Cavalier Football Club will face the biggest test in its history when it faces Inter Miami in the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, today at 8:00 pm.

Cavalier faces what many say is a daunting challenge against an Inter Miami side led by captain Lionel Messi, who is considered by many the greatest football player ever, and also featuring former FC Barcelona players Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba.

Despite the gulf in experience, Cavalier’s Sporting Director Rudolph Speid says they are ready for the battle and will not be overawed by the occasion.

“It is the first time that we really have a team because we don’t have any injuries,” he said. “All our players are available and we are fit and raring to go. This is a young group and you know what they say about young people – they have no fear. They don’t know why they should fear anything and that’s something good that we can build on.”

Many people will see this as the biggest club match ever played by a Jamaican team and while Inter Miami’s quality is undeniable, Speid says Cavalier has its own strengths that can make the game competitive.

“They [Inter Miami] are very experienced and very clinical,” he said. “They have seen most situations a lot, so we definitely have to make it uncomfortable for them. I think we are rounding into some form and I think we are going to give a good account of ourselves.”

Speid says there will be pressure on his team, but he says that nerves can be turned into an advantage.

“I am sure that there will be nerves and everybody will be nervous, but nervousness is good because we will take fewer chances, and we will use it to our advantage,” he said.

He says his own understanding of the game has helped him approach this challenge with confidence and he is optimistic that the team will do well.

“Maybe if this was three or four years ago, I would have been very nervous, but I have come to understand the game a lot more,” he reflected. “There are certain things we can do to negate some of the advantages they have and we also have our own advantages that we will use. With a little bit of luck, I think the game will be close.”

Cavalier will be led by striker Jalmaro Calvin, who is second in the Jamaica Premier League’s scoring chart with 13 goals. Captain Richard King, Dwayne Atkinson, Jeovanni Laing, Christopher Ainsworth, Shaquille Stein, Justin Dunn and Kaile Auvray are the other main players for Cavalier.

Cavalier FC’s Jalmaro Calvin (left) and Moca FC’s Clifford Thomas battle for the ball during their Concacaf Caribbean Cup game at the National Stadium on Wednesday, October 30, 2024. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)