Photo: Marcel Gayle will take the UWI FC into their first ever Red Stripe Premier League semi-final game against five time champions Portmore United FC at the Wembley Centre of Excellence on Sunday startig at 3:00pm.
The University of the West Indies FC will venture into the unknown today when they face last year’s beaten finalists Portmore United FC in the semifinal of the Red Stripe Premier League at the Wembley Centre of Excellenece starting at 3:00pm. Playing in only their second season in the league, the Mona based team will face the team that denied them the chance to be crowned regular season champions on the final day of the regular season.
The UWI has made a big impression since entering the RSPL, finishing just outside the playoff positions in their debut season and falling just short of being regular season champions this term.
The UWI is led by Marcel Gayle who has never been this far in the league as a head coach. Both he and his team will face their sternest test over the two-leg semi-final against a team that has won the league of five previous occasions.
Portmore United have been equally impressive recently. Returning to the RSPL last season, they fell just short in the finals, losing 2-1 to Montego Bay United.
The Linval Dixon coached team got the better of Tivoli Gardens 3-2 on aggregate in a bruising quarter-final matchup last weekend, which will undoubtedly be a big boost to their confidence. While they have continued to improve in the post season, the UWI has been inactive and will be concerned with match fitness.
In their previous meetings this season Portmore have won twice at home by 1-0 and 2-0 margins but in the reverse fixture the UWI whipped their opponents 4-1.
Experience will be a big factor and Portmore have that all over the pitch. Captain Ewan Grandison has been massive for his team as the season has worn on. Javon East, Michael Binns and Ricardo Morris are all match winners on the day and together or single-handedly give their team a sizable advantage going into the second leg.
When Keammar Daley has a good game for the UWI they usually do well. In the last game against Portmore, the former Reggae Boy was kept quiet and Portmore ran out easy winners. Today he will need to be the ‘big man’ in the middle of the park if the least experienced team in the final four are to remain in contention going into next Sunday’s return leg. His support has to come from the likes of captain Rochane Smith who is the team’s leading scorer with seven goals and the experienced Girvon Brown who returned from overseas in January.
Both teams will realize that their season hinges on the next 180 minutes of football between them, the first 90 of which could heavily influenced by the weather.
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