King says Cavalier will need extra effort to win

Cavalier Soccer Club defender Richard King said that it will require the full commitment of every player on his team to take three points against Police in their Concacaf Caribbean Cup Group A match at Sabina Park today at 7 p.m.

King, who is a member of the Reggae Boyz set-up, also believes that if they repeat their performance from the first game in the competition against Mount Pleasant Academy they can take all the points.

"It (Concacaf competitions) is a lot of running, a lot of work. You just have to make that extra run, try and get that toe, that extra touch to try and get the victory," King said.

"Every game is crucial, not just this game. We just have to keep on doing what we have been doing and get the result," he added.

With the departure of Kyle Ming and Gadail Irving -- the mainstay of the Cavalier defence for the last four seasons -- to Mount Pleasant, a lot of the leadership in defence now rest of the shoulders of the 22-year-old King.

However, he believes that communicating and working as a team will cover any weaknesses.

"The boys love to do what they do, so they came out (in training) and worked hard to get the win," he reflected on their first match..

"My role is to work with the boys as much as I can. But we have to work together and communicate well," he added.

Meanwhile, coach Rudolph Speid pointed out that their opponents need a win to stay alive in the competition, and he expects a tough challenge from the Trinidadians.

"This team (Police) is coming to get a win here. They need it but we also need it. So it is going to be a fierce battle until something gives," Speid said.

"They keep the ball very well and after going 1-0 down (against Real Hope), they hung in there until they got the equaliser.

"So it is a very experienced team, you could see their confidence. So we are aware of their fortitude," he said.

Cavalier share the lead in the group with Mount Pleasant on three points, while Police and Real Hope have one point each and Arnett sit at the bottom without a point.

Speid assessed the overall situation and said their aim is to be on six points at the end of the game.

"Getting to six points is still not enough. It's good to get there. But at least two teams can get 10 points and other teams can get to nine points. If we slip up anywhere we can't pass nine points. So it's still a sticky affair, but we will try to get to six points first and see what happens," he said.

livingston.scott@gleanerjm.com