‘We keep fighting’ - Portmore expects tough Violette but backs self-belief

Portmore United captain Ramone Howell believes the team’s resilience will be crucial as they seek to get past Haitian outfit Violette AC in the rescheduled second leg of their Concacaf Caribbean Cup semi-final at Sabina Park today at 6 p.m.

Portmore United secured a crucial 3-1 victory over Violette in the first leg, giving themselves a strong advantage heading into today’s contest.

The second leg was originally scheduled to be played last week at Estadio Cibao in the Dominican Republic.

However, the match was rescheduled because of a Dominican Republic government policy barring Haiti’s national football team and other Haitian clubs from playing in stadiums across the country.

With a place in the final at stake, Howell said Portmore’s ability to fight back from difficult situations has been a defining feature of their campaign.

He is confident the team can bring that same grit to the second leg and secure their passage to the final.

“Hard work and working for each other,” Howell said during yesterday’s pre-match press conference.

“Sometimes we go down, we keep fighting. So, we’re just a team that will always keep fighting until the end.”

Head coach Rodolph Austin acknowledged the threat posed by Violette, describing them as a technically gifted side with the individual quality to trouble Portmore.

He said the coaching staff had carefully assessed their opponents and completed their preparations ahead of the decisive encounter.

“Obviously, they are a very good team with a lot of good individual players, very technical, and they can hurt you,” Austin said.

“They have a lot of speed and all that. They can hurt you in any way in the game but we have assessed them and we did our homework.”

Today’s match could prove a major milestone for the reigning Legend Jamaica Premier League (LJPL) champions, as it would also secure a place in the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup.

Portmore last competed in the Champions Cup in 2020, when they were eliminated in the round of 16.

The club will be eager to return to those heights, and Austin said reaching the Caribbean Cup final is a major ambition.

gregory.bryce@gleanerjm.com