A capacity crowd much larger than the thousands that turned out at the same venue for the two breathtaking semi-final encounters which were both decided on penalty kicks, is expected to see a final which many believe is too close to call.
Outside of the Kashif and Shanghai tournament, Alpha United has been the team to beat for the past few years and to be precise, they have won most of the local tournament’s they entered this year.
They have also played undefeated in the inaugural Guyana Football Federation (GFF) WIN IN CONCACAF WITH CONCACAF National league which earned them to the title of Guyana’s number-one club.
They have faced the Tigers in the Georgetown Football Association (GFA) Premier League twice, winning 4-0 in the first encounter and drawing in the other while the Tigers ousted them in the English and Kashif and Shanghai Futsal tournament which was played at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
- Howard Lowe
Alpha United already has one lien on the Kashif and Shanghai trophy by virtue of their 2007 triumph when they defeated Bakewell Topp XX.
The Tigers, however, are playing in only their second championship in eight years but like the previous occasion they are strong contenders for the title. Utilizing the four guest-player per side ruling, the Tigers went for UK-based national player Shawn ‘Bubbly’ Beveney along with defender Chad Fernandes of the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) and Christopher Giles. Alpha United went for the Trinidad and Tobago Pro-League Club Caledonia AIA trio Walter `Boyd’ Moore, Keon Edwards and Akim Armstrong all of whom have blended in admirably with the prominent local players for the team.
Both teams opened the tournament with a bang with Alpha `The Hammer’ United hammering Grove Hi-Tech 7-1 then beating Fruta Conquerors 4-0 while the Tigers clawed Victoria Kings by the same margin and booted Tournament favourites Bakewell Topp XX 2-1.
However, both teams’ performance in the semi-finals was nothing to shout about.
Matching the two sides up one-on-one, many might give the edge to Alpha United who, on paper, have the better players but the Tigers have made up their lack of individual skills with tiger-like displays.
- Devon Millington
They might not have a Howard Lowe at the back like Alpha United, but defenders Dwayne Ali along with Shermon David showed that collectively, they can get the job done as they did against Pele when they kept the team’s striker Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson at bay.
Alpha, one might say, cannot be likened toe Pele. In Dwight Peters, Alpha United have a deadly striker who will team up front with Edwards and Edison Gomes.
Young Andrew Murray jr. can also be thrown into the fray.
But if there is one player who can make the difference, that player is Moore.
The left winger is a utility player, who is able to adapt changing from defensive mode to attacking and vice versa.
His crosses, once picked up by the right person, always pose trouble for the defending team as was evident throughout the tournament and the Tigers do not have a man that can hold him down.
For the Tigers, Devon Millington has been transformed into the game’s deadliest striker ever since he carried Guyana to its first International tournament win in Suriname when they copped the Dutch speaking country’s Independence Cup this year.
Still, Millington needs that extra man up front to help out and if Phillip Rowley and Beveney are in a ‘playing mood’ then it’s game on for captain Howard Lowe and his men at the back.
