Berths to the prestigious final in the MVP Sports Futsal Championship will be decided this evening when Bent Street engages Gold is Money and Stabroek Ballers oppose Future Stars in the semi-final section at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue.
Co-Director of the Petra Organization, Troy Mendonca, stated that he envisions pulsating matches in both divisions, adding that the tournament has produced several unexpected results which indicate that the skill gap between the competing teams has begun to shrink.
He noted that this reality bodes well for the competitive future of not only the tournament but the entire format as new teams emerge to challenge the seasoned old guard.
Stabroek Ballers and Future Stars will take centre stage at 21:30hrs in the first semi-final of the men’s division. The contest is being labelled as the clash of the giant killers, following their quarterfinal exploits.
Stabroek Ballers dismantled traditional giant Back Circle, while Future Stars bested national heavyweight Sparta.
In terms of the numbers, Future Stars possess the superior offence with 28 goals in five fixtures at a rate of 5.6. Stabroek Ballers has tallied 24 conversions at a rate of 4.8 per fixture.
Defensively, Stabroek Ballers are considerably better than their opponents with 11 concessions at a rate of 2.2. On the other hand, Future Stars has conceded 16 times at an average of 3.2 per match.
Meanwhile, Gold is Money will oppose Bent Street in a titanic clash that adds another page to their storied history at 22:30hrs.
The fixture will pit the attacking prowess of Bent Street against the defensive might of Gold is Money. The Bent Street unit has tallied 26 goals thus far in its campaign at a rate of 5.2. On the defensive end, Bent Street has only incurred 10 goals, which translates to two goals per encounter.
Gold is Money, though, possesses the tournament’s best defensive record as they have only conceded three time, which equates to an eye-catching 0.6 conversions per match. On the offensive end, they have scored 20 times at a rate of four goals per fixture.
In the women’s pool, Guyana Police Force will oppose Tiger Bay in the first semi-final at 20:00hrs. This will be followed by the Fruta Conquerors battling GT Panthers at 20:45hrs. The winners will advance to the championship fixture, with the losers competing in the third-place playoff.
The first prize in the men’s tournament is $500,000 with $300,000, $200,000, and $100,000 for the second, third and fourth-placed finishers respectively along with the corresponding accolades. The women’s first prize is $200,000 with $100,000, $50,000, and $20,000 respectively for the next three finishers.
The other sponsors of the event include Magnum Tonic Wine, Lucozade Energy Drink, the National Sports Commission, and Luminous Manufacturing and Distributions, who have donated two model 1146 (46cc) motorcycles.
