Winning the $1 million prize for top team throughout the preliminary phase of the Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) appears to be the priority of the three clubs already through to the semi-finals.

The semi-final stage will see the first-placed team going up against the club in fourth position, while the number-two outfit will take on the side that ends the preliminaries in third.

Former champions Portmore United, last season’s beaten finalists Montego Bay United, and title-holders Arnett Gardens FC share a similar focus. Their main goal is to top the league to win the cash prize.

Portmore United’s Team Manager Clive Marshall, whose club currently occupy first place with 57 points from 30 points, says little attention should be placed on ensuring they play the fourth-placed team, since all the potential semi-final opponents are expected to pose formidable challenges.

“Usually teams would rather play against fourth place, but it’s not my position. I’d more concentrate on winning the league (for the cash prize) because first, second, third and fourth, on the day can perform well and be in the final,” Marshall told the

Jamaica Observer at Thursday’s RSPL press conference at Red Stripe’s Spanish Town Road base.

“Once you’re into the semi-final you have to be ready for anybody you get to play. You may find sometimes that the team that comes fourth may be of lesser form, but that’s not necessarily true on the day,” the Portmore manager added.

Jerome Waite, the head coach of Arnett Gardens, also said the financial reward is the major reason for wanting to top the league phase.

“The main objective to finishing first is the $1million [prize] and the fact that we have the CFU (Caribbean Football Union) Club Championships to play down the road, so we want to ensure that at least that [money] can assist us in the near future.

“It’s not so much who you play, but to ensure that you reach, and when the time comes, to ensure that you’re physically ready and tactically ready,” explained Waite.

Arnett are third on 54 points.

Lincoln Whyte, a club director at Montego Bay United-the team presently in second place with 56 points- stressed the importance of winning the league prize, but conceded he would rather face the fourth-placed team in the semi-final play-offs.

“I want the $1million first and foremost, so that’s the main focus. It’s not about the opponents because sometimes the underdog team can come up with more fight [than the more favoured teams].

“We don’t care who we meet in the semi-finals, but we would also like the advantage of playing the weakest team to get into the final. We can’t hide from that fact,” Whyte told the

Observer.

The current front-runners for the fourth and final semi-final spot are newcomers University of the West Indies (42 points), Humble Lion FC (41), Harbour View FC (39) and Boys’ Town FC (38).

Only three match days remain in the preliminary phase of the 2015-16 RSPL season.