defeat in the final has been a driving force for Cavalier all season, especially for Atkinson and his teammate Richard King, who were both playing for Vestmannaeyjar FC in Iceland at this time last year.

 They both missed the final and are thrilled to have the opportunity to rectify last year’s disappointment.

 Atkinson admitted that it was agonizing to watch from afar and not be able to assist his team, but he is now ready to claim his second premier league title come Sunday.

 “I have no words to describe how I felt last year, not being able to help my teammates, but I was playing for another team in another league at that time. This season, we have worked hard and have been dedicated to achieving our championship goals.”

 “It would mean a lot to me and my teammates to win this season because, as you can see, there is a lot of talk going around that Cavalier only won the JPL during ‘corona time,’ so winning this one would be fantastic,” he explained.

 Surprisingly, Atkinson says he would have preferred to play the final at Sabina Park.

 “I would have preferred to play the final at Sabina Park instead of the National Stadium because it has a better pitch than the stadium.”

 The 22-year-old is gearing up to put on a show in the final with hopes of securing another overseas contract at the end of it all.

 “I believe that an outstanding performance in the final could help me secure another overseas contract, so I want to deliver for my team,” he acknowledged.

 Cavalier and Mount Pleasant will battle it out in the Wray & Nephew Jamaica Premier League finals at the National Stadium on Sunday, May 19, starting at 6:30 pm.

NB: The Jamaica Premier League final will be aired live on Sportsmax.

FC Cincinnati asserted their dominance in the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup Round One series, securing a convincing 2-0 victory over Jamaican club Cavalier in the first leg at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica.

The match witnessed early and intense action, with both teams having promising opportunities to score within a span of 30 seconds. Sergio Santos of FC Cincinnati initiated the action, heading a shot at Cavalier goalkeeper Jeadine White. In response, Cavalier's Orlando Russell's shot at goal was thwarted by a save from FC Cincinnati custodian Roman Celetano.

Santos came close to breaking the deadlock in the 34th minute, striking the crossbar with a powerful shot. However, his persistence paid off just before half-time when Bret Halsey found Santos, who skillfully slotted home a shot, giving FC Cincinnati a 1-0 lead.

In the second half, Cavalier aimed to stage a comeback and tested the FC Cincinnati defense. A crucial moment occurred in the 64th minute, with Shaniel Thomas, the top scorer in the 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Cup, seemed poised to take a shot but FC Cincinnati's Yuya Kubo intervened with a last-ditch slide tackle, clearing the imminent threat.

Determined to further assert their dominance, FC Cincinnati sought a second goal and they came close in the 82nd minute when Pavel Bucha unleashed a volley from a corner kick that grazed the crossbar.

The coveted second goal materialized for FC Cincinnati in the 87th minute, orchestrated by a slick back heel from Arquimides Ordonez. Malik Pinto sealed the deal with a powerful and well-placed right-footed finish, securing the 2-0 victory and putting Cavalier on the ropes as FC Cincinnati will carry this advantage into the next leg, aiming to advance further in the competition.

Jamaica Premier League club, Portmore United Football Club has signed national player Alex Marshall on a two-and-a-half-year contract.

Former Cavalier SC and Jamaica player William ‘Roy’ Welch died on Saturday night at the University Hospital of the West Indies. He was 73. Welch, who was admitted to hospital a week ago, died at 11:59 pm Saturday after a prolonged battle with prostate cancer.

 Defender Kyle Ming scored in the 84th minute to hand Cavalier a hard-fought 1-0 win over Vere United and seal a semi-final spot in the Jamaica Premier League on Saturday.

During the match played at the UWI-JFF Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence, Ming latched onto a beautiful defence-splitting pass from Melvin Doxilly and fired past the advancing goalkeeper Kadeem Davis.

It was a crucial win for Cavalier that saw them leapfrog both Tivoli Gardens and Mount Pleasant into second place and an automatic semi-final playoff spot. With their fifth win of the season, Cavalier now have 18 points, the same as Mount Pleasant but with a superior goal difference.

Waterhouse FC leads the league with 19 points.

Clarendon-based Vere United was suffering their fourth defeat and remained in fifth on 15 points.

This result also means that both Waterhouse and Cavalier will earn a bye into the semi-finals as the top two teams while Vere United will clash with fourth-placed Tivoli Gardens in the two-legged quarter-final playoff.

The other quarterfinal playoff will see third-placed Mount Pleasant will meet sixth-placed Harbour View also over two legs.

The winners of these two playoff series will face Waterhouse and Cavalier in the semi-final round.

Winning coach Rudolph Speid of Cavalier was satisfied with his young team improving with every game.

“We were playing too conservative because we were aware of the counter but in the second half, if you noticed, Kyle Ming started pushing up a lot more, getting more aggressive with his runs and that was a plan for us and it paid off,” Speid explained.

“Early in the season, we were playing for players to have personal milestones but in the latter, it’s all teamwork now and we playing for the team now.”

Meanwhile, losing coach Donovan Duckie said there is nothing they could have done to prevent that goal as the pass was world-class.

“It was a brilliant pass. It’s been a while since I have seen a pass break three lines and kudos to Cavalier. They would have advanced to the second spot and we are in the top six,” said Duckie.

“We are looking forward to the first game in the quarterfinal and we are looking to return to full strength. Our short term goals are there and it is a reality for us to compete for the title and we are in it to win it.”  

Two goals in four minutes spurred Cavalier to a 3-0 win over Arnett Gardens as actions continued in the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) at the JFF-UWI/Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence on Saturday.

After playing second fiddle for most of the game, Cavalier struck decisively in the 52^nd minute when Shaniel Thomas slotted home from a Ronaldo Webster cross. Four minutes later, Melvin Doxilly’s scissor kick made it 2-0. Thomas would his second goal in the 79th minute slotting home from close range after Dwayne Atkinson’s shot rebounded off the crossbar.

It was a brilliant build-up involving Atkinson, who combined well with Kamoy Simpson to split the Arnett backline.

The win meant that Cavalier moved to the top of the JPL standings with seven points from four games while Arnett Gardens remained in eighth spot on three points from three games.

It was their first loss to Cavalier in their last five meetings, Arnett Gardens should have taken the lead in the sixth minute when Steve Clarke picked out Renaldo Cephas in the box but the latter dragged his shot wide.

They would dominate the half taking 11 shots at goal. Cavalier, meanwhile, failed to register a single shot.

Arnett began the second half well with Hardley Barnes firing just wide in the 48th minute.

However, Cavalier gradually began to turn things around and ended the game brilliantly by a margin that could have been wider Shaniel Thomas’ goal not been ruled out for offside.

St Lucian defender Melvin Doxilly, who started in midfield, was named Man-of-the-Match for his scissor-kick goal.

“It was an amazing goal. I told myself I will score today and I want to say thanks to the Most High for making me score my goal today,” said Doxilly.

Meanwhile, Cavalier’s assistant coach Everdean Scarlett was happy for the win. “It’s a game of two halves. The first half they had the better of us but at half-time, we went in and made some changes. We decided that we are going to press Arnett more and get into the spaces,” said Scarlett.

Losing coach Alex Thomas said his young team still has a lot to learn.

“We have to learn to play both halves, first and second. We played a wonderful first half and in the second we came out flat and gave up some simple goals. But we have to learn, they are young and we are in a rebuilding process and we just have to keep working.”

Defender Andre Dyce’s fifth-minute goal lead Dunbeholden FC to a 1-0 win over Cavalier SC in their Jamaica Premier League encounter at the Stadium East field.