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AFTER two days of thrilling and exuberant football, the Kashif and Shanghai Football tournament semi-finals are set, with Pele coming up against Amelia’s Ward United and Buxton United down to face the powerful Alpha ‘The Hammer’ United tomorrow at the Buxton Community Centre ground. At the Georgetown Football Club ground on Christmas Day, Alpha got the better of BV United 4–0 while Pele sent Silver Shattas of Linden packing with victory by the same score line.
The following day (Boxing Day), the tournament headed to the East Coast village of Buxton, which saw the venue packed with football-hungry fans who witnessed their home side create one of the biggest upsets of this year’s tournament, when they tamed BK International Western Tigers 1–0.
Amelia’s Ward United would want to thank their goalkeeper Odel Allicock for choosing the right side and making the stop for his team when they edged Den Amstel on sudden-death penalty shootout.
Of the two nights, Boxing Night (December 26) produced not only the best football played in the tournament this year, but according to Director of the Kashif and Shanghai Organisation, Kashif Muhammad, it should go down as one of the best in the event’s 23 years of existence.
It was as if the entire East Coast came out to see the Dwayne Jacobs-led Buxton United against a Western Tigers line-up that had the likes of Shawn ‘Bubbly’ Beveney, Walter Moore, Devon Millington and Derrick Carter in goal and they were not disappointed.
From the first blast of Referee Stanley Lancaster’s ‘Fox40’ to signal the start of the game, bells kept ringing, there was loud singing and chants of ‘Tame dem Tigers’ came from the crowd as the carnival-like atmosphere began.
Buxton United were literally all over the Western Tigers’ players and though the city team would have rebounded and created a few chances of their own, the majority of possessions belonged to the team that gained the alias ‘The East Coast Warriors’.
The first half ended scoreless with both teams battling it out in one of the most physical games of the tournament so far.
Millington was kept at bay and out of striking distance throughout the game by a stubborn Buxton defence while Beveney could not have worked his customary magic in midfield, with only Moore who plays with Caledonia AIA in Trinidad and Tobago getting his way. None of his (Moore) efforts transferred into any real chances on goal.
But Derrick Carter chose the wrong time to have a slip within the six-yard box as he reached for a shot to goal by Buxton’s Michael Phyll in the 88th minute that bounced its way to the back of the net.
Pandemonium broke loose as persons swarmed the field of play in jubilation, joining in on the celebration of the goal that would see them move on to play again at home tomorrow against the nation’s number one-ranked team.
Meanwhile, Amelia’s Ward United, the team considered as the pride of Linden, endured a lengthy penalty shootout – one that had a total of 18 kicks being taken before a winner was known to book a semi-final spot.
Both teams failed to make any real run on the goal and the possession chances were balanced.
The game ended both regulation and extra time scoreless and heading into penalty kicks. It was the Amelia’s Ward keeper who went to his right, timing the Den Amstel player’s shot to perfection.
Organisors announced that tickets for the final set for January 1 at the Guyana National Stadium is currently on sale at Ashmin’s Trading. The tickets which cost $2 000 will afford patrons a chance to see the game and enjoy the after-concert featuring Jamaican Dancehall Superstar Mavado.
The following day (Boxing Day), the tournament headed to the East Coast village of Buxton, which saw the venue packed with football-hungry fans who witnessed their home side create one of the biggest upsets of this year’s tournament, when they tamed BK International Western Tigers 1–0.
Amelia’s Ward United would want to thank their goalkeeper Odel Allicock for choosing the right side and making the stop for his team when they edged Den Amstel on sudden-death penalty shootout.
Of the two nights, Boxing Night (December 26) produced not only the best football played in the tournament this year, but according to Director of the Kashif and Shanghai Organisation, Kashif Muhammad, it should go down as one of the best in the event’s 23 years of existence.
It was as if the entire East Coast came out to see the Dwayne Jacobs-led Buxton United against a Western Tigers line-up that had the likes of Shawn ‘Bubbly’ Beveney, Walter Moore, Devon Millington and Derrick Carter in goal and they were not disappointed.
From the first blast of Referee Stanley Lancaster’s ‘Fox40’ to signal the start of the game, bells kept ringing, there was loud singing and chants of ‘Tame dem Tigers’ came from the crowd as the carnival-like atmosphere began.
Buxton United were literally all over the Western Tigers’ players and though the city team would have rebounded and created a few chances of their own, the majority of possessions belonged to the team that gained the alias ‘The East Coast Warriors’.
The first half ended scoreless with both teams battling it out in one of the most physical games of the tournament so far.
Millington was kept at bay and out of striking distance throughout the game by a stubborn Buxton defence while Beveney could not have worked his customary magic in midfield, with only Moore who plays with Caledonia AIA in Trinidad and Tobago getting his way. None of his (Moore) efforts transferred into any real chances on goal.
But Derrick Carter chose the wrong time to have a slip within the six-yard box as he reached for a shot to goal by Buxton’s Michael Phyll in the 88th minute that bounced its way to the back of the net.
Pandemonium broke loose as persons swarmed the field of play in jubilation, joining in on the celebration of the goal that would see them move on to play again at home tomorrow against the nation’s number one-ranked team.
Meanwhile, Amelia’s Ward United, the team considered as the pride of Linden, endured a lengthy penalty shootout – one that had a total of 18 kicks being taken before a winner was known to book a semi-final spot.
Both teams failed to make any real run on the goal and the possession chances were balanced.
The game ended both regulation and extra time scoreless and heading into penalty kicks. It was the Amelia’s Ward keeper who went to his right, timing the Den Amstel player’s shot to perfection.
Organisors announced that tickets for the final set for January 1 at the Guyana National Stadium is currently on sale at Ashmin’s Trading. The tickets which cost $2 000 will afford patrons a chance to see the game and enjoy the after-concert featuring Jamaican Dancehall Superstar Mavado.
