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Speid: Stadium good for possible Messi match
February 24, 2025
Cavalier Soccer Club boss Rudolph Speid says his team's Concacaf Champions Cup round-of-16 match against Lionel Messi's Inter Miami or Sporting Kansas City, scheduled for the National Stadium, on March 13, is good to go.
In recent weeks, events scheduled for the National Stadium, including the annual ISSA GraceKennedy Boys and Girls' Athletics Championships (March 25-29) and the Grand Slam Track meet (April 4-6) have come under doubt as Independence Park Limited's (IPL) race against time to have the athletic track relaid.
Although the Cavalier match falls within the period of construction for the new running track at the National Stadium, Speid declared that he has no worries, as he has an agreement with IPL and is full of confidence that they will honour the arrangement.
"When I talked to the people at IPL they say the field is good. I do not care about that (work to be done at the stadium). I am not worried about all of that. I am worried about my game.
"I talked to the Major (Desmon) Brown yesterday (Thursday) and he said, 'Mr Speid, you are good'," Speid told STAR Sports.
"I booked the field from last year and I expect the IPL to honour the agreement with me. What they are going to do to get the field up and running is not my concern. I do not care about that none at all. I was informed that I was good and I trust the IPL. I spoke to Major Brown and I have no issues," he reinforced.
"We put in everything early and we checked back and they said we were good, twice since February. From last year we booked the date. We reinforced by putting it in writing. Whatever happens the game will be played."
However, Speid pointed out that should unexpected issues arise that affect the availability of the National Stadium for hosting the Concacaf match, he already has a contingency in place. Nevertheless, he hopes it does not come to that.
"I do not have it in the back of my mind because I have a Plan B already. So I will not make that bother me. I have my Plan A and I have a Plan B. I just hope I do not have to activate it, but if I have to I will. So the match will play one way or the other," he insists.
There have also been suggestions that Cavalier could give up their home leg of the tie, and play in the United States, and cash in big time.
But Speid says playing the game outside of Jamaica is out of the question, as Cavalier have a legacy of bringing world stars to Jamaica, and he wants to maintain this legacy started by the club's legendary founder and former coach, Leighton Duncan.
"Cavalier carried Pele to Jamaica and now we will carry Messi (Lionel). It is unlikely that Messi will ever come back to Jamaica. So Duncan carried Pele here and now Speid is carrying Messi here. So both times it is Cavalier," he related.
"My only regret is that we never carried Cristiano Ronaldo or somebody else like that. But it might just happen, who knows.
"But although it might work out to not be the most ideal of situations, people can rest assured that the game will be played in Jamaica," he said.
Messi's Inter Miami lead Sporting Kansas City 1-0 from the first leg of the Concacaf first-round tie. The teams will meet again on Tuesday to decide who meets Cavalier in the round of 16.
