…Clash of experience and youth as quarterfinal begins tonight
Story and Photos by Jemima Holmes
Santos FC Under 20 were the last team to seal a spot in the Turbo Knockout Football quarterfinal on Wednesday night, before that round of action begins today. They
A glimpse of Wednesday night battle between Santos FC and Black Pearl
stamped their authority on a much more experienced team, Black Pearl FC, to grab hold of the last quarterfinal spot in the third edition of the Turbo Knockout Football Tournament.
The Santos onslaught on Black Pearl began from as early as the fourth minute of the encounter, when Miguel Stoll found the back of the net.
Realizing that the younger team meant business, Black Pearl immediately fortified their defense, but that tactic did not hold up for long. Stephan Reynolds netted the first of his two goals in the 17th minute, and followed that up with another scored in the 20th minute, while Orin Moore and Kevin Mullin each scored a goal.
Captain Marcus Wilson of the Santos Under 20 FC
At this point in the game, the Black Pearl goalkeeper was likely doubting his abilities, and Brandon Solomon seized the opportunity to pierce the goal in the 34th and 36th minutes to register a 7-0 score in favour of Santos FC Under 20 by half-time.
When play resumed, Black Pearl ramped up the intensity of their game to successfully restrict Santos. Brandon Solomon of Santos had the only goal of the half, when he took a clean penalty in the 65th to complete his hat trick.
While Santos sought to remain consistent, some selfish plays and forwards who lived in the offside were their biggest downfall in the second half, preventing the Under 20 team from winning the game by a larger margin.
Although the 8-0 win was a resounding one, it held many lessons for the Under 20 team, as explained by Captain Marcus Wilson.
“We started off on the front foot because we knew the team wasn’t as strong as us. So we come up with a plan to play on line 1 and force them right up. We came out in the game, we had goals, but everyone started fighting to get a set of goals,” Wilson detailed.
Flashback: A glimpse of the September 2019 encounter between Fruta Conquerors and Buxton Stars
“When everybody wants goals, that started pressuring us, because we weren’t getting anything. That was our fault tonight. That’s exactly something that we have to work on, because the intensity dropped, we were too over-confident,” the youngster detailed in his explanation.
Nevertheless, Wilson was proud of his team’s performance, and noted that they are ready to go all the way in this Turbo tournament.
“Yeah, we’re confident, going into the quarterfinal, that we’ll come out successful. It’s a stepping stone to the final, and we want to be there,” Wilson noted.
Quarterfinal frenzy
With the round of 16 games out of the way, the knockout competition will now head into the quarterfinal, which begins today, January 10, with a double-header.
At 19:00hrs, Pouderoyen will take on the Buxton United Under 20 team, while, at 21:00hrs, another youth team in Fruta Conquerors Under 20 will be in action against Buxton Stars.
While both quarterfinal games are expected to showcase great skill and intensity, it is unclear which of the two will hold more fireworks. In the first encounter, the likes of Omari Glasgow and Jemar Harrigon will suit up for the Under 20 team attached to the elite league Buxton United. Glasgow, who is as swift as Usain Bolt on the wing, will surely be in the thick of things, and Pouderoyen FC would do well to keep an eye on this 17-year-old.
On the other hand, Pouderoyen have a balanced and experienced outfit, with Stephen Jupitor being known to come through for his team every time.
The last time that Buxton Stars FC came up against the Fruta Conquerors Under 20, in September 2019, the result was a nightmare for the Stars, as they were thrashed 8-1. Fruta’s captain Nicholas Mc Arthur and Ryan Hackett were at the helm of that victory, with a hat trick and a brace respectively.
Buxton Stars would likely be coming into the game with vengeance on their minds and an eye for revenge. Steered by Jumali Major, an upset will be in Buxton’s plans, but the question is: Can they outrun the youths of Fruta Conquerors?
The winner of the Guyana Beverage Inc-sponsored Turbo Knockout Tournament will walk away with $400,000, while the runners-up teams (2nd, 3rd, 4th) will pocket $200,000, $100,000 and $50,000 respectively.
