By Emmerson Campbell
After defeating Back Circle (Team Guyana) three goals to one in the first semi-final, D’Urban Street edged Albouystown in the final to claim the $200,000 first prize in the Guinness Greatest of the Streets Competition at National Cultural Centre tarmac.
D’Urban Street was the man among the boys on Friday night as they extinguished the red hot Albouystown team who had been unbeaten until their 1-nil defeat.
A strike by Dellon Cadogan in the ninth minute along with a missed penalty by Albouystown’s Andrew Murray Jr. enabled D’Urban Street to claim the victory on the fifth and final night of the competition.
Albouystown took home $100,000 for finishing in the first runner-up position.
In the first semi-final game against Guyana’s representative in the inaugural Caribbean Street Football Challenge, Back Circle (Team Guyana), D’Urban Street advanced to the final, thanks to Christian Gallaway who netted a goal in regulation (11th minute) and two in extra time (37th and 39th minutes) to record a hat-trick. Daniel Favourite scored the lone goal for Back Circle in the 27th minute.
In the second semi-final game, Albouystown booked their place in the final by defeating the Island All Stars 1-nil after Alpha United striker Murray scored in the ninth minute.
The Island All Stars would bounce back, however, to finish second runners-up.
In the third place playoff game, Island All Stars trounced Back Circle (Team Guyana) 4-1 to claim $50,000 and the third place spot. Strikes by Eusi Phillips (5th minute), Paul Porte (11th minute) and a double by the tournament’s leading goal scorer Orson Mc Curdy (16th and 17th minutes) completed the All Stars victory.
Mc Curdy scored seven goals in the competition.
Bertie Pedro scored Back Circle’s lone goal in the 27th minute.
Back Circle (Team Guyana) received $25,000 for finishing fourth. The other four teams which were knocked out of the competition on Tuesday night (Alexander Village, Broad Street, Tiger Bay and West Front Road) took home $15,000 each.
Tournament Coordinator Troy Mendonca in an invited comment expressed sincere thanks to the people of Albouystown, East Ruimveldt, the Culture Centre, the Eight Teams, the spectators, the Police and the media for making the Guinness Challenge Street Football Exhibition Tournament a success.
Team Guyana (Back Circle) was using the five-night exhibition tournament as a warm-up for the lucrative Caribbean Street Football Challenge which commences on June 21 on the National Park tarmac. Team Guyana (Back Circle), which won the last Guinness Greatest of the Streets Football competition, will tackle other winners of the same tournament from Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti, St Lucia, St Vincent and Antigua during the three-night event.
The winner of the Caribbean Street Football Challenge will receive US$4,000, a multi-purpose playing facility and bragging rights as the best street football team in the Caribbean.
After a round-robin preliminary format, the top four teams will qualify for the semi-finals. The winners will do battle in the final game which will be staged on June 23. The first, second and third runners-up will receive US$2,000, US$1,500 and US$1,000 respectively.
