Gold is Money, North East to contest tomorrow’s finale
Gold is Money and North East La Penitence will battle for the crown in the inaugural Chung Global ‘Champion of Champion’ Futsal competition tomorrow after securing semifinal wins on Wednesday evening at the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue.
Gold is Money stormed into the final with a 4-0 whipping of the Stabroek Ballers. Shemar Koulen opened the proverbial floodgate with an eight-minute conversion with a strike into the left corner.
Koulen would make his presence felt once more as he completed his double in the 21st minute to increase their advantage.
Andrew Murray Jr. then got into the scoring act as he found the back of the net in the 26th minute to make it 3-0, thumping the ball from the left side of the area into the far corner.
The eventual score-line was then sealed four minutes later as Jamal Pedro rifled a left-footed shot into the roof of the net after cutting in from the right side.
Meanwhile, North East La Penitence edged North Ruimveldt 1-0. Former North Ruimveldt stalwart Joshua Browne recorded the only conversion of the contest in the 17th minute.
Tournament Coordinator Troy Lambert said, “After a grueling five days, we are down to two teams, one of whom, in the form of North East La Penitence, are first-time finalists in a major futsal tournament and traditional giant, Gold is Money. This tournament has delivered everything, especially exciting matches and unexpected results, evident by the fact that major teams like Sparta Boss, Bent Street, and Back Circle failed to make the final four.”
He further said, “I’m proud that this tournament was controversy-free and very refreshing to the fans who witnessed numerous unexpected outcomes, which makes it one of the most competitive events in recent memory. I’m excited for the final because two major communities will be represented, one that is essentially a newcomer and the other that is a storied brand in this format.”
The losing semifinalists will contest the third-place playoff.
The winner of the event will pocket $1,000,000 and the championship trophy, while the second, third, and fourth-place finishers will receive $500,000, $300,000, and $200,000 and the corresponding accolade, respectively.
On the individual side, prizes will also be given to the highest goal scorer, most valuable player, best defender, and goalkeeper, respectively. Below is the complete list of results.
Complete Results
Game-1
North Ruimveldt-0 vs. North East La Penitence-1
Joshua Brown-17th
Game-2
Gold is Money-4 vs. Stabroek Ballerz-0
Shemar Koulen-8th and 21st
Andrew Murray-26th
Jamal Pedro-30th