GOALKEEPER Shaquan Davis says defending champions Mount Pleasant FA must rise to the occasion in their Concacaf Caribbean Cup Group B game away to joint leaders Salcedo FC at Estadio Moca in Moca, Dominican Republic.

Mount Pleasant, who won the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Caribbean Shield to qualify for the Caribbean Cup, lost their opening game at home to Cibao at the National Stadium in Jamaica on August 18, and will need a favourable result today.

“I think we need to show more character to express who we are. We have to set out to do what we are told to do and we should get the results that we so badly want,” Davis said in a pre-game press conference in the Dominican Republic on Tuesday.

Despite losing a game they dominated, especially in the first half, Davis described the mood in the Mount Pleasant camp to be buoyant.

“The mood of the team is good. We’re highly motivated, especially [seeing] that we lost the last game that we played knowing that we should have, or could have, won the game — even how we played and stuff. So, we’re highly motivated. The mood of the team is very good,” he said.

Nickalia Fuller came off the bench in the second half to score for Mount Pleasant, after Nicholas Nelson, Trayvon Reid and Daniel Green all missed good scoring opportunities in the first half.

Theodore Whitmore, the Mount Pleasant head coach, said being the defending champions does not mean much at this stage as they still have to show they belong in the competition. He added that the pressure which goes with being the cup holders could be a good thing.

Theodore Whitmore, Mount Pleasant FA head coach (Photo: Karl Mclarty)

“Well, first and foremost, we are glad to be here as defending champions but for us, this means nothing. This is a new tournament, so that’s the focus for us. We are not feeling any pressure as the defending champions. I think pressure is a gift, you know, so we just have to go there, stick to our principles, and make use of our chances. And once we can execute in the final third, that would be good for us,” he said.

Whitmore said they will not overthink the situation, but rather stick to the basics.

“You can’t control everything but what we can control is the attitude, the effort, and just to go out there and make our fans and make Mount Pleasant proud,” he said.

None of Jamaica’s three club representatives have won a game in the competition as yet.

Salcedo and fellow Dominican Republic clubs Cibao are both on four points from their two games. Cavalier FC are on two points from back-to-back goalless results, while Portmore United also lost their opening game in August.

— Paul A Reid