Nodley Wright, Freelance WriterTHE 2007-2008 Premier League under a new name, with a new format and more money on offer, begins today with a full schedule of games.
Now known as the Cash Plus Premier League (CPPL), the competition will see newly-promoted teams St. Georges of Portland and Sporting Central of Clarendon tasting action against two of the toughest teams possible in defending champions Harbour View and top contenders Portmore United respectively.
To make their tasks even tougher, both newcomers will be playing away from home.
Fancying their chances
Despite that, St. Georges and coach Donovan Duckie are fancying their chances. According to Duckie, who also coached Star Cosmos of St Mary in their brief stint in the then Wray and Nephew National Premier League, his charges are "as ready as they could be".
His optimism is based on the reasonable results they have had in the preseason, including a 2-0 loss to Harbour View.
"We played against Harbour View in the preseason and lost 2-0. What was most important for us was playing on that stage and I think my players learned a whole lot," Duckie said.
"I think they grew in terms of confidence and they have been playing better since," said Duckie whose team also lost 3-2 to Tivoli Gardens, beat a St. Thomas All-Star team 1-0 and got the better of Waterhouse 1-0.
Duckie's team, by his own admission, is an amalgamation of talent from eastern Jamaica, but that in itself does not count for much.
Short on experience
"They are rich in terms of talent but short on experience at the Premier League stage," he said without conceding any advantage to their star-studded opposition.
"For us to do well against Harbour View we will have to have good team effort. They are the most attacking team I have seen in the Premier League and they have a number of national players so they must be doing something good.
"We have to maintain our discipline and play as a team to get at least a point which is our intention," he said.
Talk of team play aside, players such as Damion Harwood, the forward who was the star of the Premier League play-offs, Omar Brissett, a former Jamaica youth midfield player, goalkeeper Ralston Robinson, who kept for Jamaica at the Under-20 and Under-23
levels and also had stints with Star Cosmos, Constant Spring, Waterhouse and August Town, will be their key players.
Like Duckie, Harbour View's Lenworth Hyde Sr, does not believe the St. Georges team is to be scoffed at. In his mind they will offer a tough challenge.
"We played them in the preseason and just managed to win 2-0 and it was not their strongest team. A number of their players were not present so we know we cannot afford to take them for granted," Hyde said of eastern Jamaica's standard bearers.
"We have all our top players back from last year but names do not play football. We have to go out there and work for that result," he said. "We just saw this morning where Chelsea drew 0-0 with Fulham," Hyde said comparing two teams which mirror the way their clubs as perceived as privileged and paupers.
A major upset
The average football fan would believe that Hyde does nor really believe what he is saying and few people would bet against a team possessing the strike partnership of national representatives Kavin Bryan and Fabian Taylor, supported by Jermaine Hue, Lovel Palmer, Locksley Thomas, Kemeel Wolfe and Jermaine Taylor to lose. That would be a major upset.
From our point of view too, we want to play good attractive football so that the people will want to come out and watch the game.
In other games, Portmore United are the overwhelming favourites to defeat Sporting Central, who apart from Akeem Annakie, have not brought in any "recognised" players to bolster their squad. The already talent-rich Portmore United got even richer with the acquisition of Jamaica Under-23 goalkeeper Dwayne Kerr and Newton Sterling to play alongside the likes of Onandi Lowe, Wolry Wolfe, Kevin Deerr, Steven Morrisey and Anthony Modeste.
Arnett Gardens look a weakened team with the departure of Jonathan Williams and Wayne Ellis and the only significant addition being former national player Walter Boyd, who is no longer at the peak of his powers. If they are not afflicted by the annual curse of players returning late from America and they have the services of Marcelino Blackburn, Leon Strickland and the old guard of Everton Bunsie, Cornel Chin-Sue and Kevin Wilson, they could come out of the game against Reno with some respect.
Continue on good run
Failing that, Reno should continue on their good run of last season.
The Seba/Waterhouse clash is a difficult one to judge as Waterhouse have undergone a lot of change bringing in no fewer than 21 players. Their biggest buys appear to be the midfield duo of former Jamaica youth player and current national hopeful Ramon Bailey and Jamaica representative Mario Harrison. If these players settle in quickly alongside the established talent of Vincent Earle, Weston Forrest, Irvino English and Jomo Gordon, then Seba could be in trouble. Seba did not appear to have any major signings but for the aging Daniel Ricketts, formerly of Wadadah. In player/coach Theodore Whitmore they have someone who can weave a magic wand and they will need that today - and the rest of the season.
Boys' Town did very well in the transfer market and if they settle down early should get the better of August Town despite playing away from home while Village United will be hoping to give new coach Christopher Russell a winning start. A win for Village will depend on the form of Fabian Dawkins and Tivoli's dislike for playing at Elliston Wakeland Centre where they have always complained about the "hardness of the field".
TODAY'S GAMES
5:00 p.m. - Arnett Gardens vs Reno at Tony Spaulding Complex
3:30 p.m. - Portmore United vs Sporting Central at Ferdie Neita Park
5:00 p.m. - Seba United vs Waterhouse at Jarrett Park
3:30 p.m. - August Town vs Boys' Town at UWI
3:30 p.m. - Village United vs Tivoli Gardens at Elliston Wakeland Centre
3:30 p.m. - Harbour View vs St. Georges at Harbour View
