Guinness “Greatest of the Streets” Linden tourney: Rain plays spoilsport before final showdown
Rain had the last say in the Guinness “Greatest of the Streets” Linden Championship, a persistent shower forcing the cancellation of the second semifinal, third-place playoff, and eventual final on Sunday evening at the Retrieve Tarmac.
Tournament officials have taken the decision to reschedule the remaining matches for Saturday, June 1st, following discussions with the officiating crew and Guinness Brand Executive Lee Baptiste.
The playing surface, having been battered for more than 90 minutes by a consistent downpour, was deemed unsafe for the players.
According to an official release from the coordinating crew, “Following discussions with the relevant parties, including the teams, it was deemed that the venue was unfit to contest the remaining matches. The safety of the players is the most important element, along with providing a quality experience for the patrons.
The four trophies that would be awarded to the top four finishers
“The integrity and overall quality of the tournament must be maintained, so the decision was taken to reschedule the matches for Saturday, which will culminate the tournament.
“While we understand the frustration of the players and the spectators, safety for everyone involved in the championship, especially the players and the fans, is tantamount.”
The rescheduled matches will be staged at the same venue.
Before the unfortunate decision to suspend the matches, the Silver Bullets ha defeated the Spaniards 3-0 in the first semifinal, which was partially affected by the downpour.
Damion Williams opened the scoring in the fourth minute, while Colwyn Drakes tallied a ‘Guinness Goal’ (a goal scored in the final three minutes of normal time is counted as two) in the 23rd minute.
The second semifinal fixture will pit Hardball Management against Turf President.
The winner of the tournament will pocket $500,000 and the Championship Trophy. They will also earn an automatic berth to the national championship during August in Georgetown.
Meanwhile, the second-, third-, and fourth-place finishers would walk away with $400,000, $300,000, and $250,000 respectively, and the corresponding accolade.
