By Rawle Toney
They are not considered a major contender in the tournament but one thing they have on their side is history having won the inaugural Kashif and Shanghai tournament 18 years ago beating Eagles United in the final.
Back then, the tournament’s first prize was a mere $4,000 and a trophy.
Nothing was there for the runners-up.
This time around, Milerock FC are not imposing themselves to be a candidate for the $1m first prize, they are aiming to make it to at least the semi-finals.
Anything after that will be a huge bonus.
That’s according to club president Brian Joseph who, in an interview with Stabroek Sport, said that winning their first game on the opening night on Sunday at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground was the only thing on their minds.
“I expect us to win the opening game here in Linden. Preparation has been mostly good so far, only that I expected the team to be playing a little above the level we are currently at. We just came off a weekend camp and given the work that was put into the camp I expect to see improvements in the team’s performance,” said the former national player.
Like almost every other team in the tournament, Milerock will be strengthening their team and to that end they have sought the services of national striker Randolph “Blackhead” Jerome and Nieve Dennis.
Both Jerome and Dennis are playing semi-pro in Trinidad with the North East Stars.
However, Milerock will go into the Pele clash without the services of those two players since they will still be performing duties with their club in Trinidad.
But according to Joseph, the other two loaned players, Marlon “Scarry” Maxius and Dwayne Fraser will form a strong alliance with the club members to push them past the city team.
Looking ahead, Milerock holds a physchogical advantage over Pele, having defeated them in two previous meetings.
Pele fell 1-3 to Milerock in the Carib League final at the GCC ground in 1995 with Joseph, who was a player then, registering two goals.
Then it was national striker Randolph “Blackhead” Jerome who scored a double in the 1997 Kashif and Shanghai final to give the side their second title in the yearend event.
But things have been very hard for the Linden club and it has been 11 years since they played in the final of the event.
They also played in the final of the 1991 tournament, losing to Eagles United.
In 1994 they fell prey to Bakewell Topp XX who won their first out of five titles. After 1997, the team either did not qualify for the tournament or when they did, they were among those who were eliminated early.
However, the team has done its share of work over the years and await the time when the glory days of being one of Linden’s top football teams will return.
They now lead the Upper Demerara Football Association (UDFA) league and are in need of at least three points from their remaining three matches to clinch the championship.
So with history on their side, Joseph is hoping to continue the trend.
The question is “Will Pele allow it to happen for a third time”?
