Don't Crown Portmore United Champions Just Yet!

With two rounds and 16 games left to be played in the Red Stripe Premier League(RSPL) Competition, league leaders and First-End-Of-Round Champions, Portmore United are without a doubt, odds on favourite to lift the title.  A five point gap atop the lead and an armoury full of young talented players are the factors that favour the St. Catherine based outfit; but is that enough? Can Portmore hold off the pack of title hungry clubs? Maybe not.


Waterhouse FC leads the chasing pack with 36 points and will definitely be looking to close the gap in the final rounds. Firehouse, as they are affectionately called, is famous for closing a 14 point gap between themselves and Harbour View to win the title in 2006, to mark the inaugural season of a league format.  With five points, a much smaller target, the men from Drewsland must be licking their chaps as they set out to chase again. With the joint leading goal scorer, Jermaine “Tuffy” Anderson and arguably the best midfielder in the RSPL, Vincent “Junie” Earl, Waterhouse should not be counted out. The Trophy Cabinet at the Drewsland mini stadium was last opened in 2006 and 2012 could be the year for another opening.

Vincent Earle, one the top local midfielders

A point behind Waterhouse are defending champions Tivoli Gardens. After making it to the first round finals, Tivoli stumbled at the beginning of the second round and found themselves adrift off the leading pack. However, the addition of on-loan striker Romeo Parkes, gave the West Kingston outfit a much needed boost and a string of favourable results towards the end of the second round brought the defending champions back in the contest.  If past seasons are anything to go by, Tivoli Gardens will not go down without a fight. With the likes of Christopher Jackson and Roland Dean coming into their own, this title race could be a nail biting one and should go down to the last game of the season.


If there was a prize for inconsistency, Harbour view would be the favourite to claim it. Having lost the least games this season (4) and conceding the least goals (16), it is puzzling as to why Harbour View is not amongst the league leaders. A total of 32 points put the Stars of the East in fifth position and nine points off leaders Portmore United. With the meanest defence in the league,  the best dead ball kicker and arguable the best finisher in Jermaine Hue and Fabian Taylor, a little change of luck and consistency could spell danger for the teams at the top.

Jermaine Hue the best dead ball kicker in the island.

While Harbour View, Tivoli Gardens and Waterhouse are the main contenders to take over the pole position from Portmore United, teams such as fourth place Humble Lions and to a lesser extent, Boys Town, still have a big part to play in the title race. While Humble Lion is not far off, a poor home record and a leaky defence will hamper their chances. Boys Town on the other hand have been off track this season and lack the depth to be consistent for the final set of games.  The RSPL is just about heating up and league leaders Portmore United have to keep the hungry pack at bay. Will they maintain their lead atop the standings? Will they fall behind and if they do, who will over throw them? Will it be the defending champions? The red hot men from Drewsland? Or the stars of the East?

The Top Five teams to be hit by the African Nations

1. Newcastle
 Sitting in seventh place, Newcastle will get the biggest blow from the African Nation’s cup storm. The absence of   Striker Demba Ba (Senegal) and midfielder Chieke Tiote (Ivory Coast) could cause the team from Tyneside trouble in climbing the table during this January period. Ba, who has already scored 15 goals in 20 appearances this season, has also bagged over 60% of the Magpies’ goals.  In the middle of the park,  Tiote has been the man helping out the defenders by keeping their mean streak and will also be amply missed. While it might be a bit easier to fill the gap in the middle of the park, the goals might just dry up for Newcastle as Leon Best, with three goals from 14 games and Shola Ameobi, one goal from 12 games are the men looking to replace the Senegalese.

Ba is already on is way to join his national team.


2. QPR
 Neil Warnock and his bandits must be cursing the African Nation’s Cup for its bad timing; sitting just outside the relegation zone, the rangers must be bracing themselves for the blow.  The London club will lose influential Midfielder Adel Taarabt (Morocco) and experienced defender Armond Troare (Senegal). Already experiencing a poor run off form and with the big spending owners breathing down his neck, Warnock might have no other choice but to look to the transfer window, in a period that could decide whether or not his team remain in the Barclay’s Premier League for another season.

3. Manchester City
The “noisy neighbours” will be without the Toure brothers and this could be a real test to their title credentials. Yaya Toure, who plays in the middle of the park, has featured in every league game this season, contributing a total of three goals and four assists. His replacement should be Nigel Dejong, but while the Dutch man is equal defensively, he might lack that attacking zest and this might just hurt city in big games to come. Kolo on the other hand, has mostly been used as a substitute but is a very important squad player, should anyone at the back get injured. With Kolo away, Mancini must be keeping his fingers crossed and praying for his safe return.
 
Yaya Could be irreplaceable.

4. Chelsea
 The men from Stamford Bridge will be without their Ivorian’s Didier Drogba and out of favour Salomon Kalou during this period. While Drogba has not been in the greatest form of late, the towering striker’s presence is enough to cause problems for defenders and create opportunities for his fellow team-mates.  Drogba’s absence, however, could be the do-or-die moment for an out a form Fernando Torres. With Drogba away, Torres should have a handful of games to prove his worth at the bridge.

5. Arsenal
 The Gunners lost attacking duo Marouane Chamakh (Morocco) and Gervinho (Ivory Coast) to the African Nations Cup. However, with Robin Van Persie scoring at will, this damage seems to be minimal. Arsene Wenger has already braced himself for this impact with the return of Arsenal legend, Thierry Henry, so Chamakh seems to be replaced already. The absence of Gervinho’s witty foot works and pace, however, could still be troublesome

The Best XI English Premier League Players for 2011

Joe Hart, Manchester City (GK)
 Hard to beat? Or should I say Hart to beat? The Manchester City and England international player capped off a beautiful year with  stupendous saves for both club and country and is without doubt the #1 man between the sticks in the Barclay's Premier League. Hart played a vital role in Manchester City's FA Cup glory and its Champions league qualifications. For his country he was just as important in England's qualification for Euro 2012.




Micah Richards, Manchester City  (RB)
 The  23 years old, who still holds the title for England's youngest capped defender at the age of 17, had an outstanding year in 2011. A rock at the back, the speedy fullback often caused great problems going forward with his pace and agility. In a squad where talent is abundant, Richards is one of the only players who was a sure pick in 2011.

Nemanja Vidic, Manchester United (CB)
 The Serbian was a monster in the back-line of, eventual title winners, Manchester United. With age getting the better of Rio Ferdinand, Vidic stepped up to carry the mantle. His presence was a key factor in United's many clean sheets and he is without doubt one of, if not the best defender in the EPL.

Vincent Kompany, Manchester City (CB)
The Manchester City skipper takes heart in the cliche "lead by example". A discipline and robust defender, Kompany had a stellar year marshaling his sky blue troops. While money was the key ingredient in City's dish of success, the Belgian was a key factor in its sweet taste.

Ashley Cole, Chelsea (LB)
Now whats a best XI without a man from the bridge? While Chelsea failed to impress in 2011, the seasoned England international kept it simple and stood out against his peers. Apart from one or two momentary lapse in defense in 2011, Cole was outstanding. He did just what required of him while defending and had that extra vigor when the team attacked.

Nani, Manchester United (RW)
The Portuguese winger was a nightmare to defenders in 2011 and was one of the top assist makers. His skilled foot works and hammer of a shot from outside the area never got boring as he lead United's charge in their title defense. A menace on the Right wing, Nani left defenders in his dust with step overs after step overs and his trade mark  360 degrees flip celebrations were played over and over as he dominated.

Charlie Adam, Blackpool/Liverpool (CM)
While he was unable to save Blackpool from relegation, Adam was the only reason they survived until the last day of the season. With corners kicks valued at 10 million pounds by Sir Alex Ferguson, Adam was chased by many of the top clubs in the Premier league. Eventually choosing to go to Liverpool, Adam is already proving his worth as an automatic pick in Dagglish's first XI.

Luka Modric, Tottenham (CM) 
 Chelsea's persistent transfer bids says it all, Modric was sublime in 2011. With defense splitting passes and the occasional tackles, Modric played a vital role in Tottenham's progress all the way to the quarterfinals of the Champions League. While there were many other central midfielders who stood out in 2011, it was Modric's consistency that kept him above the rest and Daniel Levy hellbent on keeping him at White Hart Lane.


David Silva, Manchester City (LW)
The little Spaniard is arguably the EPL player of the year. Silva was vital in Manchester City's FA Cup Triumph and their top four finish which lead them to the Champions League. Silva was also apart of the dominant Spanish national team which was the #1 ranked team by FIFA at the end of the year. Skillful movements, breathtaking passes and a sublime finish was just what David Silva offered the EPL in 2011.


Javier Hernandez, Manchester United (CF)
A prodigy of Sir Alex Ferguson, the little Mexican had a dream year in the Barclay's Premier league. Bought as a backup player for the likes of Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen, Hernandez quickly went up the rungs of the united ladder and earned himself a starting position. With a keen eye for goal Chicharito, as he is affectionately called, popped in an out of the penalty area while tormenting the defenders in the league.


Robin Van Persie, Arsenal (CF) 
35 goals in a calendar year!  Need I say more?

Who needs batman when you have Robin?