In the first round of the Honor Gold Cup, Dakota’s yellow team leads the standings with 11 points, tied with Piedra Plat’s Pumas but with a better goal average. With 3 victories and 2 draws, the yellow team remains undefeated in this part of the championship. Owen van der Wijne continues to be the top scorer for the Yellow team.

In the first round, he scored 6 goals, and now in the Cup, he leads his team with 4 goals. Camilo Pena, who scored 4 goals in the first round, has yet to find the net in the Cup. Ricky Hodge, dealing with a groin injury, has only scored 1 goal in the Gold Cup. The forward is regaining form, and it is hoped that he can play a more significant role in the second round. With Britannia and Nacional showing good form, Dakota will need Ricky Hodge to renew his romance with goals. One player who has taken on a more prominent role is Jean Louis Mackenly, with 3 goals scored in the first round of the Gold Cup.

Mackenly has been working hard and improving with each game, making significant contributions when the team needed them most. Nicholson Paul is certainly the heart of this team, and although his strength lies in his defensive part, he is a player who pushes forward, connecting almost telepathically with Fernando de Souza. The latter is in a goal drought, but remains an important player. His ability to distribute the ball is crucial in transitioning from defense to attack. He also draws a lot of marking attention, creating space for Owen Van der Wijne to operate. He scored 4 times in the first game but has yet to find the net in the Gold Cup.

Defensively, Dakota is the most solid team, conceding only 2 goals in the first 5 games of the Gold Cup. Certainly, Dakota is sailing smoothly, but their coach Jonathan Lake knows well that the job is not done until you lift that championship cup, and the confetti starts falling.

The road ahead is still long, and nothing is written in stone. Their current task is to protect the atmosphere within the group, but it’s not a task they can do alone. Here, the Management must play their part, the fans must continue to support the team, and they must remain focused on the ultimate goal, as a crisis can arise just around the corner.

The yellow team is in a privileged position, and picking up at least 5 points in the second round should be enough for Dakota to progress to the next round. They will be back in action on April 5th against Santa Cruz’s Orange team, SV Estrella.