… Showstoppers to play New Road Eagles; Stewartville Gunners and De Kinderen to collide

IT ALL boils down to the top four teams in the semi-finals and based on the way things have been going so far, more upsets can be expected. The inaugural Ansa McAl/Stag Beer ‘West Side’ 5-a-side football tournament will see Showstoppers, who are coming off a dramatic upset win over former tournament favourites Tuschen Up-Top Youths; play the undefeated New Road Eagles while Stewartville Gunners and surprise contenders De Kinderen Village will go head-to-head tonight from 20:00hrs.
Vergenoegen Rice Mill Tarmac was the venue for Wednesday’s quarterfinals that saw Showstoppers and Tuschen Up-Top Youths play each other in a game that went all the way to sudden-death penalty shootout to decide the winner.
Showstoppers’ Marvin Josiah, the tournament’s leading goalscorer, put his team in the lead, scoring his first of a hat-trick in the first minute of the game, but just before the end of the first half, John Waldron equalised for the Tuschen team.
The resumption of the game in the second stanza saw Dexroy Adams hit home in the 21st minute, giving Showstoppers a 2-1 advantage.
John Waldron completed his double in the 27th minute to silence the large crowd who were in jubilation to see the team many regarded as favourites on the verge of elimination.
After both teams failed to find the nets, the game went into extra time, and it was Tuschen Up-Top Youths through back-to-back goals from Calvin Shepherd (33rd and 34th) that took a 4-2 lead which did not last long since Josiah, Showstoppers’ lucky charm completed his hat-trick scoring in the 35th and 39th minutes to send the game to sudden death penalty.
The two sides exchanged a number of goals until Tuschen Up-Top Youths’ Devon Millington missed the goal that could have sent his team to tonight’s semi-finals but instead, he opened the door for Adams to go to the charity spot and calmly tuck the ball in the goal. So Showstoppers edged one game closer to the tournament’s $200 000 first prize.
New Road Eagles kept their unbeaten record intact, doing so when it mattered the most and sending home the lone Georgetown team that remained in the competition following their 2-0 victory.
Through goals from Leroy Pedro (20th) and Jermaine Junior (25th), New Road Eagles easily deposed of Broad Street in a game that was a one-sided affair.
Stewartville Gunners lived up to their nom de plume; shooting their way to a 2-0 win over Uitvlugt.
The game got off to a terrifying start as tragedy struck the Gunners with one of their players breaking his leg following a collision with a Uitvlugt player when the two tackled each other.
The game was momentarily brought to a halt as organisers and teammates whisked the player away to a nearby hospital.
Showstoppers, though, being the better team seemed motivated to win the game for their fallen player and made light work of Uitvlugt, who had few chances of scoring, having being smothered by the tenacious defending of the victors.
Meanwhile, Vergenoegen All-Stars failed to shine when it mattered the most as the tournament’s other undefeated team folded 2-0 to De Kinderen Village.
It is anticipated that another mammoth crowd would be on hand as the tournament nears its climax. It’s anybody’s tournament for the taking, with the rollercoaster-like momentum continues, forcing fans to think twice before making a wager on the team they want to win it all.