Penalty shoot-outs were the deciding factor during the final round of 16 fixtures as six teams including defending champs Future, North East La Penitence and Gold is Money sealed their quarterfinal berth in the Sparta Boss First Anniversary Knockout Football tourney.
On Sunday at the Sparta Boss Tarmac in East La Penitence, the tourney’s titleholders overcame Sophia-B 2-1 on sudden death kicks after normal time saw the match ending 0-0. The first round of kicks would see the score remained unchanged as both sides missed.
The second round would witness a vast improvement from the first stanza as both sides scored from the distance. However, the third round would see a return to old habits as both teams failed once again to hit the target.
Future would then jump ahead in the sudden-death round as they scored from the mark. Requiring a conversion to continue in the sudden-death realm, Sophia-B would seal their exit from the event as they fired their effort wide of the woodwork.
With the win, Future will now lock horns with North East La Penitence in the quarterfinal stage tomorrow after the latter defeated 300 by a 3-1 margin on penalty kicks following a 0-0 score at the end of normal time.
Unable to settle the outcome in normal time, North East La Penitence would take a 1-0 lead as they scored in their first attempt while 300 failed to hit the target. It would then become 2-1 in the second round as both teams scored.
Needing only to score to seal the win, North East La Penitence would punch their ticket to the next round, calmly netting from the distance. Gold is Money continued their campaign in the event, edging Alberttown via a penalty shoot-out 3-2 after regulation time finished scoreless.
With both sides hitting the mark in the first round of the shoot-out, Alberttown would fall behind as they missed from the distance. Gold is Money would quickly capitalise on Alberttown’s misfortune as they scored from the distance.
Alberttown would then net in their third and final attempt to level the scores. However that would be the closest they would get to overturning the score as Gold-is-Money netted from the distance in their third and final strike.
Due to the win, Gold is Money will now locks with Leopold Street who defeated Sparta Kids 3-2 on penalty kicks. Normal time at the end of the matchup was 0-0.
In other results, Pike Street and Up-Top-Youths will match skills after defeating Festival City Warriors and Guyhoc Skulls respectively. Pike Street overcame Festival City 2-1 on penalty kicks following a 0-0 score at the end of regulation time.
On the other hand, Up-Top-Youths squeaked past Guyhoc Skulls 1-0 compliments of a Jermin Junior strike in the 12th minute, stabbing his effort into the right hand corner from the left side of the field.
The final quarterfinal fixture will witness Tiger Bay and Charlotte Street battling. Tiger Bay demolished Back Circle 3-1 to seal their position compliments of a Darren Harris double in the 10th and 11th minutes while Deon Alfred scored a solo goal in the seventh minute.
On target from the penalty spot after Tiger Bay had accumulated their allotted five fouls was Stephon Christopher in the 12th minute. Meanwhile, Charlotte Street earned their berth in the final eighth after downing Dream Chasers by a 2-1 score line in the events opener.
Winner of the tourney will pocket $400,000 and the championship trophy while the second placed unit will receive $200,000 and the runners-up accolade. The third place finisher will walk away with $100,000. Sponsors of the tournament are August Beverages, Sparta Boss and Rainbow Villas.
