Stage set for tonight’s final after third place matchup

AFTER two nights of pulsating action, in which defending champions Plaisance were given their marching orders, the stage is now set for tonight’s final of the second annual banks DIH/Petra Organisation East Coast Guinness ‘Greatest of De Streets’ Futsal competition, which climaxes at the Haslington Market Square.Melanie ‘A’ and Beterverwagting (BV) ‘B’ have earned the right to face each other tonight, after they defeated last year’s runners-up Victoria Church Yard United and Melanie ‘B’ in their respective semifinal clashes, leaving them to battle for third place tonight.
Jamal George, who scored a brace in Melanie ‘A’s 2-0 semifinal win over Victoria Church Yard United and national striker Dwight Peters, will lead that side’s attack against BV ‘B’, who will look to Erin Fraser to steer them to the title, since he is their lone marksman to date.
The winner of tonight’s final will pocket $300 000 and a trophy and earn the right to be called Futsal champions of that district for one year, while the runners-up will receive $150 000 and a trophy.
However, apart from their bragging rights and spoils, tonight’s finalists have also earned for themselves a place in the national playoffs, where they will oppose several other teams who competed out of Georgetown and Linden, with the winner earning the right to represent Guyana in the Caribbean Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ tournament.
Prior to the East Coast finalists being made known, Georgetown zone champions Queen Street/Tiger Bay, runners-up Stevedore Housing Scheme, third-place finishers Hope Street/Tiger Bay and the fourth-placed Albouystown ‘B’, along with Eagles, Retrieve Unknowns and Scheme, out of Linden, had booked their spots in the national playoffs.
In the third place playoff, Victoria Church Yard United who have within their lineup Keyron Johnson and Nicholas Holder, their two goalscorers to date, will be hoping they find the back of the net this time around along with the other members of the team if they are to get past Melanie ‘B’.
Ryan Seales was Melanie ‘B’s saviour when they faced Victoria Eagles in the quarterfinals, before going down to BV ‘B’ in the semifinals, hence he will be looked at closely, if they are to be prevented from taking third place by Victoria Church Yard United as well.

(Calvin Roberts)