Melissa be damned
No excuses for Mount Pleasant despite lack of competition ahead of Caribbean Cup final
Published:Thursday | November 13, 2025 | 12:15 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
WITH THE nation still recovering from devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa and the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) not resuming until December 7, Concacaf Caribbean Cup finalists Mount Pleasant will endure more than a month without competitive football heading into the regional two-leg decider against Universidad O&M of the Dominican Republic, on November 25 and December 2.
Mount Pleasant assistant coach Davian Ferguson noted that due to hurricane preparations and the destruction it left behind, his team only had three days of training to prepare for the second-leg semi-final against Defence Force of Trinidad and Tobago on November 5.
The end result was a 1-0 lss, the only blemish on the team’s ticket to the final. Still, the Jamaican club had a comfortable 5-1 lead from the first leg, and so advanced comfortably to the final.
Although match fitness and sharpness could have a major impact on the most important games in the club’s history, Ferguson said they do not intend to use the lack of competitive matches as an excuse.
Ferguson said they are determined to go all the way despite their challenges, and are preparing as best as they can for the showdown.
“We are not in the best position, and it’s not just Mount Pleasant. It’s a national crisis. So, not the most ideal situation. But prior to the second leg of the semi-final, it was worse. Because we never had more than three sessions leading into that match.
“But post that match, we have been consistent with training. So we are in a lot better position now than we were heading into that second leg of the semi-final.
“Ideally, we would like to have that competitive edge. But we are trying to recreate that with some practice games. But now is not the time for us to find reasons as to why we shouldn’t complete the mission, as our job is firmly focused on completing the mission at hand.
“So without finding any excuses, everything is firmly fixed behind this moment. It won’t be easy. But we have to be ready and prepared, and that is what we are trying to do as best as possible.”
According to Ferguson, while getting sharp physically is a challenge, just as much work has to go into dealing with the psychological damage Melissa has done, with many of the players and their families having to contend with real loss.
“Overall, we have managed to create a situation where the players would have been comfortable and are able to train consistently. So that is good.
“But they are humans and they have family members who have been devastated. So the mental side will still affect them. But we are getting professional help in trying to get them refocused and realigned to the mission. But it is not easy.
“Prior to the second leg it would have been a different answer. As we saw all the signs that we were not fully back and fully focused on football. But post the Defence Force game, we are now a lot better,” he stated.
Ferguson insists the final presents an opportunity they do not want to pass up, and the intention is to bring the best version of Mount Pleasant to the party.
“We have an opportunity now to really bring some joy to our people, owners and our fans. Football brings passion and energy and we have seen that. And it is something to take your mind away from whatever difficulty one might be facing. So that is the mindset.
“These players are professionals and overall, they are handling the situation really well. It’s a very huge opportunity. Very historic for the club. But we want to really finish the job. We have a lot of respect for the team. They have quality. They are very difficult to play against. So we have to be at our best. Reduce the margins as much as possible and try to execute, and that’s what we are preparing to do,” he said.