Trinidad and Tobago semi-professional football club Neal and Massy Caledonia AIA are the 2011/12 Kashif and Shanghai champions after they defeated Pele FC 2-0 in the final of the 22nd staging of the annual tournament On New Year’s Day at the Providence National Stadium.
The result means that Caledonia AIA walked away with the lucrative first prize of one pound of gold (4 million Guyana dollars).
Caledonia AIA also became the third Trinidad team after Doc’s Khelawlaas in 1998/99 and Joe Public in 2006/07, to win the title in the tournament’s 22-year history.
For the second consecutive year Pele were forced to be bridesmaids after also losing in last year’s final to Alpha United.
The final was played in front of a slightly-improved crowd compared to the poor semi-finals turn out.
The green and red stands were quarter filled, with a sprinkling set of patrons in the mound and orange stands respectively.
Both teams played a similar 4-4-2 formation with slightly different tactical roles for specific players. Caledonia notably though were missing their Guyanese captain Walter Moore, who was controversially red-carded in the semi-final versus Milerock.
Although the surface was slightly damp, causing the occasional slip and ball control difficulty, each side got off to a frenetic start which set the tone for what was an extremely end-to-end encounter over the course of the 90 minutes.
Pele dominated the initial 25 minutes as the strike pair of Devon Millington and Gregory “Jackie Chan” Richardson along with the mid-field duo of Konata Mannings and Travis “Zorro” Grant came forward regularly, raining down shots on the Caledonia goal during this period of play.
Caledonia should have opened the scoring in 39th minute and made Pele pay for the lack of precision in front of goal.
Pele’s defense went to sleep defending a corner kick and Kareem Joseph (number 12) cutting in from the right-flank blasted a shot that goalkeeper Solomon Austin tipped over the bar.
Soon after in the 40th minute, striker Jamal Gay muscled his way past two defenders and slammed a thunderous shot which hit the top of the crossbar.
At this stage Caledonia had wrested back control of the game but in the final five minute of the half wasted two fantastic opportunities to go into the interval with a lead.
In the 44th minute, a flat right-wing cross from Kedar Rodricks (number 18) was collected by Abdullah Guerra in mid-field he then sent a quick pass into Trevin Cesar (number 10) in the box who hit a weak shot to the `keeper.
Then with the last play of the half, Ceasar again was the culprit, as he beat the Pele defensive line that was very high and with only the `keeper to negotiate, scuffed his shot horribly wide.
The second half was a continuation of the first half proceedings with both teams peppering each other’s goal with a barrage of shots from long range and Pele especially failing to be clinical in the final third.
In the 63rd minute, Pele Canadian based Golden Jaguars defender Julien Edwards, produced a goal-saving tackle against Gay when he was clear on goal and about to shoot.
Caledonia finally opened the scoring in the 74th when a free-kick just outside the 18-yard box, was scored via the left peg Devon Jorsling, as he ran to his team mates on the substitutes bench in utter jubilation.
This goal clearly dented the spirit of the Pele side and five minutes later Jorsling should have made it 2-0, when Guerra who had wonder game in mid-field sent him a wonderful “through ball” that he shockingly missed, as he just had the keeper to beat.
It was all over in the 83rd minute, when the powerfully built Gay got slick mid-field pass that he lashed home coincidentally at the same mound stand end, where Leon Cort scored the goal to knock Trinidad out of 2014 world cup qualifiers on November 11th.
Earlier in the low key third-place play off between Linden sides Milerock and Amelia’s Ward.
Second half strikes from Randolph Jerome and Randy Small in the 60t and 68th minutes, propelled Milerock to a 2-0 triumph.
Milerock recived 500,000 and trophy compliments of Prime Minister Sam Hinds and Amelia’s Ward won $300,000.
At the presentation ceremony Caledonia AIA midfield player Atuallah Guerra was adjudge the Most Valuable Player (MVP).
For claiming the accolade, the 24 year-old went home with a unique trophy called ‘the mercury’ which was sponsored Dale Bascom and Gordon
Trotz. Also he won a brand new motorcycle which was sponsored by Deslyn Jack of Canada.
Devon Millington was handed the Golden Boots award for his eight goals in the tournament.
Veteran Golden Jaguars defender and former long standing National captain Charles ‘Lilly’ Pollard copped the best defender title, for his efforts playing for Milerock.
Amelia’s Ward United’s Travis Watterton was named the best midfield player and won a trophy compliments of Hot & Spicy Dish, while the most promising player trophy went too Aloysious Edwards.
Randy Small of Milerock was the winner of the most spectacular goal trophy and Caledonia Travis Mulraine received the best coach award.
