分类: sports

  • Seales leads Windies to historic Pakistan triumph

    Seales leads Windies to historic Pakistan triumph

    On a memorable Tuesday at Trinidad’s Brian Lara Cricket Academy, young fast bowler Jayden Seales delivered a career-defining performance, claiming his fourth Test five-wicket haul to lock in a historic 90-run victory for the West Indies over Pakistan in the opening match of their series. What unfolded across four days of fluctuating momentum ended with a dominant finish from the home side, capping off a contest that kept cricket fans on the edge of their seats from the first over to the last.

    The day of decision opened with West Indies in a precarious position, resuming at 126 for seven in their second innings having built a narrow overnight advantage. Tail-end batters Kemar Roach and Shamar Joseph extended their stubborn partnership to 61 runs, adding 28 crucial runs to push the home side closer to a competitive lead. After Mohammad Ali removed Joseph for 38, late contributions from Roach, Jomel Warrican and Seales himself pushed West Indies’ overall lead past the 200-run mark, setting Pakistan a 211-run victory target with a day and a half of play remaining. Pakistan’s pace spearhead Mohammad Abbas then claimed the final two wickets of Roach and Warrican to pick up his seventh five-wicket haul in Tests, finishing with figures of 5-22 from 15.5 overs, leaving the visitors with a realistic chance of chasing down the required total to take an early series lead.

    But Pakistan’s chase got off to a disastrous start almost as soon as it began. In just the third over, with five runs already on the board, the consistently reliable Roach sent down a searing delivery that brushed Imam-ul-Haq’s glove on the way through to the wicketkeeper, handing West Indies the first breakthrough. Azan Awais followed back to the pavilion shortly after, chasing a wide half-volley from Seales and edging a simple catch to the keeper, leaving Pakistan at 21 for two. Seales struck again in his very next over, trapping Salman Agha lbw for a duck to plunge the visitors into crisis at 25 for three, with Pakistan limping into the lunch break at 28 for three still needing 183 runs to win.

    After the interval, Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan showed brief glimpses of fight, with Rizwan hitting two consecutive boundaries off Seales and Azam finding the midwicket rope off Joseph. But the momentum shifted back to West Indies almost instantly when medium pacer Justin Greaves, the hero of the first innings with the ball, produced two quick strikes. He bowled Rizwan for 11 in his first over of the spell, then trapped Aamer Jamal lbw for a duck just one over later, dropping Pakistan to 50 for five. The situation worsened three runs later when Ali Usman chased a full delivery from Roach and edged a catch to Greaves at second slip, reducing the visitors to 7/6 wickets down.

    Shan Masood, who hit a century in Pakistan’s first innings but batted down the order due to a finger injury, managed only three runs before driving loosely at Seales straight into the hands of Joseph at backward point, all but ending any remote hope of a Pakistan recovery. By the time Seales knocked over Khurram Shahzad’s middle stump and Joseph caught Mohammad Ali at second slip, Pakistan had slumped to 71 for nine, with the match seemingly destined to end before the tea break.

    But a stubborn late partnership between Abbas and Azan frustrated West Indies, with Abbas hitting four entertaining boundaries and Azam bringing up his 32nd Test half-century, carrying Pakistan to 114 for nine at the tea break. Their 49-run stand for the final wicket prolonged the contest, but it could not prevent the inevitable. Shortly after tea, Seales fittingly finished the match by trapping Abbas lbw for 23 off 33 balls, wrapping up Pakistan’s innings at 120 all out in 40.2 overs. Seales finished with stunning match-winning figures of 5-20 from 14.2 testing overs, securing the 90-run win and extending Pakistan’s miserable away form to eight consecutive Test defeats on the road.

    Greaves, who claimed seven wickets across the two Pakistan innings, was named Player-of-the-Match for his all-contributions with the ball, finishing with 2-12 in the second innings. Roach also chipped in with two key wickets to end with 2-27 for the match, rounding out a dominant collective bowling performance from the West Indies side.

  • Champions League 2026 : Haiti wins against Cuba [3-2]

    Champions League 2026 : Haiti wins against Cuba [3-2]

    On July 28, 2026, at Puebla, Mexico’s Estadio Universitario BUAP, Haiti’s under-20 men’s national team—affectionately known as the Grenadiers—pulled off a dramatic 3-2 win against Cuba’s “Lions of the Caribbean” in their second Group A clash of the 2026 CONCACAF U-20 Championship. The result marked Haiti’s first victory of the tournament, a much-needed confidence boost following a lopsided 3-0 opening defeat to the United States three days prior.

    Heading into the match, Haitian head coach Raul Gonzalez Triana made just one forced change to the starting lineup that faced the U.S. Dieuvens Kenson Resil stepped into central defense to replace Stanley Volcin, who received a red card in the opening round loss. The full starting XI for Haiti featured goalkeeper Carlos Bré of Real Hope FA, captain Arthur Alcimé (Real Hope FA), Marckidens Tanis (AS Capoise), Resil (Mount Pleasant, Jamaica), Miguel Joseph (Exafoot), Ramy Fabilus (Real Hope FA), Clavens Exantus (Violette AC), Franco Célestin (Mount Pleasant), Emerson Left (Mount Pleasant), Shaun A Brun (Tacoma Defiance, U.S.), and Nikolaï Pierre (Orlando City, U.S.). Four second-half substitutions adjusted Haiti’s momentum: Jean Jules replaced Alcimé, Da-Benz Jacquet took Pierre’s spot, and J. Charles replaced Fabilus all in the 62nd minute, while E. Jean came on for Célestin in the 72nd, and K. Romulus replaced Exantus in the 81st.

    Haiti controlled the pace of play from the opening whistle, and they capitalized on their first clear chance in the 16th minute. Miguel Joseph pounced on a messy clearance from Cuba’s goalkeeper to slot home the opening goal, putting the Grenadiers up 1-0. The side extended their lead just 18 minutes later, when Emerson Laissé drew a penalty inside the 18-yard box, and Franco Célestin converted the spot kick to make it 2-0 heading into halftime.

    Cuba fought back hard in the final 10 minutes of regulation, finally breaking through for a goal in the 80th minute through Yankarlos Iglesias to cut the deficit to 2-1. The tight contest delivered even more late drama in second-half stoppage time: Da-Benz Jacquet appeared to put the game out of reach for Haiti with a third goal in the 92nd minute, pushing the score to 3-1. Just 60 seconds later, Cuba’s Robert Zerguera responded with a late goal of his own to make it 3-2, but the final whistle blew before Cuba could find an equalizer, handing all three points to Haiti.

    Following the result, the Group A table sees the U.S. sitting firmly atop the standings with six points from two wins, having not conceded a single goal so far. Haiti and Cuba are tied on three points apiece, with Haiti holding second place on the current tiebreaker after scoring three goals and conceding five, compared to Cuba’s five goals scored and three conceded. El Salvador remains at the bottom of the group with zero points from two losses, having failed to score so far in the tournament.

    Haiti will now turn its attention to its final group stage fixture, scheduled for July 31 against El Salvador. A positive result in that match will see Haiti advance to the tournament’s quarter-final stage, keeping its hopes of qualifying for the 2027 U-20 World Cup alive.

  • Dominica boys’ volleyball team opens WISG campaign with straight-sets victory

    Dominica boys’ volleyball team opens WISG campaign with straight-sets victory

    The 2026 Windward Islands School Games (WISG) kicked off with a standout opening performance from Dominica’s boys’ volleyball team, which delivered a commanding straight-sets victory over neighboring St. Vincent and the Grenadines, official sources from Dominica’s Sports Division confirmed.

    The opening set of the match proved to be a tight, back-and-forth battle, with both teams trading points and matching each other’s intensity until Dominica edged out a narrow 25-23 win. From that point forward, the Dominican squad found its rhythm and seized full control of the contest. The team stepped up its defensive pressure and offensive precision to dominate the second set, closing it out with a lopsided 25-11 scoreline. They carried that momentum into the third set, securing a 25-16 win to complete a clean 3-0 sweep.

    Following the impressive opening result, the Dominica Sports Division issued public congratulations to the young athletes, highlighting their relentless determination and unwavering commitment throughout the match. In an upbeat social media statement celebrating the team’s effort, the Division wrote: “You played your hearts out and made us proud — keep pushing, keep believing, keep going Team Dominica!”

    The regional WISG competition brings together hundreds of talented student-athletes from across the Windward Islands to compete across a wide spectrum of sporting disciplines. This convincing opening victory has put Dominica’s boys’ volleyball team in a strong position to build on its momentum as it progresses through the remainder of the tournament campaign.

  • STATEMENT: Sobers – A sobering understanding

    STATEMENT: Sobers – A sobering understanding

    Following the passing of cricket icon Sir Garfield St. Aubrun Sobers, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice-Chancellor of The University of the West Indies (The UWI), has released a moving tribute honoring the life, legacy and far-reaching impact of the Caribbean sporting and cultural hero. The tribute frames Sobers not merely as a generational sports talent, but as a revolutionary figure who intertwined athletic excellence with the regional fight for independence and racial justice.

    Emerging from the most marginalized communities of the British colonial Caribbean, Beckles writes, Sobers blazed a trail of possibility for Black and working-class people across the region and the colonized world. Born and raised in Barbados, a territory shaped by the brutal chattel sugar plantation system that systematically blocked upward mobility for enslaved descendants, Sobers broke every preconception placed on poor, Black athletes. By the age of 25, he had already cemented his reputation as the greatest all-round cricketer in the world, his on-field productivity setting records that statisticians continue to study as unmatched in modern cricket history.

    Beckles emphasizes that Sobers’ greatness extended far beyond the numbers recorded on scorecards. He was a distinctly West Indian artist of the game, whose style, grace and confidence inspired both intellectual leaders and working-class communities across every Caribbean island. His message was unmistakeable: when God-given talent is unshackled from colonial oppression and given space to shine on the global stage, even the loftiest goals are within reach. He galvanized generations, proving that the children of poor, enslaved communities could reach the pinnacle of global achievement.

    Sobers’ rise to leadership was nurtured by legendary West Indian captain Sir Frank Worrell, who identified his talent early and named him as his successor in 1964. At the time, the West Indian Test cricket team had languished as an also-ran since its founding in 1928, but Worrell saw that Sobers had the skill and leadership to lift the side to new heights. That promise came to fruition in 1965, when Sobers led West Indies to a historic victory over the defending world champions from Australia, securing the region’s first official title as Test Cricket World Champions. This landmark win laid the foundation for decades of continued West Indian cricket excellence under later captains including Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards.

    Beyond the cricket pitch, Sobers’ success reshaped the political trajectory of the Caribbean. Beckles argues that his historic achievement made colonial rule untenable: if Barbados had produced the greatest cricketer in the world, a leader who had taken his people to the top of global sport, it had no place remaining under imperial bondage. Sobers’ call for talent to be freed from colonial oppression directly empowered Barbados’ independence movement, turning his athletic excellence into a political statement that accelerated the end of imperial rule. He reimagined the very structure and style of cricket, breaking from the rigid traditions of the old colonial order and creating a new, distinctly West Indian approach to the game that made him the defining symbol of Caribbean excellence in the age of independence.

    At a time when regional political federation efforts stalled across the Caribbean, Beckles notes, cricket became the unifying force that bound the imagined West Indian nation together, and Sobers stood as its central icon. He left a lasting lesson: regional institutions must proactively identify, nurture and support talent, rather than leaving future genius to chance. In addition to his athletic and political legacy, Beckles highlights Sobers’ universal dignity and unwavering human decency, framing him as a guiding light for the Caribbean.

    In recognition of his extraordinary contributions to regional sport, culture and independence, The University of the West Indies awarded Sobers an Honorary Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) degree in 1992. Beckles closes the tribute by affirming that Sobers will forever remain the brightest visionary star in the Caribbean constellation, whose legacy continues to shape the region’s identity and aspirations. The tribute was released alongside a 2019 UWI Photo Archive image showing Sobers being honored as a UWI Vice-Chancellor’s XI ‘Immortal’ by Beckles.

  • Shemroy Alie Appointed to Officiate at Central American and Caribbean Games

    Shemroy Alie Appointed to Officiate at Central American and Caribbean Games

    A promising young refereeing talent from Antigua and Barbuda is set to step onto one of the region’s biggest sporting stages this year, after receiving an official appointment to officiate at the upcoming Central American and Caribbean Games.

    Shemroy Alie’s selection for the prestigious regional multi-sport event is not just a personal milestone—it is a core component of his ongoing training with the Concacaf Referee Academy, where he has been enrolled as a student working his way through the program’s structured development pathway.

    This officiating assignment marks the second and concluding phase of Alie’s academy curriculum. Once he completes his duties at the Games, he will be eligible to graduate from the elite training initiative, which is designed to nurture high-potential match officials across the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football member states.

    The Antigua and Barbuda Football Association has publicly recognized Alie’s accomplishment, releasing a statement of congratulations to the young referee. The association also extended well wishes for his performance at the Games, noting that he will carry the representation of both his home nation Antigua and Barbuda and the broader confederation’s Referee Academy throughout the regional competition.

  • Drivers advised of road closures ahead of Santo Domingo 2026 cycling event

    Drivers advised of road closures ahead of Santo Domingo 2026 cycling event

    Motorists commuting through the coastal Malecón districts of Santo Domingo and Santo Domingo Este on Friday, July 31, will need to adjust their travel plans to accommodate pre-event preparations for the upcoming XXV Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games Santo Domingo 2026.

    The scheduled activity prompting the road adjustments is a mandatory pre-race course reconnaissance for participating cycling competitors, which will bring short-term traffic restrictions and partial lane closures to key routes across the two cities. These traffic adjustments will be enforced between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. local time, impacting heavily traveled corridors including segments of 30 de Mayo Highway, George Washington Avenue, Paseo Presidente Billini, and Avenida España.

    Local traffic management officials have published a list of suggested alternative routes to help motorists avoid affected zones. For travelers navigating central Santo Domingo, recommended alternate paths include Rómulo Betancourt Avenue, México Avenue, Mella Avenue, and Simón Bolívar Avenue. Drivers based in or traveling through Santo Domingo Este are directed to use Las Américas Avenue, 26 de Enero Avenue, Estados Unidos Avenue, and Mirador del Este Avenue to bypass congested areas.

    To help road users plan ahead, updates to the temporary route restrictions have already been shared with popular navigation platform Waze, meaning app users will receive real-time alerts about closures and suggested detours. Additionally, uniformed officers from the General Directorate of Traffic Safety and Land Transportation (Digesett) will be stationed at key points along the affected reconnaissance route to guide motorists, resolve bottlenecks, and keep alternate routes moving as smoothly as possible.

    Games organizers have stressed that advance trip planning is critical for minimizing travel disruptions on the day of the reconnaissance. They are urging all motorists to check route updates before departing, stick to the designated alternate routes, and comply with instructions from on-site traffic officers to support safe, orderly mobility during this key preparation step for the 2026 CAC Games.

  • Dominican Republic wins 22 medals in one day, climbs to 48 at Santo Domingo 2026

    Dominican Republic wins 22 medals in one day, climbs to 48 at Santo Domingo 2026

    As the XXV Central American and Caribbean Games enter its fourth day of competition in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic has turned in another dominant performance on the tournament’s second Tuesday, boosting its overall medal haul and holding its ground among the top-ranked competing nations.

    On this single day of competition, the Dominican delegation secured 22 medals: four gold, four silver, and 14 bronze. This result pushed the nation’s cumulative tally across the first four days to 48 total medals, split between 10 gold, nine silver, and 29 bronze, enough to keep the country in fifth place on the overall medal standings.

    Leading the charge for Tuesday’s success was the Dominican water skiing team, which captured two of the day’s gold medals. By the close of all water skiing events at the Games, the team finished with an impressive 12 total medals, including three gold, three silver, and six bronze – cementing its status as one of the Dominican Republic’s most reliable and high-performing sports in this year’s tournament.

    In tennis, Dominican athlete Nick Hardt achieved a career milestone by successfully defending his men’s singles Central American and Caribbean Games title, claiming another gold medal after his final opponent, Juan Sebastián Gómez of Colombia, was forced to retire mid-match due to an unexpected injury. On the women’s side, Dominican competitor Ana Zamburek delivered a stunning comeback, rallying from a one-set deficit to secure a bronze medal in the women’s singles draw.

    The day also brought a historic first for Dominican surfing: 22-year-old athlete Leoni Perthold claimed bronze in the women’s SUP surf competition, marking the first time any Dominican surfer has won a medal at the Central American and Caribbean Games in the sport’s history.

    Additional medals for the delegation came from a wide range of other disciplines, including rowing, taekwondo, badminton, gymnastics, judo, and swimming, demonstrating the depth of talent the Dominican team has brought to this year’s Games. The mixed taekwondo TK3 team took home a silver medal, while the national judo team finished its run at the tournament with 12 total medals – three gold, two silver, and seven bronze. In the pool, Dominican swimmer Javier Núñez added another podium finish to the nation’s tally, taking bronze in the men’s 50-meter freestyle event.

    As competition continues across venues in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic holds steady in fifth place on the overall medal table with 48 total medals, with more events still to come in the remaining days of the 2026 Games.

  • Jamara Patterson advances to 400m Semifinals at Commonwealth Games

    Jamara Patterson advances to 400m Semifinals at Commonwealth Games

    Glasgow, Scotland – Rising 400-meter sprint star Jamara Patterson has kicked off her 2026 Commonwealth Games campaign with a solid opening-round performance, locking in her place in the event’s semifinal stage and earning a surprise visit from her formative coach along the way.

    Competing in the first preliminary heat of the women’s 400m at Scotstoun Stadium on July 28, Patterson crossed the finish line in 52.79 seconds to claim third place. She finished just fractions of a second behind Great Britain’s top pair – Charlotte Henrich, who took the heat win in 52.13 seconds, and Laviai Nielsen, who clocked 52.76s for second – a result good enough to earn Patterson an automatic spot in the next round.

    The young Grenadian comes into the Glasgow Games fresh off a career breakthrough earlier this year, when she set a blistering new personal best of 50.98 seconds. That mark cemented her position as the second-fastest 400m woman in Grenada’s recorded history, and Patterson has entered the Commonwealth Games with clear, ambitious goals: shave time off her personal best, push through to the final, and prove her potential on one of athletics’ biggest global stages.

    What made the opening round even more memorable for Patterson was the unexpected presence of Ronald Charles, her high school coach from St Joseph’s Convent and a lead mentor with Grenada’s Finishline Sports Club. Charles, who has supported Patterson since her early athletic development, kept his trip to Glasgow a secret, turning his appearance into a warm surprise for the sprinter, who has competed and studied on the U.S. collegiate circuit since 2023.

    After watching Patterson’s opening heat, Charles shared that the young athlete remains calm, focused, and grounded despite the pressure of competing at a major international championship for Grenada. For the coach himself, sharing the Commonwealth Games stage with his former trainee marks a major milestone in his decades-long coaching career, which includes previously leading Grenada’s Paralympic delegation to the Para Pan American Games.

    “It is a surreal experience being at a global event like this,” Charles reflected. “It’s a major learning experience for me that builds directly on my coaching background.”

    Patterson is set to return to the track for the 400m semifinals on July 30, with the race scheduled to kick off at 7:45 a.m. Grenada local time. She will now turn her focus to earning one of the coveted spots in the event’s final round, as she chases her first major international medal and a new personal best.

  • Tuach advances to shortboard semis at CAC Games

    Tuach advances to shortboard semis at CAC Games

    Elite athletes representing Barbados have delivered a mix of standout and solid performances across multiple sporting disciplines at the ongoing Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games hosted in the Dominican Republic, with one top surfer punching her ticket to the next stage of competition.

    Chelsea Tuach, Barbados’ leading female professional surfer, secured a second-place finish in her preliminary heat, a result that earned her a coveted spot in the men’s shortboard semifinal scheduled to take place Tuesday. Following her successful qualifying run, Tuach is set to face off against Venezuela’s top surfer Rosanny Alvarez in the knockout round for a spot in the final.

    In the men’s shortboard surfing competition, Barbadian contender Jacob Burke wrapped up his tournament run with a respectable fifth-place finish, wrapping up the country’s surfing contingent results for the Games.

    Beyond the waves, Barbados picked up a thrilling win in men’s Group A hockey action, overpowering Guatemala 4-2 in a competitive matchup. The Caribbean side’s victory was fueled by a brace from forward Kanye Wharton, with additional strikes from Ahijah Springer and Khodi Gibson sealing the three points for Barbados.

    In men’s individual golf play, after three full rounds of competition, Barbadian golfer Xzavier Wiggins holds down 13th position in the tight 14-player field, with more play set to come to determine the final medal standings.

    One of the most dramatic comebacks of the day for Barbados came in the Men’s Rugby Sevens draw, where the side overturned a 0-5 halftime deficit against Costa Rica to rally for a dominant 24-5 final win. Forward John Simon led the team’s second-half charge, finishing the match with five total points to anchor the comeback victory.

  • Weymouth Wales positive ahead of CFU Shield quarterfinal

    Weymouth Wales positive ahead of CFU Shield quarterfinal

    As football fans across the Caribbean gear up for one of the most anticipated knockout matches of the regional calendar, five-time consecutive Barbados Football Association Premier League title holders Weymouth Wales have entered their Caribbean Football Union Shield quarterfinal tie against Jamaica’s Mount Pleasant in Trinidad and Tobago brimming with quiet confidence. The fixture, scheduled for Tuesday, marks one of four pivotal quarterfinal matchups that will determine which teams advance to the next stage of the regional competition. Weymouth Wales, who finished as runners-up in their domestic league last season, face a formidable test against the Jamaican side, which carries the prestige of being current CONCACAF Cup champions.

    In an exclusive interview with Barbados TODAY from his team’s base in Trinidad, Weymouth Wales head coach Asquith Howell outlined his side’s approach to the high-profile clash, saying the team would stick to the same game philosophy that has carried them through previous knockout tournaments. “We will go in there with the same mindset,” Howell explained. “We respect them fully because they are CONCACAF Cup champions, but at the end of the day, 11 players play against 11 players on the same pitch. We hope we don’t only make ourselves proud, but the entire nation of Barbados as well.”

    The Barbadian side will have to navigate the challenge without one of their key attacking threats: speedy starting winger and former Barbados national team captain Rashad Jules, who is suspended for the tie after receiving a red card in the team’s previous CFU Shield encounter. Compounding the selection headache for Howell is a fitness doubt over midfielder Kemar Headley, who picked up an injury in Weymouth Wales’ opening group stage match against S.V. Britannia. Headley has been named to the match day squad but is listed as 50/50 to feature, with Howell indicating he will start the game on the bench as a precaution.

    Weymouth Wales progressed out of the group stage with a dramatic 4-3 penalty shootout win over S.V. Britannia, after the two sides played to a 1-1 draw in 90 minutes of regulation time. Howell admitted that his team made costly mistakes in that opening game that they have since worked to correct. Armando Lashley gave the Barbadians an early lead, but Howell said the side let their guard down immediately after the opening goal, falling into the same bad habit that plagued some of their domestic BFA Premiership results during the current campaign.

    “We went in there with a clear game plan, but I think our guys got complacent right after we scored that early goal,” Howell said. “We stepped off the gas, just like we did in some BFA matches this season when we failed to convert our chances to finish off games and put the result away. That was definitely a point of concern for the coaching staff, but we’ve put in the work over the last few days to fix those small errors, and I think we are fully prepared to take on Mount Pleasant.”

    Over on the Mount Pleasant camp, the Jamaican side is just as confident of securing a positive result, with Sporting Director Paul Christie saying the team is targeting not just a win on Tuesday, but lifting the entire CFU Shield trophy. Unlike Weymouth Wales, Mount Pleasant received a bye directly to the round of 16, where their scheduled opponent All Saints United withdrew from the competition, giving the Jamaican side a walkover straight to the quarterfinals. This means Tuesday’s clash will be Mount Pleasant’s first competitive fixture of this year’s tournament.

    Speaking ahead of the tie to the Jamaica Observer, Christie said the club thrives under the pressure of high-stakes knockout football, drawing on his nearly 30 years of experience in the sport. “I’ve been in football for almost 30 years, and I’ve never felt pressure in my career. I don’t do pressure – we live for moments like this,” Christie said. “When people say a result can’t be done, we work to show them there’s always a way, and our job is to find that way. For truly great players, the bigger the moment, the brighter they shine. If you can’t perform when the stakes are highest, you’re in the wrong sport.”

    Christie added that the tie represents a historic opportunity for the club to claim its first CFU Shield trophy, a piece of silverware that has never been added to the Mount Pleasant club’s collection. He stressed that the team would not take the field with an overconfident, entitled attitude, instead focusing on executing their game plan to earn the result. “This is our chance to bring a trophy home that has never been in Mount Pleasant’s trophy cabinet,” he said. “We aren’t going into this match thinking we are owed a win. We know we have to work for every moment, we will do the best we can, and accept whatever result comes after that.”