DEFENDING champions Waterhouse Football Club as well as Arnett Gardens Football Club square off in the return-leg semi-finals of the 2019/2020 Jamaica Football Federation (JFF)/Lascelles Employees and Partners Co-operative Credit Union Women’s knockout competition today at the UWI/JFF Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence, starting at 3:00 pm.

The curtain-raiser at 1:00 pm will see Olympic Gardens Football Club taking on Cavalier Football Club in their return-leg semi-final.

Waterhouse, fresh from their emphatic 8-1 thrashing of Arnett Gardens, have already sealed their place in the final, as it’s hardly likely their opponents can overturn that advantage today.

With such a big lead, Waterhouse are expected to put early pressure on Arnett Gardens and could very well go on another goalscoring rampage.

Xavier Gilbert, coach of Waterhouse, said it is very pleasing to have such a sizeable lead going into the second leg and he is looking forward for another win.

“Although Waterhouse is close to reaching the final, we cannot take any chances as sometimes some surprising and strange things happen in football. We are going to attack cautiously as I expect Arnett will be coming firing as they have no other choice.”

Gilbert said he would manage the first half and if the team has a good lead he would rotate players by giving the reserves some playing time.

Shantel Bailey, who scored four goals in the first leg, should again be at the helm of Waterhouse’s attack and could increase her season’s goal tally which is at 33 goals.

Bailey should get good support from Davia Richards, Shaneil Buckley, Laceyann Murray, and Latoya Duhaney.

Arnett Gardens’ Coach Tamara Williams said the plan is to go out positive from the outset and go right down to the end.

“Majority of the players are not accustomed to this surface as it was a bit slippery; the humidity got to them during the 1:00 pm first leg, but they should perform better playing the second match under a much cooler condition,” Williams said.

She said the players have the qualities to turn things around, but it will be challenging being seven goals down.

Williams’ chances of beating Waterhouse should rest on the shoulders of Shanel Spence, Shakina Douglas, and Taunashae Hamilton.

Meanwhile, the Cavalier vs Olympic Gardens second-leg semi-final should be very interesting as only one goal separates the teams. Cavalier won the first leg 3-2.

Cavalier’s Coach Everdean Scarlett sees this as very crucial as he is not yet out of the woods, and Olympic Gardens will be coming out strongly for victory.

He will look to his team’s leading goalscorer Renae Gordon to again lead the attacking force, along with Rhonda Rooms, Shanice Irons, and Peterkay Green.

On the other hand, Michael Peart, Coach of Olympic Gardens, will expect his players to produce another good performance today.

The key players should be Kevena Reid, Monique Pryce, Kadian Edwards, Shenika Williams, and Renee Scott to produce the goods.