New champions will be crowned in today’s championship final of the third National Sports Council/Youth Development Programme Under-17 Community Football Tournament at the Briar Hall Playing Field.
Christ Church East Central and unbeaten St James North will clash in what should be an exciting and electrifying encounter from 5 p.m. to climax Barbados’ biggest youth developmental football tournament, which featured teams from all 30 constituencies.
Scores of fans from Lodge Road, Gall Hill, Wotton and Kingsland will converge on the picturesque Maxwell Club venue to support the Christ Church East Central youngsters, while even more are expected from Sion Hill, Lower Carlton, Weston, The Garden, Mount Standfast, Ashton Hall and Road View to cheer on the St James North boys.
Both finalists have been playing an attractive brand of soccer and this was evident in their dominant displays en route to relatively easy semi-final victories.
St James North surprised many football pundits when they ousted inaugural champions and favourites, St George South in grand style in the semi-final with a resounding 3-0 victory.
After all, St George South had eliminated last year’s winners, St Michael North West in the Round of 16 when Christ Church East Central enjoyed a comfortable 2-0 win over St Lucy.
The St James North side, with the skillful Romario Drakes orchestrating plays in midfield, along with the attacking Thai Moore, will be hoping that their semi-final goal scorers Joshua Clarke, Ronaldo Bowen and Zaniko Browne find the nets again.
They will be up against a Christ Church East Central defence, marshalled by sweeper Jeremiah St Luce with support from Deighton Griffith athlete Daimar Clarke, Ricardo Brathwaite and Shaquonne Jones, whose twin brother Shavonne Jones is also in the team as a striker.
The St James North side features a twin with striker Joshua Clarke and midfielder Christian Clarke.
But at the other end, Bowen, who usually controls the defence and supporting cast of Jadonte Richards, Shakeer Edwards and utility player Browne, will have to keep a close watch on strikers Treasure Griffith and Zavier Parris.
The tall Griffith and midfielder Justin Rollins were the goal scorers in Christ Church East Central’s 2-1 quarter-final win over St Michael West, while captain Zion Gollop has been the midfield mastermind.
St James North will be expecting Tariq King, their hero in the 1-0 quarter-final triumph over St Michael South, along with Barbados Under-17 cricketer Zidan Clarke, wingers Kemani White and Tanaz Thorne to keep Christ Church East Central’s defence busy all evening.
With the winners benefiting from a prized trip to Trinidad and Tobago at Easter to play against youth teams from the twin-island republic, it is expected the match could go right down to the wire and even be decided on penalty kicks. (EZS)
