2004 Caribbean Cup champions Grenada are set to begin defending their title this weekend as the 2005 season kicks off on Sunday June 12 at the Jefferson High School field in Brooklyn. But with bragging rights to one of the Tri-State area’s top soccer leagues at stake, the boys from the Spice Isle know their path to this year’s trophy will not be easy. “The competition should be tighter this year, as all the teams would have been working hard to improve,” said Dalton Jones, the coach of the Grenada team, in an exclusive interview with Grenadianconnection.com. According to coach Jones, most defending champions think they can repeat, but he added, “We like our chances. We definitely think we can do it.” When asked which team he considered to be the greatest threat, Jones said all the teams seem to be coming out ready for action and that there was no one team in particular that had caught his attention. “I think all the teams are going to be competitive,” he said. As for the makeup of Grenada’s team, Jones said, “We have several new players, some younger ones and a few veterans. I think we have a good mix.” The Grenada coach said his team has been training hard to be ready to defend the title and was eagerly awaiting the start of the season. “We are looking forward to good clean competitive soccer, with good gamesmanship taking priority over everything else.” Grenada will play its first game in their quest for this year’s championship against Dominica, who are newcomers to the Caribbean Cup. And, far from being intimidated at the thought of playing the defending champions in their first-ever Caribbean Cup appearance, the Dominicans are quite confident. Speaking with Grenadianconnection.com, team manager Caesar Emanuel said his team believes they have a 98% chance of winning the title. “We have an excellent team, with 8 or 9 players from the national team. These are very competitive players who have been in other leagues.” Emanuel said this is the first time Dominica was entering any competition in the New York area, but that would not affect his team’s standards and they would be playing to win. Meanwhile, Grenada’s arch rivals Jamaica, who were runners-up last year and champions in 2003, are seeking to regain the trophy. Coach Arthur “Jetty” Mikes says the boys from Jamrock have a pretty good chance. “We have a couple of new players, and based on their performance and attitude, I think we are in a good position.” According to Mikes, the young and talented additions to the team should make a difference. “We have a good mix of technical and tactical players who are up to the task.” The Jamaica coach said that early indications were that all the teams were making a special effort this year, and pointed to Trinidad and St. Vincent as possible tough competitors. He also said that the Jamaicans were more than ready for what any of the other teams would bring. “We are putting out our best effort and coming to play entertaining and attacking soccer,” Mikes said. The 2005 Caribbean Cup gets under way this Sunday, June 12 with the first match, Guyana vs. St. Kitts/Nevis slated to begin at 4:15 p.m., followed by the feature game, Grenada vs. Dominica at 6 p.m. The venue for all games in the competition is the Jefferson High School field in Brooklyn, on Flatlands and Shepherd avenues in Spring Creek Gardens. Tickets for the preliminary rounds are $7 and those interested in getting season tickets can call 718-859-7300 for details.