Cavalier defeat in Caribbean Cup leaves Thomas questioning Mount Pleasant’s hunger
After suffering his first defeat in charge, Mount Pleasant Football Academy Head Coach Harold Thomas has blasted his players for a lack of desire after going down 2-0 to Cavalier FC in their opening group game of the Concacaf Caribbean Cup on Tuesday at Sabina Park.
The St Ann-based club, who were making their debut in the competition, went behind early after Jamoi Topey conceded a penalty inside the opening 10 minutes, which Christopher Ainsworth converted comfortably.
Jamaica Premier League champions Cavalier doubled their advantage and ultimately sealed the victory in the 25th minute when Jalmaro Calvin’s brilliant cross found Shaquille Stein, who headed home from close range.
Mount Pleasant, despite a triple substitution in the first half, were unable to make any breakthrough as they begin their campaign with a defeat.
Thomas, who took over from Theodore “Tappa” Whitmore in June, believes his side showed little effort, unlike their opponents.
“One of the things we have to do is look at the players who are hungry for it. You hear Cavalier’s approach to the game, they have a group of youngsters that don’t have the kind of reputation that our players have, but they’re hungry. They want to make a name for themselves,” Thomas said.
“We need to find players who want to make a name for themselves or even those who have a name to improve their credibility.”
However, Thomas says several changes will be made for their future games as they seek to qualify for the knockout stages.
“In any tournament it is difficult to lose your first game, but it isn’t impossible to come back. We know the quality of the players, there are some things we have to change, but the quality is there. The motivation will be a great factor because what we saw today wasn’t a team as hungry as they should have been.”
Cavalier Head Coach Rudolph Speid says the victory was key in achieving their long-term goals.
“The win is very important, because when teams are in your zone and they’re from the same country or same city, it’s really a derby. It doesn’t matter how strong each team is, it’s a derby, and derby games are the most difficult games you’ll come up against, so to get the first win is always important,” said Speid.
Cavalier’s next game will be next Thursday at Sabina Park against Police FC of Trinidad and Tobago.
Mount Pleasant will look to bounce back next Tuesday when they take on fellow Jamaican club Arnett Gardens.