Cavalier and Moca FC draw blanks in tense semi-final opener

In a tense opening leg of the CONCACAF Caribbean Cup semi-finals, Moca FC and Cavalier FC ended in a goalless draw at the Estadio Moca 85 in the Dominican Republic on Thursday night.

Both teams created several scoring chances, but neither could capitalize.

Cavalier’s Jerome McLeary came close early on with a powerful long-range shot in the 26th minute that just missed the mark. Minutes later, Dwayne Atkinson delivered a low, well-placed free kick, forcing a strong save from Moca’s goalkeeper, Miguel Báez.

In the second half, Moca’s Clifford Thomas fired a promising shot from outside the penalty area in the 51st minute. Cavalier responded quickly, with Atkinson testing Báez from close range in the 55th minute, but the keeper reacted swiftly to keep the score level.

Cavalier kept up the pressure

Cavalier kept up the pressure, with Atkinson unleashing a hopeful shot from distance in the 65th minute that narrowly sailed over the crossbar. In the final moments of regulation, Atkinson again had an opportunity to secure a win, but his attempt curled wide of the right post.

Goalkeeper Miguel Báez finished with two key saves for Moca, marking his second clean sheet in the tournament, while Cavalier’s Vino Barclett also recorded his first shutout of this year’s competition.

With everything still up for grabs, the two sides will meet again on October 30 at Kingston’s National Stadium for the decisive second leg. The winner on aggregate will advance to the Caribbean Cup Final and earn a coveted place in the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup.