分类： sports

Montego Bay United solidified their position at the top of the Jamaica Premier League with a decisive 3-1 triumph over second-placed Racing United on Sunday at the Montego Bay Sports Complex. This victory marks their fourth consecutive win, propelling them to 22 points, a significant seven-point lead over Racing United and Portmore United, who are tied at 15 points after eight matches. Jourdain Fletcher continued his stellar form, netting his second brace in as many games, bringing his league-leading goal tally to seven. His performance was pivotal in Montego Bay’s comeback after a sluggish start, as they scored three goals in the final 15 minutes of the first half to seize control. An own goal by Racing defender Jimoy Jones in the 31st minute opened the scoring, followed by Fletcher’s opportunistic strikes in the 34th and 45th minutes. Jones redeemed himself with a goal for Racing in the 51st minute, but it wasn’t enough to challenge Montego Bay’s dominance. Fletcher narrowly missed a hat-trick when his second-half penalty was disallowed due to an inadvertent double touch. Meanwhile, defending champions Cavalier bounced back from last week’s loss with a 3-0 victory over Spanish Town Police, while Waterhouse FC settled for a second consecutive 0-0 draw against Dunbeholden FC.

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) received a significant boost as Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele was named in the squad for their upcoming Champions League match against Bayer Leverkusen. The 28-year-old forward has been sidelined for six weeks due to a hamstring injury sustained while on international duty with France in early September. After undergoing rehabilitation at a specialized clinic in Qatar, Dembele resumed training last week and is poised to make his return in Tuesday’s crucial encounter. His comeback is timely for coach Luis Enrique, as PSG has been grappling with a string of injuries this season. Dembele missed PSG’s thrilling 3-3 draw against Strasbourg last Friday but could feature in Germany as the French champions aim to secure their third consecutive victory in the Champions League. Leverkusen’s Loic Bade, Dembele’s compatriot, praised the PSG star as a “complete player” with no apparent weaknesses, emphasizing the need for collective defense to counter his threat. Meanwhile, PSG also welcomed back forwards Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, though midfielders Fabian Ruiz and Joao Neves remain unavailable. Leverkusen’s new coach, Kasper Hjulmand, acknowledged PSG’s high-energy press as both a “weapon” and a “risk,” expressing confidence in his team’s ability to compete. Leverkusen, the reigning Bundesliga champions, have drawn their first two Champions League matches this season and are eager to showcase their quality against the European giants.

The final two spots for the ISSA daCosta Cup Round of 16 are set to be determined on Monday in a rescheduled Group 1 clash between Frome Technical and Kemps Hill High at the Wembley Centre of Excellence. Originally slated to take place at Foga Road High alongside other round of 32 matches, the game was postponed due to a waterlogged field. The match, kicking off at 1:00 pm, holds significant stakes for both teams. Frome Technical, currently joint leaders with Cornwall College on six points, need only a draw to secure their place in the next round. Cornwall College, boasting a formidable 13-1 victory over Cedric Titus High, already has one foot in the third round. Kemps Hill High, with three points, must win to advance, as even a one-goal victory would tie them with Frome Technical on points and goal difference, but they would hold the advantage in tie-breakers due to more goals scored and head-to-head results. Both teams enter the match on the back of strong performances. Frome Technical recently handed Cornwall College their first loss of the season with a 2-1 victory, while Kemps Hill rallied to defeat Cedric Titus 6-4, led by Ricardo Dean’s hat-trick and Shemar Daley’s double. The outcome of this match will finalize the Round of 16 lineup, which already includes 14 teams such as defending champions Garvey Maceo High and other top performers from various groups.

Dujuan “Whisper” Richards, the 20-year-old Chelsea FC winger, has made a remarkable return to Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz, catching the attention of Head Coach Steve McClaren. After a two-year absence from the national senior men’s team, Richards was called up for the final-round Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers, following an injury to winger Demarai Gray. Despite missing the team’s final training session before the October 10 game against Curacao, Richards made a lively 82nd-minute substitute appearance in the 0-2 defeat. He further impressed during the October 14 match against Bermuda, where his nifty footwork, incisive passing, and a brilliant solo goal in the 76th minute contributed to a 4-0 victory. McClaren revealed that Richards had been on the coaching staff’s radar for a year, with Chelsea closely monitoring his recovery from ACL surgery. “We’ve seen his quality in training and his cameo performances,” McClaren said. “He’s a significant addition to the squad.” Ludlow Bernard, a former coach of Richards’ youth teams, praised the young player’s talent and impact, emphasizing his potential to play a crucial role in Jamaica’s World Cup Qualifying campaign. Richards, who has yet to play first-team football at Chelsea, has scored twice in six appearances for the club’s Under-21 team this season. Despite this, Bernard believes his talent warrants a permanent spot in the national team. McClaren hinted that Richards could feature in Jamaica’s decisive qualifiers against Trinidad and Tobago and Curacao in November. Jamaica currently leads Group B with nine points, positioning them strongly for automatic qualification to the Fifa World Cup.

Carlton Watson and Jason DaCosta delivered an extraordinary performance at Caymanas Park on Sunday, clinching four victories across the nine-race card. The highlight of their remarkable day was Dothraki’s triumph in the $1.25-million Vassel “Jolly Man” Najair Memorial Trophy, an Overnight Allowance race for three-year-olds and older, covering five and a half furlongs (1,100m). Guided by jockey Robert Halledeen, Dothraki seized an early lead, maintaining his position despite challenges from Incredible Jo (Raddesh Roman) and A Gift From Ben (Ramon Nepare). He crossed the finish line a length and a quarter ahead of Digital One (Dane Dawkins) and Teflon Don (Shaheem Gordon), clocking an impressive time of 1:05.4 (23.2 x 47.1 x 59.3). This victory not only showcased Dothraki’s exceptional speed and endurance but also set the stage for his upcoming participation in the Mouttet Mile this December. Watson and DaCosta’s other successes included Midnight Traveller (Halledeen) in the second race, Mineola (Clive Lynch) in the sixth race, and H Two O (Halledeen) in the seventh race. The three-day Heroes’ Day racing carnival concluded on Monday, with the first post scheduled for 11:35 am.

In a thrilling culmination of the ISSA daCosta Cup round of 32 qualifiers, former champions Cornwall College and Kemps Hill High secured their spots in the round of 16 on Monday. Kemps Hill clinched their place with a decisive 2-0 victory over Frome Technical in a rescheduled Group 1 match at the Wembley Centre of Excellence. The game, originally slated for Saturday, was moved due to a waterlogged field at Foga Road, adding an extra layer of drama to the proceedings.

Robinho Rodney opened the scoring for Kemps Hill in the 10th minute, setting the tone for the match. Ricardo Dean then sealed the win with a penalty in the 49th minute after Shemar Daley was fouled in the 18-yard box. This victory marked a remarkable turnaround for Kemps Hill, who had lost their opening round of 32 game 2-0 to Cornwall College but rallied to win their next two matches, including a high-scoring 6-4 triumph over Cedric Titus on Wednesday.

Frome Technical, who had started strong with wins over Cedric Titus (3-2) and Cornwall College (2-1), needed only a draw to advance but fell short. Meanwhile, Cornwall College topped the group with a superior goal difference of +13, followed by Kemps Hill at +2 and Frome Technical at 0. Cornwall College had previously bounced back from their loss to Frome with a dominant 13-1 victory over Cedric Titus on Saturday.

The round of 16 will also feature Ocho Rios High and Maggotty High from Group 2; Christiana High and Mannings School from Group 3; STETHS and Maldon High from Group 4; Glenmuir High and Manchester High from Group 5; Dinthill Technical and Clarendon College from Group 6; Garvey Maceo High and Old Harbour High from Group 7; and McGrath High and William Knibb Memorial from Group 8. The stage is now set for an intense knockout phase as these teams vie for the coveted ISSA daCosta Cup.