THE Haslington Market tarmac will provide the setting this evening, as the semi-final round and eventual championship match will be conducted in the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ East Coast Demerara zone.

The four teams that are in the running for the championship, following two nights of elimination matches are Vryheid’s Lust, Liliendaal Hustlers, Non Pareil, and Beterverwagting-A (BV-A).
Vryheid’s Lust are scheduled to face off with BV-A in the first semi-final at 19:00hrs. Vryheid’s Lust defeated two-time winners Melanie-B on penalty kicks in the earlier quarterfinal section and will be aiming to add another high-profile scalp to their list.

However, the experienced BV-A side will be laser-focused on returning to the final, in their bid to capture a second tile, and are in clinical form, following their 2-1 defeat of Church Yard in the previous round.

Meanwhile, Non Pareil will oppose Hustlers in the second semifinal at 19:30hrs. Non Pareil enter the matchup riding on a wave of momentum following their come-from-behind 3-2 win over Eagles. But the formidable Hustlers outfit will be no pushovers, following their gritty penalty shoot-out victory over Old School.

The respective semi-final winners will progress to the championship match, while the losers will compete in the third-place playoff.
The winning team will receive $250 000 and the championship trophy, while the losers will collect $150 000 and a trophy. The third and fourth-place finishers will receive $100 000, and $70 000 respectively, and a trophy.

Meanwhile, the Plate section of the competition will conclude before the start of the main tournament final.
In the first semi-final, Portmore will battle Team Cruel at 20:00hrs, while Buxton Diamond will tackle Uprising at 20:30hrs. The winners will compete in the final for $60 000.

According to tournament coordinator Rawle Welch, “Thrilling is the word that can be best used to describe the final night in the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ East Coast Demerara zone. We have had tremendous support from the communities, who must be commended for showcasing discipline. A major highlight of the tournament has been the incident-free nature.

Three of the four teams could be first-time finalists, which cannot be understated or undervalued as the competitiveness and growth of the event bode well for its future. The Plate section also has been fiercely competitive and was a structure introduced to reward teams, who were unlucky in the previous round, and has really taken on a life of its own, and this must be attributed to the teams.”

He further said, “All systems are in place for a wonderful night of action and the atmosphere is expected to be electric as we could possibly crown a first-time winner, as three of the four semi-final teams would be first-time finalists, which is another major boost to the credential and worth of this prestigious championship.

“Once again we thank the communities and players for their unwavering support of the brand and the tournament. Despite a two-year absence, the passion, drive and fire to compete and participate still burn bright for the tournament.

“This evening will be no different, and we expect another mammoth crowd to descend on the venue which has certainly
exceeded expectations this year.”

Complete Fixtures:

Semi-finals
(1) BV-A vs Vryheid’s Lust – 19:00hrs
(2) Liliendaal Hustlers vs Non Pareil – 19:30hrs

3rd Place
(3) Losers (1) vs Losers (2) – 22:00hrs

FinalF
(4) Winners (1) vs Winners (2) – 22:30hrs

Plate Semi-finals
(1) Portmore vs Team Cruel – 20:00hrs
(2) Buxton vs Uprising – 20:30hrs

Final
(3) Winners (1) vs Winners (2) – 21:30hrs