Nodley Wright, Freelance Writer
THE 2004-2005 Wray and Nephew National Premier League season will draw closer to its conclusion with the first-leg semi-final doubleheader at the National Stadium today starting at 5:00 p.m.
In the opening game, 2003 champions and last year's beaten finalists Portmore United will go up against 1997 champions Waterhouse. The 7:00 p.m. feature will see defending champions Tivoli Gardens tackling 1999 winners and this season's points champions Harbour View.
This evening's games should be a treat for football lovers as they should be keenly contested not just because they are the top four teams in the country but the quality of players who will be on display as well as the coaching knowledge at hand.
The Portmore United/Waterhouse game will see the old pro Geoffrey Maxwell, the man who moulded Waterhouse into the contenders they are today and the one who has guided them to their only national championship so far, going up against the impressive young talent Paul Young.
DOMINANT PERFORMANCE
Since taking over Portmore United in the second round, Young led his team to a dominant performance which included a win in the end of second round final.
Subsequent to that, their form had been inconsistent. What Young has at his disposal is probably the deepest team in the whole country and the best performing group of young players blended with crafty veterans such as former national
utility players Christopher Dawes and Anthony Modeste.
Dawes and Modeste should provide a stable background from which the likes of Kevin Deerr, Roen Nelson, Omar Daley, Wolry Wolfe and company can build. Add to that, national goalkeeper Shawn Sawyers and Portmore will be difficult to beat.
FIGHTERS
Waterhouse have always been fighters and no one has been able to get them to fight as hard as Maxwell. Added to the fight he is known to get out of his players are the presence of players that he has groomed such as Damion Powell, Irvino English, Kevin Lamey and Craig White.
Those players are complemented by the likes of Richard West, Desmond Breakenridge, Demar Phillips and goalkeeper Richard McCallum.
If the head-to-head matchups between the teams are to be used as a guide, then Waterhouse could have the edge having won twice, drawn once and lost once.
Importantly, their only loss to Portmore was in the end of second round final. That could mean that Portmore win when it matters most but Waterhouse could console themselves by the fact that that win did not come in open play.
Tivoli's Glendon 'Admiral' Bailey may not get enough credit as a football man but at all levels that he has coached he has achieved. Last season he took a team that was woefully short on personnel to the championship. This year, with a deeper unit, more is expected of him.
BEST STRETCHES
Harbour View deservedly copped the million-dollar bonus for ending the season with the most points. This is because they have had the best stretches in the league.
Outside of their obvious talent on the field, Harbour View have the best structure in the league with a coaching staff of Donovan Hayles and Barrington Gaynor as well as manager Vin Blaine, all of whom are quite detailed.
In terms of players, Harbour View's Jermaine Hue could be regarded as the man expected to have the greatest impact on the game. That is if he turns up in the mood. If he does, he should be assisted by the likes of fellow national players Robert Scarlett, Lovel Palmer, Jermaine Taylor and sharp young forward Luton Shelton.
GOOD COVERAGE IN GOAL
In goal Harbour View should have good coverage be it Leighton Murray or Ryan Thompson between the sticks.
With 23 goals in the season including two hat-tricks and a double in the last round which prompted a recall to the national team, Tivoli Gardens' Christopher Nicholas, the top scorer in the league, should fancy himself against any defensive unit. Tivoli Gardens will pin their hopes on him with the likes of Roland Dean, Steve Green, Kemar Mills and Markeino Gillings providing support.
TODAY'S GAMES
Portmore United vs Waterhouse - 5:00 p.m.
Tivoli Gardens vs Harbour View - 7:00 p.m.
