Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter

Defending champions Harbour View will open the new season against a surging Olympic Gardens, as the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Sherwin Williams Women's League kicks off at Cling Cling Oval at 3:30 p.m. today.

Certainly one of the more dominant teams in local football in recent times, Harbour View were the toast of the women's football world last season, winning both the league and knockout competition.

Their aim will be to produce similar results this year and Harbour View coach Vin Blaine is confident that the champs will havea good start to the season.

"Traditionally we don't perform as well as we should when we play against some of these teams on smaller pitches, but we are well prepared and looking for a good result," he said.

"We have been training since about May, the girls are in good shape and are just rearing to get the new season underway," he added.

Unlike Harbour View, who have received a bye into the second round of the Sherwin Williams knockout competition, Olympic Gardens have already got their season underway. They started quite brightly with a 4-0 win over St. Catherine Upliftment on Sunday, which should give them a little more confidence against the cup holders today.

"It was a big win and we will have even more confidence at home. But there are still some areas that we are looking to work on," Olympic Gardens coach Michael Peart pointed out.

"For example, our shooting in front of goal could be better, we could even have scored a lot more goals in our victory over the weekend," he said.

"They are champions and we are looking for a very hard game from them, but there is no way we are going to let them just run over us," he added.

In the day's other games, last season's beaten knockout finalist Barbican will take on newly-promoted Meadhaven at Barbican. With a less than satisfactory start to the season, Meadhaven, who stumbled out the gates with a 2-0 loss to Maverely/Hughenden in knockout play over the weekend, will be hard pressed to hold their ground against the much tougher and more experienced Barbican team.

At the Racing Oval, last year's beaten league finalist, Portmore Strikers, will take on a confident Maverely/Hughenden.

In the day's A-League games, Arnett Gardens will take on Seaview Gardens at the Anthony Spaulding Complex, while Trelawny Women challenge Reno at the Elliston Wakeland Centre. Trelawny will be confident, having defeated Reno 2-0 in the knockout competition over the weekend. Seaview were scheduled to play Arnett in the same competition over the weekend but failed to show forthe fixture.