By Jeff Trotman
A youthful Vasco FC will meet take on Hi- Stars in the first match of a double header tomorrow at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground for a berth in the quarter finals of the inaugural UDFA GT Beer Cup.
The other game of tomorrow’s double header will feature an exciting derby of two Christianburg teams – Eagles versus Train Line.
Vasco progressed to the quarter finals by defeating the third Christianburg team in the competition,
Train Line by two goals to one on Tuesday evening. In heavy ground condition, the hard running and persistent Odida Biggs outsprinted the Train Line defence to push his team in all red ahead in the 14th minute.
The teams went to the half time break with Vasco maintaining the 1-0 lead. However, it seemed that it was only a matter of time that the heavier and more experienced Train Line team would pull back a goal and they predictably did so with a good right-footed shot by Troy DeLanzia in the 58th minute.
The game seesawed with open play as the teams displayed contrasting styles – the experienced grey cladded Train Line employing hard tackles and “boom kicks” in the soggy condition while the youthful Vasco players persisted in dribbling and flat passes that were checked as the heavy mud repeatedly stopped the ball from reaching the intended recipient of the pass.
Train Line gained a definite advantage when Vasco’s central defender, Lennox Allicock received his second yellow card in the 70th minute and was sent off. However, Odida Biggs pounced on a long ball that was played against the run of play that left the Train Line defenders stranded, haplessly high and could only watch hoping that he would muff the chance, which he almost did by hitting the ball against the advancing goalkeeper within the penalty area. But fortunately for the striker, the ball rebounded off the goalkeeper into his chest and into the net.
Immediately after the game Vasco’s coach, Carl ‘Baboo’ Bryan said: “It was an accomplishment for us. It was a perfect game for us. It was a tight game. Train Line is an experienced team. It has senior players and we knew that we had to come out and take the game to them and the better team won.
Bryan said his team was hampered by the heavy ground condition. “We play a four, four, two formation. We play a Brazil style of football. Brazil does play flat and knock it around. But with the ground condition, we couldn’t get that style of football. But the fitness level of the team gave us the success.”
He said that Odida Biggs, who scored the brace, is a founder member of the club. We use him because of his forcefulness and he’s an unorthodox player; he’s a left foot player.”
Bryan added that Vasco would be at a disadvantage in its upcoming game on Saturday against Hi-Stars because it would be difficult to replace the player their number seven, Lennox Allicock, will miss tomorrow’s game after he received a red card in Tuesday game. “Duh is one of me most promising players,” Bryan said. “He’s the central defender. He’s tall. Strong and very talented and it would be difficult to find a replacement for him but we’ll work around that going into our next game.”
In the first game on Tuesday, Botofago flattered to deceive by maintaining possession for most of the match but did not have the legs to pull off a win in extra time. Botofago went ahead in the 7th minute of the game through a Mark Hope goals but Colin Davidson equalized in fifteen minutes later.
The scores remained deadlocked in regulation time. But Joseph Spencer secured the win for Hi-Stars ten minutes into extra time.
