HOW THE players handle the expected conditions will be critical to the outcome of the tonight’s double header when the LIME Pelican Football Challenge continues at the National Stadium.
The persistent rain over the past two days will certainly leave the Stadium outfield somewhat soft and will present a challenge in passing the ball while reducing the pace of the game. In the end, the more experienced players may be the ones to weather the sluggish conditions.
In the opening game at 6 p.m., Direct TV Red Snappers will face Barbados Steel Works Top Bay Settlers, while two star-studded teams, Phoenix UFO Toyota Firehouse and Nu Look 360 Connection clash in the feature match at 8:15 p.m. as four more teams start their bid for the $100 000 first prize.
The Deacons-based Red Snappers, captained by talented defender Jason Carter, who played with the Barbados senior team in last year’s Digicel Cup, also include his brother, Ricardo, a striker, who had a stint with Notre Dame.
Free picks
It will be interesting to see whether they will start with Cosmos’ outstanding goalkeeper Richard Corbin, who was one of their free picks, ahead of Barbados’ reserve goalkeeperBentley Springer.
Another free pick, Terry Adamson, is coming off a long injury lay-off while the fifth free-pick, six-footer Damien “Bobby” Walcott from Ellerton can be a handful on his day.
Among their draft picks are the roving midfielder Jeffrey Williams, striker Kenroy Skinner, defensive midfielder Donovan Lavine and veteran Albert Mapp, who have all represented Barbados; as well as Paradise defender Andre Bourne, who played in a couple of friendly internationals.
Also in their line-up are the Youth Milan pair of Ramon Greaves and Kemar Chase as well as Silver Sands’ striker Jamar “Rocker” Harewood.
Their opponents, Top Bay Settlers, who are based in St Philip, have a whopping nine players who have worn national senior colours over the years.
Paradise’s play-making midfielder Kent Hall will double up as coach/player in a strong all-round outfit, featuring the evergreen Gregory “Lalu” Goodridge, Barbados’ only home-grown English Premier League product, who is capable of playing in defence, midfield or attack.
There are several central defensive options in Paul “Red Mout” Straughn, Youth Milan’s Dwayne “Ticky” Skinner; Paradise’s rugged defender Mark Cox and Bagatelle’s Nicholas Collymore with national player Ramuel Miller and another former Barbados player Stuart Hall as the over-lapping wing backs.
The roving Curtis “Messi” Odle will join Kent Hall in a midfield, which could also feature another former Barbados player Richard Marshall from the Clarke’s Hill team, Cody Mark, the defensive-minded Nicholas “Alan” King and Trevor “Taz” Mayers.
Arantes Lawrence, Ryan “Shaky” Griffith, Andre Pinder, Mustafa Haqq and Edwin “Ratty” Brereton are the strikers with former national custodian Bernard Howell between the upright.
Firehouse, a name synonymous with out-of-season football, will no doubt be looking to heat up the Stadium with Barbados’ captain and top player Norman Forde, joined by fellow national players, goalkeeper Jason Boxhill and defender Barry Skeete. St Vincent’s defender Oscar Nero and former Barbados attacking midfielder Paul “Soup” Lovell are the other two free picks.
But they also have the lethal marksman Ricky Barnes, Paradise’s Marcus Marshall, Road View’s standout Llewellyn Broomes; Youth Milan’s Antonio Griffith; Silver Sands’ duo Timothy Walrond and Carlos Warde as well as National Under-17 player Jomo Harris, utility player Carlos Nicholls, Shurland Roberts, Dylan Marius and Andrew Butcher.
Top striker
On paper, Firehouse should burn the Brittons Hill-based 360 Connection which feature the Premier League’s leading goal scorer, Armando “Suga” Lashley and Dwayne Stanford, arguably the island’s top striker. These two will be joined in attack by Ellerton’s Chad Parris
and another skilful teenaged striker
Kadeem Latham.
The defence seems to be 360 Connection’s strongest area with the likes of Robert Charles, Jermaine Caesar, Jomo Brathwaite, Jamar Thomas and Nicoli Blenman playing in front of captain and goalkeeper Kerry Holder.
Whereas the midfield may lack a top quality play-maker, the energetic,
ever-improving Zidkigah Samuel, Paradise’s diminutive Karl Cole, Shawn King, old-stagers Luther Watson and Anthony Cumberbatch, are all capable
of getting the job done, with Youth Milan’s Troy Johnson coming forward from the left side.
