MCYS/ANSA McAL June Madness Futsal: Sparta Boss, Back Circle A, Road Warriors, Gold Is Money to battle for the c/ship spots

An almost capacity crowd at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall got more than they bargained for when the quarter-finals of the inaugural June Madness Futsal championship were contested on Saturday night into Sunday morning.
Two very close encounters and an equal amount of not-so-nerve-racking wins permeated the night’s proceedings as Gold Is Money, Sparta Boss, Road Warriors and Back Circle A booked the four semi-final spots and were assured of earning from the prize pot of over $4 million.

The night also saw the continuation of the female segment of June Madness, and saw Iconic Ballers recording their second win in as many matches in the round-robin competition among six teams. The top four will move on to the semis.
Iconic Ballers, assured of a final-four slot, defeated Tucville Terrorists 3-0; with Akeelah Vancooten (9th), Shanic Thornhill (11th) and Tynesha Thorne (17th), the players on target for the winners. The other female match ended with Avacado Ballers trouncing Pouderoyen 6-2.
Leading Avacado Ballers was Lezandra Henrito with a helmet-trick (4th, 7th, 14th, 15th), with one each for Anna Frank (1st) and Gabriela Jimenez in the sixth minute. Pouderoyen’s response came from a well-executed free kick off the boots of Sasha Johnson with the yellow ball in the 16th minute of the 20-minute encounter.
The night’s main attraction between Gold Is Money and giant slayers Bomb Squad saw the latter’s dream run coming to a screeching halt with the former winning 4-1. For all of 25 minutes of the 40-minute clash, Bomb Squad and their supporters were in high spirits as the score was locked at 1-1.
Gold Is Money took the lead after 11 minutes of play, William Europe knocking in the first of his hat-trick. Six minutes later, Kemar Beckford drew Bomb Squad level as the first half ended with much hope for both sides.
Three minutes into the second half, Gold Is Money restored their advantage when Randolph Wagner converted. It took a yellow-ball strike in the 26th minute to seal the win and a final-four place for Gold Is Money, Europe slotting home what can be termed a golden strike.

Back Circle A rolled over Z Tekk 5-1, thanks to a Chris Macey double (13th, 33rd) and one each from Stephan McLean (19th), Ravin Naughton (29th) and Simeon Moore (38th). Z Tekk’s consolation goal was scored by Neron Barrow in the 35th minute.
The other two matches were humdingers in their own right. First up, the highly-fancied Road Warriors, who ran over their first two opponents, were held tightly throughout their clash with Bent Street B, who lost by a single goal, 4-3.
Road Warriors were virtually sailing to victory having enjoyed a 3-0 cushion for more than half of the game. Mattheus De Souza (10th, 15th penalty) and Arckson Andreazza in the 26th minute laid the platform for what was looking like an easy walk in the park.
But things changed and got scary for them when Bent Street B scored their first in the 32nd minute through Tyric McAllister, but seconds later, Road Warriors restored their three-goal cushion when Ricardo Silva found the back of the nets.
The game was a very physical encounter with both teams finding themselves in foul trouble. Late goals from Orin Moore (39th penalty) and Samuel Garnett (40th) made the Road Warriors players and fans sweat, but time was certainly not on Bent Street B’s side, with the final whistle being blown moments after Garnett’s strike.

Sparta Boss, once a popular unit, seem to be losing their flair and support but somehow still find a way to notch up wins. A classic case was their showdown with North East which they went on to win 4-3.
Like the Road Warriors, Sparta Boss raced to a comfortable 3-0 lead by the 15th minute with goals from Curtez Kellman (6th, 15th), who has scored in all three of their matches so far, and Kelsey Benjamin in the eighth minute.
The busybody Lennox Cort reduced the advantage of Sparta in the 22nd minute when he scored North East’s first. A bold move was then made by the North East Coach who requested the yellow ball around the 23rd minute.
The move paid dividends with Tyler Lyle scoring a huge goal in the 24th minute which sent the crowd into a frenzy, underscoring the level of support North East enjoyed among the majority of fans. The goal levelled the score 3-3.
When it seemed like the game was headed for extra time, the North East side lost their focus in the final minute and paid the price when Ryan “Bum Bum” Hackett was left unmarked in front of goal and he accepted a crisp pass to slot home in the 39th minute, sealing a semifinal place and a date with Back Circle A on Tuesday night. The other semi-final clash brings together Road Warriors and Gold Is Money.