‘Champion of Champion’ Futsal
The National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue will take centre stage this evening when the Stabroek Ballers battle Gold is Money and North East La Penitence opposes North Ruimveldt in the semifinal round of the inaugural Chung Global ‘Champion of Champion’ Futsal Championship.
In the first semifinal, North Ruimveldt will lock horns with North East La Penitence at 22:00hrs. North Ruimveldt advanced to the final four round, following clinical wins over Sparta Boss and Back Circle, who earned the side the moniker of giant killers.
Statistically, North Ruimveldt has recorded 10 conversions, while they have only been breached twice. On the other side, the undefeated North East La Penitence earn their berth in the semifinal section following a clinical win over Team Cruel of Beterverwagting.
From an attacking standpoint, North East La Penitence has tallied 13 conversions, which is a record in the event. Defensively, they have only conceded once, which is also a benchmark for the competition, solidifying their status as the event’s best team.
In the second semifinal, traditional giant Gold is Money will face off against the Stabroek Ballers at 23:00hrs. Gold is Money, who hail from the West Ruimveldt community, recorded 11 goals in the event, which resulted in a perfect record. On the defensive end, Gold is Money have been inconsistent, as they have conceded four times, which is the worst record in the event.
Standing in their way is Stabroek Ballers, who are considered the ‘dark horse’ of the competition by several pundits. Stabroek Ballers boast a superb defensive record with only one concession, which is a joint best record in the tournament.
From the attacking perspective, the Stabroek Ballers have tallied eight conversions, of which three occurred in their previous thrashing of California Square.
Meanwhile, Tournament Coordinator Troy Lambert said, “This tournament has certainly lived up to its billing. We wanted to provide and produce a tournament that was extremely competitive from day one, and we have delivered that without question. The evidence is irrefutable, as there are three teams that are yet to make a major futsal final in the semifinal round, with Gold is Money the only team standing from the traditional giants. This shows that the other teams are improving at a tremendous rate, and the fans are genuinely unsure which teams will make the final as there is no Back Circle, Bent Street, or Sparta Boss remaining.”
He further said, “I expect a pulsating semifinal round, as the teams know what is at stake, not only in terms of the prizes but the opportunity to win a major championship and solidify their status as powerhouses going forward. A winner simply cannot be picked based on what has occurred throughout the event, and that is great for the game and the fans, who I expect to flock to the venue.”
Prior to the commencement of the semifinal matches, four exhibition encounters will be staged featuring the boys’ U-17 and women’s teams, respectively.
The winner of the event, which will resume on Saturday, will pocket $1,000,000 and the championship trophy, while the second, third, and fourth-place finishers will receive $500,000, $300,000, and $200,000 and the corresponding accolade, respectively.
On the individual side, prizes will also be given to the highest goal scorer, most valuable player, best defender, and goalkeeper, respectively.
Day 5 Semifinals: Wednesday, November 13th
Females
18:00hrs: Fruta Conquerors vs GT Kanaimas
19:00hrs: Police vs. Santos
Boy’s U-17
20:00hrs: Leopold vs. Bent Street
21:00hrs: Back Circle vs. Laing Avenue
Men’s Division
22:00hrs: Stabroek Ballerz vs. Gold is Money
23:00hrs: North East La Penitence vs. North Ruimveldt
