Nodley Wright, Freelance Writer
Portmore United's Woolery Wolfe. (left) - Carlington Wilmot Photo and Harbour View's Donald Stewart. (right) - Ian Allen Photo
ONLY SUPPORTERS of the traditional knockout competitions where lower League teams get the opportunity to overpower their more fancied opponents could have asked for more in today's Red Stripe Champions Cup knockout final.
Impartial supporters and
general football lovers should have a ball today when the top two football teams in the country meet to decide the champions
at 5:00 p.m. at the National Stadium. The venue could not be more fitting.
Competing for the winner's cheque of $500,000 and the Red Stripe Champions Cup will be Portmore United and Harbour View. The losers will take home $300,000.
Both teams have had some close encounters all season with Portmore enjoying a slight edge having won twice in their three meetings, each time by a single goal. Harbour View on the other hand should have reason to be optimistic having won their last encounter 1-0, playing away from home.
Both teams were last in action midweek where they both played Trelawny opposition. Portmore United disposed of the stronger of the two, Portmore 2-0 at Ferdie Neita Park while Harbour lost 0-1 at Jarrett Park.
NOT WORRIED
Normally one would be
worried about such a result against a lowly team, heading on to the final of a competition
but not Harbour View coach Donovan Hayles.
"I don't think it has affected the players mentally. I would want to put that result down to carelessness and I do not see that happening again, especially against Portmore," Hayles told The Sunday Gleaner ahead of today's crucial match.
The fact that they are playing Portmore United and that the game is a final 'should keep them on a mental edge'.
The players, he said, have responded positively in training since that defeat and are in good spirits heading into today's game, one from which thoughts of second place are given little thought. Winning is all that is on their minds.
PATIENT GAME
"First of all, we will have to play a patient game. Once we do not get too anxious in trying to put them away too early, we should be on the right track," Hayles offered.
Harbour View have the players who can lead them to victory in midfielders Jermaine Hue, Lovel Palmer and Donald Stewart. Robert Scarlett, Damion Stewart, and forwards Luton Shelton, Jomo Gordon and Nicholas McCreath would make any other team happy.
Portmore who just regained the lead of the Wray and Nephew National Premier League in
midweek from Harbour View who had taken it from them a week earlier, are no slouches. Despite being affected by injuries rules of the competition, which limit the number of players a club can register, Portmore have just as much talent as Harbour View, if not more.
Portmore coach Paul Young, not a man to read too much into names, is expecting a competitive game.
"This should be another tough encounter because what you
really have are two quality teams going up against each other. It is a final so we have to be very smart and limit the turnovers and play a disciplined tactical game in order to get the better of Harbour View," he explained before adding: "Whichever teams makes less errors will win."
The injuries have knocked Portmore off their stride a bit but Young is not worried about his players showing up and not performing. He is convinced that they will deliver the goods.
Portmore have balance
all around with the Grenada international Anthony Modeste
playing in central defence while another veteran, Chris Dawes, plays in the centre of defence.
In terms of breaking the opposition, the players Harbour View will be looking to are the intelligent Kevin Deerr, Oneil McDonald, Roen Nelson and Anthony Morrison.
But while both teams pack good firepower, their salvation could come from their goalkeepers. Portmore's Shawn Sawyers is considered the country's number one goalkeeper while Leighton Murray and Ryan Thompson have at times served as his
assistant.
