Pee Wee Under 11 Football
It was a contest truly fitting for a final at the Ministry of Education Ground, Carifesta Avenue on Saturday afternoon as West Ruimveldt and St. Pius Primary battled it out for the 2018 Under 11 Pee Wee Championship.
West Ruimveldt, a usually unbeatable team, had the opportunity of defending their title in the final match but St. Pius brought resilience and smart plays to the drawing table of the contest. Both teams had an outstanding run in the tournament, but West Ruimveldt seemed a little more stable going into the final with a commanding 2-1 win over Mocha Arcadia whilst St. Pius edged past Tucville with a goal in the final minute of regulation time for the final spot.
Nevertheless, both sides were deserving of the top two clash and they indeed delivered a riveting game for the densely packed and vibrant crowd.
From the sound of the first whistle, both teams were on the attack but St. Pius was the more successful of the two, controlling possession with lightning speed passes. St. Pius striking was nothing West Ruimveldt had met before in the 2018 tournament. A clinical string of passes by the young team put St. Pius’ striker in the right position to sink the team’s first goal. Soon after the teams retreated to their respective benches, signaling the half time.
With West Ruimveldt being known for returning with a vengeance the electric crowd was expectant of a miracle from the defending champions but all they got was a greater show of skill from St. Pius. Kaden Wellington, St Pius’ star player got amongst the goals as he netted his team’s second goal early in the half. They continued with their dribbles and try as West Ruimveldt did, the challengers were too much to contain. Minutes later St. Pius added another to their tally and Kaden Wellington returned for his second of the game. Almost in a flash, West Ruimveldt were hunting the goal and managed to volley one inside the nets, the first time of the evening that they had been accurate. The three goal lead was too much for West Ruimvedlt to catch up to with under a minute of play remaining, as such the 2017 champions conceded victory to St Pius in a sea of tears.
While noting that the team’s ‘knocking’ was not on par in their final game, West Ruimveldt’s captain Johnathan Andries was positive about the team’s future. “We tried our best but in football you lose some and you win some. We think we can come back strong,” Andries said.
On the other hand, St Pius’ Kaden Wellington had one word for the Guyana Times Sport when questioned about his team’s performance. “Great,” the youngster said in all smiles.
The third place playoff between Mocha Arcadia and Tucville Primary was a fierce battle as expected. Although both sides had their fair share of opportunities, neither side could get past their opponents’ goalkeeper, plunging the game into extra time and then minutes later, a penalty shootout. On this front, Tucville Primary proved that they were the better of the two teams as their defender John Harry opted for the gloves whilst their usual goalkeeper Joshua Augustin took a shot at the goal. First up, Mocha squandered their first attempt and others that followed, as Harry showed that his skill in the net. Meanwhile, Augustin and Carlos Negus’ accurate shots were enough for Tucville’s third place win.
In the individual awards, Tucville’s John Harry was recognized as the most promising player and Joshua Sharples of St. Pius Primary was adjudged the best goalkeeper. However, the fiercest battle came for the highest goal scorer award. Justin Alcindor of St. Agnes finished the tournament on 14 goals and was awarded with a pair of cleats for his efforts, but the man of the moment was St. Pius Kaden Wellington who ended on 15. The young man also walked away with the MVP award for the 2018 tournament.
