The Montego Bay Sports Complex will be buzzing with excitement as the Wray & Nephew Jamaica Premier League (JPL) semi-finals kick off with Cavalier FC taking on Arnett Gardens FC at 6:00 pm before Montego Bay United play Mount Pleasant FA at 8:30 pm.

The two mouth-watering encounters, to be played over two legs, pit the four best teams in the island and only two will make it to the final, and by extension the Concacaf Caribbean Cup championship. The team that finishes third will be in the Caribbean Shield.

Cavalier are the defending champions of the Premier League and the Concacaf Caribbean Cup, while Arnett Gardens are the Caribbean Shield title holders. So, there will be a lot at stake in these semi-finals.

If the points standing are to be used as a marker, then Mount Pleasant and Arnett Gardens will start favourites to reach the final.

But statistics are just statistics and each team will start from square one, from a level playing field.

In the curtain-raiser, defending champions Cavalier put their title on the line once again when they face a slick and fast-moving Arnett Gardens.

Both teams have met three times this season with Cavalier holding the advantage with one win and two drawn games. That win came on December 12 when a stoppage-time goal by Jalmaro Calvin gave Cavalier a 2-1 win.

Before that, both teams battled to 2-2 draw on January 26 and March 31, a clear indication that both teams are evenly matched.

So, once again, the argument will arise as to who benefits from getting a bye into the semi-finals and being well-rested or rusty while playing in the quarter-finals three days ago and being leg weary or having a momentum.

Cavalier are coming off a hard-fought battle with Portmore on Monday night that took them to extra time. Only time will tell what kind of condition they will turn up in while travelling to St James.

Cavalier have gained valuable experience playing at the highest level in Concacaf and Sporting Director Rudolph Speid and his coaching staff would have taken the necessary step to have Cavalier in battle-ready shape.

“We won’t be at full strength, it’s always a race against time with Stein [Shaquille] and Jalmaro [Calvin], so we might have striking woes,” Speid pointed out.

“But otherwise we’re good and everybody is in good spirits and Arnett Gardens [are] a good team and make life difficult for us all the time. It will be another difficult game as there is no easy game at this point in the season and we will take it one day at a time,” he added.

Sports is about adrenaline and the likes of Dwayne Atkinson, Richard King, Jeovanni Laing, Christopher, Dwayne Allen, Adrian Reid, and Jerome McLeary will be the ones more than likely leading the Cavalier victory charge.

But with the likes of Fabian Reid, Ricardo Thomas, Kimani Arbouine, Jaheim Thomas, Jamone Sheperd, Marlon Martin and Jermy Nelson, Arnett Gardens remain a most formidable unit.

Arnett Gardens Head Coach Xavier Gilbert said it will be a tough encounter but they will give it their best shot.

“We have to be smart in terms of our approach and what we do. We know the challenge playing a Cavalier team is going to be,” said Gilbert.

He continued: “We know how resilient they are and always find a way to win games, hence they are Caribbean champions, so we just have to be smart and see if we can get a result out of this game heading into the second leg”.

Meanwhile, title favourites Mount Pleasant and former champions Montego Bay United should provide a thrilling encounter dubbed the ‘Battle of the West’.

If it were a straight league format, St Ann-based Mount Pleasant would have won the title hands down as they finished 17 points atop of the table.

They have to do it all again over, this time against a tough Montego Bay unit seeking their first final in nine years.

Theodore Whitmore-coached Mount Pleasant will be confident after beating Montego Bay United two out of their three meetings, winning 3-0 on November 24 and 2-0 on April 20, 2025. The third encounter drew 1-1 on February 24.

Mount Pleasant is a well-oiled machine and they will take some stopping, having lost just four times in 39 matches.

Captain dependable Sue-Lae McCalla will again lead from in front and should be ably assisted by Daniel Green, Chevaugh Walsh, Shaquille Dyer, Jahshaun Anglin, Adreien Flinch, and Emerson Liasse.

The Paul “Tegat” Davis-coached Montego Bay are coming off a bruising battle against Tivoli Gardens and will once again be without striker Shaiel Thomas but has enough firepower to trouble Mount Pleasant.

Owayne Gordon, Jourdaine Flecther, Brian Brown, Johan Weatherly, Demario Phillips, Josiah Trimmingham, Lucas Lima, and Jean Claudio Ferreira are expected to lead Montego Bay’s victory charge.

The stage is set for two epic encounters and based on recent developments involving alleged ineligible Mount Pleasant players highlighted by Cavalier, it would be a tantalising prospect if both teams were to win and set up a final date.

Mount Pleasant FA Assistant Coach Davion Ferguson (left) and Head Coach Theodore Whitmore (Photo: Mount Pleasant)