$1.2 M in UDFA/GT Beer final tonight

NET Rockers from the Wisrock/ One Mile/ Half communities will get another chance to be GT Beer champions when they clash with nemesis Eagles United out of Christianburg / Wismar on New Year’s night (tonight) in the final of the Upper Demerara Football Association’s sixth year-end football tournament to be played at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground.

At stake will be $1.2M for the winners and $600,000 for the losers; the ‘Rockers’ had to settle for second place when the two sides played to a 0-0 stalemate in the Senior League Championship, this time there must be a winner.

The Net Rockers must be smarting from their 4-1 loss against Botofago when they clashed one year ago in the final and would want to grab this chance and become champion after all. In so doing, the Rockers coach Eon ‘Axeman’ Wills must be aware that coming off their semi-final 2-1 win against Haynes and Lewis Winners Connection, they must be more organised when they face Eagles United.

However, this Wismar side ‘Rockers’ has been the more dominant in this tournament, barring their semifinal game where they were not as impressive as they have been throughout the year.

Coach Wills no doubt is experienced enough to make the right call this time around. He has the complement of players to do the job and how they execute will decide their right to be called champions. He sees his game tactics around a total team effort even though there may be players who would stand out.

Marshalling the central defender’s position is Omeion Wills with Mark McLean, left wing back Deshawn Young and Devon Caesar, and DeShawn Joseph attacking in the middle with players like Orande Wills and Leonard Wilson, while up front roaming will be Denzil Pryce, all-purpose Shane Luckie and Clarence Huggins.

The ‘Rockers’ forward line will be having the familiar duo of Denzil Pryce and Clarence Huggins along with lanky Shane Luckie, who have been their best scorers for some time although Huggins has tempered off somewhat.

But Pryce with the lanky Luckie will pose problems for the Eagles United defence. In the middle are Orande Wills and Leonard Wilson while the defence will see central defender Omeion Wills, Mark McLean, left wing back Deshawn Joseph and Devon Caesar with Compton Burnett in between the uprights.

The Eagles United is playing as a team and will fancy their chances this time after that semifinal loss last year against Eagles United. That game ended 4-1 for Eagles United with Luckie netting a second-half hat-trick and Huggins the other, all coming in the second half.
Eagles, however, placed third when they defeated Silver Shattas last year and are certain to have their huge Christianburg following.

Coach Rawle ‘Jughead’ Huntley, who is positive about his side’s ability, said “We want to make some changes for the final to make it exciting.”
But it’s more than that because the experienced former national midfielder Clive DeNobrega, their leader, is nursing an injury and this could be a reason that the Eagles United would be making adjustments.

At the same time, former youth standout, Omar Brewley, has been asked to give up his attacking midfield role and is playing in the pivot of the Eagles defence.
This move, Huntley said, has seen a maturing of Brewley’s game and with Brewley there is another young player with extreme talent who has been impressive so far. Kendolph Lewis and Brewley were exciting players at the school level and has shown great promise at the club level and have been getting goals for their club.

Added to them are the earlier graduates from that school level in Colwyn Drakes, who despite getting goals and Kellon Primo on the forward line still not reaching top form, will be key players should Eagles win tonight. Deron Charter has fitted in well and with Yannick Simon being their custodian, this game should go down to the wire.

To cap a night of exciting football will be the third place playoff game for $300,000 between last year’s winner, Botofago and Winners Connection at 19.00hrs.
That game will be followed by the final and the Most Valuable Player will be riding home with a motorcycle after the final whistle of the deciding game which starts at 21.00hrs.