FUTSAL rivals, Sparta Boss and Bent Street, will clash in the final of the Kashif and Shanghai/Guyana Football Federation (GFF) year-end extravaganza on Saturday.

Set for the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, the two teams will collide for the winners’ purse of $1M, following their emphatic semi-final wins on Tuesday evening at the country’s premier indoor facility.
An almost packed venue saw Sparta Boss easily brush aside Leopold Street 7-2, while Bent Street came from behind to edge ‘Gold is Money’ 4-3 in overtime.

Playing in the opening match of the night’s double-header, a star-studded Sparta Boss team showed why they are considered one of the favourites to lay claim to the first Futsal tournament in Guyana in over two years.
Ryan Hackett scored two of his three goals on the night in the first half to see Sparta Boss lead 2-0 at the interval.

In the second half, Curtez Kellman hit a double, while Eusi Phillips and Stephen Alfred accounted for the other two goals, as Sparta showed Leopold Street their mettle and marched into the final.
Meanwhile, the energised spectators at the venue were kept at the edge of their seats as they witnessed a neck-to-neck battle for supremacy between Bent Street and Gold is Money.

Given the fact that both teams are made-up of some of the country’s most talented players in football’s shortest format, it was predicted that fans would be in for a treat and the two teams did not disappoint.

Colin Nelson, fresh off leading the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) to the Super 16 title, where he was named the tournament’s best defender, handed Bent Street a 1-0 cushion heading into halftime after finding the net in the 15th minute.

However, Cecil Johnathon and Marcus Wilson pushed Gold is Money in the lead with two resounding goals in the second half. But things took a turn for the worst for Gold is Money supporters when William Europe slotted home a late strike to bring the proceedings even at 2-2.

The game went into overtime.
Daniel Wilson’s strike in the extra stanza sent the already packed facility into frenzy as Bent Street gained an advantage.

But “not so fast,” said Gold is Money. Randolph Wagner answered the call of his supporters to square things at three goals.
Nonetheless, with time ticking away Wilson scored again in the clutch to put things out of reach (4-3) for Gold is Money, sending Bent Street to Saturday’s final.