– Albouystown outclasses Sophia to finish third
IT was a performance that earned him the Most Valuable Player (MVP) accolade, as Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson scored a helmet-trick to help Sparta Boss cement their legacy as Guyana’s best Futsal team when they outclassed Tucville 7 – 4 in the final of the Xtreme Clean/GT Beer Futsal tournament on Saturday at the National Gymnasium.
With that win, Sparta Boss pocketed $500,000, while Tucville had to settle for the second place purse of $200,000.
Played in front of a packed venue, the crowd, based on the chants prior to the start of the game, suggested that both sides were well supported.
Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, along with Director of Sport, Christopher Jones, were on hand and met the two finalist before kick-off, but from the sound of the referee’s ‘Fox40’, which was lost in the deafening sound of the vociferous crowd, it was clear that the night will be long and rugged.
To say the game was very physical wouldn’t give justice to how it was really played. In fact, the players, especially those from the Tucville team, had to be cautioned and threatened by the referees to “keep it clean”.
But when things got on the way, it was fireworks, given the fact that the two were favourites to win and were on a collision course throughout the tournament.
It was Dennis Edwards who sent the Tucville supporters crazy when he stroked home the game’s first goal 10 minutes into the contest. But an equaliser was almost certain, given the fact that Richardson, Devon Millington and Eusi Phillips threatened the goal on several occasions.
Richardson scored his first of four goals in the 20th minute; a clinical one-two punch with Millington that he tucked away out of the reach of the Tucville custodian.
However, Edwards completed his brace when he had the better of Sheldon Shepherd in defence and hammered home his right-footed volley just before half time to give Tucville a 2 – 1 advantage heading into the final stanza.
But Richardson proved to the scores in attendance at the National Gymansium why he’s considered Guyana’s most skilful forward, when he created Phillips’ equaliser just two minutes after the resumption of play.
With the scores even (2 – 2), Richardson worked his magic using some fancy footwork before burying his shot on goal to give Sparta a 3 – 2 advantage in the 33rd minute.
It was basically a one-sided contest thereafter. Millington (46th), Shepherd (52nd) and Richardson (53rd) made it 6 – 2, by which time, the Tucville supporters had already started to leave, since it was basically them witnessing the ‘Gregory Richardson’ show.
Jermaine Junor, who finished as the tournament’s highest goal scorer with 11 goals, scored a doubled in the 54th and 55th minute, but Richardson put the icing on the cake with his 57th minute goal to push Sparta to a 7 – 4 scoreline and the victory.
After the game, Richardson, who collected $50,000 and a trophy for being adjudged MVP, credited the team’s win to the simple fact that they are more experienced and certainly have the better team.
Meanwhile, in the third place playoff, Albouystown scored a 5 – 3 win over Sophia to claim the $100,000 prize. Sophia went home with $50,000.
Lennox Cort scored a hat-trick; netting in the 3rd, 10th and 20th minute, while Sherwin Fordyce (14th) and Roy Cassou (9th) were the goalscorers for Albouystown.
Shemroy Arthur (25th), Omallo Williams (19th) and Dwayne Lowe netted for Sophia who had a decent run in the tournament before being booted by Tucville in the semi-finals.
