K&S/One Guyana National Futsal Championship: No room to breathe as five more teams to advance to quarters tomorrow

The intensity is heightening with every night as teams continue to walk the plank while others advance as the inaugural Kashif and Shanghai/One Guyana national year-end futsal extravaganza gathers momentum.
Tomorrow night, Thursday December 19, will be no different, as some exciting match-ups are in the making. The Round-of-32, which got going last night at the National Gymnasium following the conclusion of the Round-of-64 on Monday night, will continue tomorrow.
Set to open the night’s action at 19:00hrs (7pm) is the match between Timehri Hustlers and Kitty Hustlers. Timehri squeezed past Tiger Bay (2-1) in a close encounter, while Kitty brushed aside Lodge (6-3). Both teams are expectedly aware that only the winner would advance.
Espanyol earned the right to clash with Laing Avenue after defeating Broad Street 6-2; and Laing Avenue were dismissive of Finishers by a 4-1 margin. The two will collide from 20:15hrs (8:15pm).
Stabroek ‘B’ and Showstoppers would then face off at 21:00hrs (9pm), followed by Spaniard and Bent Street at 21:45hrs (9:45pm).

The final clash of the night pits Back Circle ‘A’ and Vryheid’s Lust. The team from the East Coast is expected to come under heavy thunder from the Back Circle side, which has hammered Essequibo 12-0 in their opening round clash.
Vryheid’s Lust was pushed into extra time to get past Trini Gunners 6-2, following a 2-2 regulation time scoreline.
Meanwhile, in a riveting finale to the Round-of-64 on Monday night, Road Warriors, playing arguably one of the most exciting brands of futsal, thumped Foot Steppers of Timehri 10-2. With a mixture of Brazilian and Guyanese players, Road Warriors have sounded a big warning to the established teams.
The Warriors were led by their captain Matheus Monteiro De Souza with a helmet-trick in the 2nd, 9th, 11th and 14th minutes. Wendrecky Gios De Souza supported with a brace in the 2nd and 11th minutes, while there was one each coming from Dionathas Pereira (17th), Chai Williams (20th), Daniels Alves (28th) and Jaleel Alcindor(29th) minute.
Foot Steppers managed goals off the boots of Shawn Cudjoe (7th) and Cleavon Murray (13th) as they were outmatched on the night.

Rockstone, from the bauxite mining town of Linden, found the going very rocky, and were sent packing by Agricola Ballers 1-5. Bilaal Jabar led Agricola with a hattrick of goals in the 1st, 20th and 23rd minutes, David Webb scored on the stroke of full time (30th), and the other goal was an own scored in the 8th minute.
In what was a very enthusing showdown, 5-man California Square rallied to beat a full-strength Ithaca Ballers 5-4 in extra time, after the two teams had battled to a 3-3 fulltime scoreline. The lads from California Square had to dig deep into their reservoir of experience to come out on top.
Ithaca took the lead through Neil Lynton in the 7th minute, and California’s Josh Abel responded to draw his team level in the 16th minute. But almost immediately, Ithaca restored their one goal advantage through Maliki Anthony’s first goal of a double, also in the 16th minute. Anthony was on target again three minutes later to double the advantage.

Gasping for breath, the California players somehow found the impetus to keep going, being urged on by the city fans, who were very vociferous. That support from the stands resulted in California firing in two unanswered goals in the 23rd and 28th minutes through Dexter Marshall and Goalkeeper Christian Benjamin from halfway in the opponent’s half, to level the score and push the game into extra time at 3-3.
Three minutes into the first 5 minutes of extra time (10 minutes in total) Ithaca again took the lead through Frank Anthony, but that was to be their final strike of the match. California’s Meshack (30+5) and Abel (30+7) sealed the deal for their team, and with it a place in the Round-of-32.
Linden YMCA had to leave via sudden death penalty kicks, following a 2-2 regulation and extra time stalemate with North Ruimveldt. YMCA jumped ahead in the 13th minute when Andre Myers found the back of the net, but a double from Antoni Allen in the 15th and 19th minutes catapulted North Ruimveldt into the ascendancy.
However, Kevin Gittens found the equalizer for Linden YMCA in the 23rd minute, and both teams tried for the winner, but that proved to be elusive. North Ruimveldt prevailed 5-4 on sudden death penalties.
Ballers United of Berbice made light work of Gladiators, winning 3-0. Dane Johnson (4th), William Sommersell (16th) and Ray Reddock (27th) all found the back of the net.
The other match saw Back Circle ‘B’ edging Stevedore 5-4 in extra time after a 2-2 regulation time scoreline. On target for the winners were Martin King (30+3 & 30+7), Fabian Abrams (8th), Kelon Gordon (21st), and Sigmund Cobena (30+5).
For Stevedore, Jared Cumberbatch (19th, 30+1) and Nikel Brandt (20th, 30+2) were on target.