The inaugural Guyana Beverage Company sponsored Busta 5-a-side football tourney could not have envisioned a better finale as heavyweights West Front Road and Sparta Boss collide tonight at 11:00hrs for championship honours.
Sparta Boss sealed their berth to the main event after overcoming a dogged Kitty Weavers unit in the semi-final round 4-2 in extra time. On the other hand, West Front Road downed arch-rivals Queen Street Tiger Bay 1-0.
An analysis of the numbers for the Sparta Boss outfit will illustrate their ability as an offensive juggernaut. To date, the North East La Penitence unit has netted an astonishing 21 goals in their six matches. This translates to a 3.5 goals per game.
A closer look at the offensive statistics in the knockout round will highlight that they have netted 11 goals in their three knockout matches, which equates to a ratio of 3.66 goals per game.
Five of their players have recorded three or more goals in the event, with Sheldon Shepherd and Gregory Richardson the leading hitmen with five goals apiece while tremendous support has come from Travis Grant and Devon Millington who have netted four each.
Dennis Edwards rounds out their strike force with three goals. However, if there is a chink in the armor of Sparta Boss, it’s on the defensive end.
Currently they have been breached 11 times in their six matches which breaks down to 1.83 goals a game. Of the 11 goals conceded so far, five have come in the three knockout round fixtures.
More worryingly, four goals have been conceded in their last two matches, which means they have yet to claim a clean-sheet in the tournament. If they are to emerge victorious tonight, a drastic improvement defensively is needed. While the catalyst for their foes has been their offense, West Front Road’s rise to the top has been typified by defensive application.
Presently they are the standard bearers of the tournament defensively they have only been breached five times to date in their six-match campaign.
In a world where defensive is often cited as the vehicle for champions, the numbers only get better for West Front Road as they have yet to concede in their previous three showdowns, securing a tourney leading three clean sheets.
Possession based football orchestrated by Hubert Pedro and a willingness to defend from the likes of Randolph Wagner, Michael Pedro and Michael Oie have made them a difficult side to break down.
Offensively they have capable in front of the woodwork, netting 12 goals to date in six matches at two goals per game. In the knockout rounds, their offensive numbers have fallen as they have recorded four goals in the three matches at 1.33 conversions per match.
Oie and Wagner have been the sharp end of the sword for West Front Road with goals each while Colin Nelson and the family connections of Hubert, Michael and Jamal Pedro have scored once.
While they do not possess the firepower of their opponents, West Front Road will fancy their chances of securing the championship through their compact and organized backline.
In the earlier third place playoff at 10:00hrs, Queen Street Tiger Bay will look to end their tourney on a positive note when they lock horns with dark horses Kitty Weavers. Victors of the championship will receive the championship trophy and $600,000.
Meanwhile the second, third and fourth placed sides will receive $300,000, $200,000 and $100,000 respectively and the respective accolade.
The most disciplined team will receive $25,000. On the individual side, the most valuable player (MVP) will receive $50,000 while the highest goal scorer will pocket a gold chain.
