Following a group round that produced unexpected results, the business end of the inaugural ‘Champion of Champions’ futsal tournament will start this evening with Back Circle, Gold is Money and North East La Penitence going into action at the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue.
Tournament Coordinator Troy Lambert has said, “The tournament has exceeded expectations! Who would have imagined that both Sparta Boss and Bent Street, traditional giants in this format, would have failed to advance to the knockout round? That has never occurred in this format, and (that) is evidence of the highly competitive nature of the tournament.”
He added, “This has to be the most competitive and open tournament in recent memory! This shows that the smaller teams are improving by acquiring better players, so there is nothing as easy as ‘an easy match’ anymore in this format; which bodes well for the future of the format. While there are still a few traditional powerhouses remaining in the event, there are emerging teams that are in the mix, which makes for an exciting finish! Anyone can genuinely win!”
This evening’s opening encounter features the undefeated North East La Penitence locking horns with Team Cruel of Beterverwagting (BV) at 20:00hrs. North East La Penitence ended the group stage with a perfect 3-0 record, which included an impressive victory over Back Circle, and are considered by many pundits to be the ‘dark horse’ of the event, given their stellar performances.
Nevertheless, given the tactical quality of their roster, Team Cruel would fancy themselves as having a good chance of staging another major upset in the event as they attempt to secure their maiden semifinal spot in this format.
In the second fixture, Gold is Money will tackle giant killer Mocha at 20:45hrs. Gold is Money has been in imperious form following a flawless group campaign, but would be tested by the dangerous Mocha, who were responsible for the elimination of Bent Street.
The third encounter would pit Stabroek Ballerz against California Square at 21:30h.
Stabroek Ballers are an unknown quantity. They possess arguably the most balanced lineup in the entire tournament, and their confidence of moving one step closer to winning their first Futsal Championship would be sky-high. However, by dint of sheer dogged determination and experience, California Square presents a tricky challenge for any team.
In the final match, Back Circle would oppose North Ruimveldt at 22:15h. Having suffered an unexpected defeat in the earlier group stage,
tournament favourites Back Circle would be gunning to right that wrong and simultaneously prove that that defeat was simply an anomaly.
However, an ultra-defensive North Ruimveldt unit would be standing in their way; and that unit have already displayed their championship credentials by a clinical win over Sparta Boss in the previous round.
The winner of the Champion of Champions event would pocket one million dollars and the championship trophy; while the second-, third-, and fourth-place finishers would respectively receive $500,000, $300,000, and $200,000 plus the corresponding accolade.
On the individual side, prizes would be given to the highest goal scorer, the most valuable player, the best defender, and the best goalkeeper.
Complete Fixtures
Day 4 Quarterfinals
(3): North East La Penitence vs Team Cruel: 20:00hrs
(2): Gold is Money vs Mocha: 20:45hrs
(1): Stabroek Ballers vs California Square: 21:30hrs
(4): North Ruimveldt vs Back Circle A: 22:15hrs
Day 5 Semifinals
(5): Winner (1) vs Winner (2)
(6): Winner (3) vs Winner (4)
Day 6 3rd-Place and Final
(7): Loser (5) vs Loser (6)
(8): Winner (5) vs Winner (6)
