My local premier league dream team

By Orville Higgins

The 2012-2013 Red Stripe Premier League season has come to an end with Harbour View lifting another trophy. I watched the league a lot this year, both while on the job and because some Sundays I didn't seem to have a lot else to do!

I will use the opportunity here to pick my Premier League team based on how the players looked throughout the season. Let me hasten to add that I didn't see all games (that would be impossible) and my team is based strictly on what I saw as opposed to what I would have heard or read about. I am playing a 4-4-2 formation.

We start with the goalkeeper. Cavalier's Garice McPherson put in some quality displays the times I saw him, but the edge would have to go to Richard 'Spoon' McCallum of Waterhouse. Spoon is confident, blocks shots well, and is good at marshalling his area. At left back is Chris Jackson from Tivoli. Jackson is getting a little long in the tooth now, but no other left back in Jamaica has his ability to combine attack and defence as well as he does. In fact, I still feel that, if Demar Phillips were to get injured, or is not playing well, a fit Jackson could still serve the national team, coming on as a substitute.

Central Defence

My two centre halves would have to include Montrose Phinn of Harbour View and Portmore's Adrian Reid. Phinn picks himself. He is rock solid in defence for the champions, and is effective without being flashy. Adrian Reid is one of my favourite players in the league. He reads the game as well as any defender in the league, and is highly dependable and ruthlessly effective.

At right back, Xavian Virgo is the man. Virgo is the classiest overlapping wing back in the island, full stop. Although I must admit his move from Boys' Town to Harbour View didn't necessarily help his game. He seemed to have a little more impact for Boys' Town than he did for the champions, but was still better in that position than anyone else.

As a holding midfielder, Harbour View's Evan Taylor must be included. Taylor's game has improved by leaps and bounds. He was solid in defence, but also contributed in attack.

Another defensive-minded midfielder that I must have is Cavalier's Geoffrey Henry. I would have him on the right side of midfield. He may well be the most underrated player in the league. He didn't create a lot of buzz, but every time I saw him play, he looked like the genuine article. He reads the game well, is deceptively quick, is good at tackling, but also has the ability to make the occasional threatening run forward or to make telling passes.

On the left side of midfield, my choices come down to Boys' Town's Shawn McKoy or Wolry Wolfe of Humble Lion. Both had good seasons. McKoy may have been a touch more consistent, but Wolfe, especially in the latter part, was highly impressive.

Attacking punch

Playing just behind the strikers, I must have Jermaine Hue. Hue's game fell away a little bit towards the end of the season, but that could be due to the fact that he was having a nagging injury for much of the last part of the season. When he is close to his best, though, he has no peers in Jamaica at making accurate, defence-splitting passes.

One of my two strikers must include the evergreen Jermaine 'Tuffy' Anderson. Tuffy is still the most natural and clinical goalscorer around. He is fit, kicks well with both feet, knows his way around the box, and has a passion for goalscoring. It would be impossible to pick a Premier League team and not include your top goalscorer.

The man to partner Tuffy up front is tricky. Ricardo Lynch, of Harbour View, came on like a storm in the last few games, and scored vital goals for Harbour View when they couldn't buy a goal from anywhere. He did just enough to make my Premier League team, which means that someone like a Kirk Ramsay just had to miss out.

The coach for this team is Vin Blaine, not merely because he is the champion coach - although that made a big difference - but also because he is one of the more respected leaders.

That's my Premier League eleven. I wonder how this team would match up against the current Reggae Boyz.

Orville Higgins is a sportscaster and talk-show host on KLAS FM. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.