Marian, Waramuri to battle for supremacy in MVP Girls U11 today

A $100,000 prize, bragging rights and a sparkling trophy would be on the line this afternoon, when Marian Academy and Waramuri Primary lock horns in hopes of clinching the MVP Sports Girls’ Under-11 Pee-Wee Football title.
Last Saturday, defending champions Marian Academy downed Potaro Primary 3-0 to book their final spot, while Waramuri Primary edged last year’s runners-up, St. John the Baptist, 1-0 to advance.
Head coaches of both sides, respectively Troy Wright and Chance Herbst, have discussed the work done with their players, and how it has paid off. Marian Academy’s Head Coach Troy Wright shared, “First of all, thanks and praises to the Almighty God, (for) giving us the health and strength to reach to a next final. They performed to what we worked on; we worked on defense and finishing. Young Haley and the Captain rise to the occasion, cause she had a bad season. So, I told her (to) put the rest of games behind her back and (she’ll) come up in the right time, and today she stepped up. I’m very happy this is my third consecutive final with Marian.

“The 7 vs 7 was definitely new for them. It’s normally just kick the ball and play, but we’ve worked a lot with defense structure, midfield, forward, moving around, and having a high and low defense. But I think they’re playing really well with it. They understood it really quickly, so it’s been a dream to work with them,” Herbst explained about his team’s training and evolution.
While it is widely known that there is pressure in defending a title and coming up against the reigning champions, both coaches discussed their respective positions.
“Any game in a knockout format is a lot of pressure. We are the defending champions; we have been pressured since the tournament start because, to defend a championship is not easy. To win a championship is not easy, but it’s the hardest to defend it. I’m happy that we’re in the finals again, and we have to work hard; harder than last year,” Wright declared.
Waramuri Coach Herbst divulged about scoping out his opposition and the pressure of coming up against the defending champions.
“We watched them play today, they’re definitely good. They’ve got some good footwork; they’ve got good ball control, which is something I think we rival them with as well; but I think (that) as long as we play our game: we pass, we work together, our defense plays hard and doesn’t sit back and watch, it’ll be a great game to watch,” he opined.
While Marian’s Wright has expressed the need to employ a new strategy for the final, Waramuri’s Herbst thinks it would be ‘pretty great’ to get the win.
Marian’s Coach Wright has declared, “I watched both teams, and both teams are tough teams. They’re strong; they have a lot of energy; (they) just have to come up with a different strategy how to move and how to manipulate my players to come out successful. We have to come with a different strategy.”
Waramuri’s Coach Herbst has shared, “It feels great! It’s really good! We’ve been working at it for a long time, so it’s pretty good.”
The MVP Sports U11 final is scheduled for 15:30hrs, while the third-place playoff between Potaro and St. John the Baptist Primary would commence at 13:30hrs.