Champions Cup a “dream come true” for Cavalier GK Barclett

MIAMI, Florida – It is always exciting when a club makes its debut in the Concacaf Champions Cup. Among the first-timers in the 2024 edition this year is Jamaican side Cavalier, who qualified as the runner-up in the 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Cup.

Anchoring what is the youngest team in Jamaica is GK Vino Barclett, who started all eight matches for Cavalier during the tournament, making 28 saves and 14 clearances to help guide the team to the Caribbean Cup Final.

“It was a big achievement for a Jamaican club. We played in a knockout tournament domestically and got to the finals, we played in the domestic league and got to the finals and so getting to the Caribbean Cup final and qualifying for Champions Cup was another big achievement for us,” said Barclett in an exclusive interview with Concacaf.com.

“All of the players were deserving, we worked hard for it, the only thing we lacked was winning silverware,” added Barclett.

While most of Barclett’s Cavalier teammates hail from Jamaica, the 24-year-old shot-stopper is one of the team’s full internationals, as he represents Saint Lucia on the international stage. With vast experience wearing the Saint Lucia shirt in Concacaf Nations League play, Barclett is now eager to represent his country in Concacaf’s premier club competition.

“Representing Saint Lucia on this stage is like a dream come true. I’m still a relatively young player, just 24 years old, I think I’m the only goalkeeper from Saint Lucia to have played in this tournament. It is a big achievement for me and I want to show our amateur players back home that they can be on this big stage. I’m excited for the exposure and opportunity,” said Barclett.

Ahead of Barclett and Cavalier is a Round One date beginning on February 22 with FC Cincinnati of Major League Soccer (MLS), a team that finished the 2023 MLS regular season with the best record. Barclett knows a sturdy challenge awaits and it is one that they will embrace.

“The preparation has been going up to standard, we have been putting in the work. In our domestic league in the last six games we are unbeaten with five wins and one draw, so I think the team has prepared with full conviction. We know it won’t be easy game. We have to be focused in every second of the game, we cannot switch off. Our team has a good chemistry and in preparation for that game we are working very hard,” said Barclett.

With Cavalier boasting so many young players, the 2024 Champions Cup represents the perfect showcase in which a group of young and hungry players can demonstrate their footballing skills to the world. It is also a chance to show everyone the strength of Jamaica’s domestic football.

“I would say this is the biggest moment of my career. I have been in finals, but this will be the biggest game of my career. This is a game that can be an opportunity for many of us. Maybe scouts see us and who knows where that might lead. Representing the Caribbean is a responsibility that we embrace, knowing that we are representing the Jamaican nation, so we will be relying on our fans in the home game,” concluded Barclett.