Guinness Cage Street Ball C/ship…
With one of the biggest showdowns in the history of football quickly approaching its climax, the Haslington Market Tarmac is the place to be on Friday, August 31, as the Guinness Cage Street Ball Championships approach their final stages.
The wait has been long, and eager fans have dreamt of this moment when they would be able to see their favourite team make it to the finals.
As at August 24, fans were pumped, while some were at a loss for words, as the round of 16 and quarterfinal leg of the tournament concluded. With many good teams making in through the round of 16, such as Leopold Street, Ol Skool Ballers, Avocado Ballers and Sparta Boss, thrilling quarterfinal matches were promised.
Eventually, the quarterfinals concluded, and as expected, the Sparta Boss Team, Leopold Street, Broad Street and Uprising all secured a spot in the upcoming semi-finals. Speaking with <<Guyana Times Sport>>, Coordinator of the Guinness Cage Street Ball Championship, Rawle Welch, mentioned having some favourite teams that he would like to make in to the championship round. Sparta Boss and Leopold Street were two of the teams desired, as they each carry a large fan base.
Welch said he would love for Sparta Boss to win. Even though they may not be in form, he wants them to play with all their heart, but the othppppppother teams must watch out for Leopold Street.
The contradiction comes when both teams will have to face each other in the semis this on Saturday at the Haslington Market Tarmac.
If both teams were to be assessed statistically, based on their performance in the round of 16 and quarterfinals, one would say Sparta Boss has the advantage over Leopold Street. Sparta triumphed over Back Circle 1-0 in the round of 16; and over Avocado Ballers 1-0 in the quarterfinals.
Both goals were scored within the ninth minute of the game, and the teams were able to maintain a lead. Leopold, on the other, were matched up against Albouystown in the round of 16, at the end of the fulltime they were 1-1 which led to a penalty shootout in which they secured victory 2-1. In the quarterfinals, they were matched up against the experience of Ol Skool Ballers, and the game ended 0-0. Aagain a penalty shootout was the deciding factor, and they were victorious 1-0. With Leopold Street only being able to score penalties to secure victory and Sparta boss declaring their dominance early in the match, the stats clearly speak for themselves.
Sparta must maintain their form to defeat Leopold Street, and if Leopold Street want to be victorious, they must play more offensively and be able to keep the lead. Only the best will survive this heated battle to secure their space in the finals.
Among the entities in support of the cause are Banks DIH under its Guinness and Power Wine brands, Clarks footwear giants Chetsons, E- Networks Inc., KSM Investments, Yhip’s Bakery, Brass Aluminum & Cast Iron Foundry [BACIF], Ray’s Auto Sales, Insurance Brokers Guyana Limited [IGBL], Y.K. Investments, Trophy Stall, Express Shipping, Woodpecker Products, National Sports Commission, ‘C’ Division of the Guyana Police Force, Jai Signs & Auto Designs, Gaming Authority, Julius Variety Store, and C & C Prestigious Styles.
Photo: Cage 3
Photo Caption: Part of the action in the ongoing Guinness Cage StreetBall Championships
