Linden’s Top XX will be looking for their sixth title when they clash with Alpha United, Georgetown’s premiere league champions in the 18th Kashif and Shanghai football final this evening at the Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) ground in Linden.
Both finalists were almost given New Year’s gifts as they faced little resistance with Top XX scoring a 2-0 win over Winners Connections, while Alpha United humiliated Pele 3-0 in semi-finals played Sunday evening at the MSC ground.
The final is expected to be an epic battle between Georgetown’s best Alpha United and Linden’s `Golden Boys’ who will be contesting their eighth Kashif and Shanghai finals and seeking their sixth crown.
In the semi-finals, Top XX’s main challenge came from a mixed support as a large cross section of the capacity crowd was rooting for the Wismar side Winners Connection.
But the shouts were in vain as Top XX’s lanky defender Selwyn Isaacs scored the game’s opening goal with a powerful header almost on the sound of the half time whistle following two successive corners for his team.
National players Collie Hercules, Cary Harris and Captain Kayode McKinnon supported by Marlon Benjamin had kept Winners Connections defence players busy as the five-time winners mounted several raids in the first half but their efforts were thwarted by excellent goalkeeping by their opponents’ custodian Owen Williams.
The raids were regular and Winners Connection decided to play defensively to repel the assaults and were standing firm until Isaacs strike.
Top XX continued their dominance in the second half with the experienced ball-weaver Hercules, although being double-teamed most of the time, managing to slip the defence on occasions and was eventually rewarded in the 72nd minute of play following a left side build up. Hercules, upon receiving the pass, slipped two defenders before sending home a well-timed shot past Williams and Winners Connections fate was sealed.
In the second semi-finals, Alpha United found Pele’s defence in disarray and exploited it to the fullest in a lop-sided encounter.
Anthony “Awo” Abrams scored twice in the 44th and 55th minutes and Dwight Peters in the 30th minute for Alpha United taking them to their second Kashif and Shanghai final and they will be looking to avenge the loss they suffered to Top XX in the 2005-2006 final.
Playing without their hungry striker Gregory “Jackie Chan” Richardson who received two yellow cards against their quarter-final match, Pele who had scored a few come-from-behind wins in previous matches looked disoriented and suffered the consequences.
Their woes were further compounded when goalkeeper Shemroy Arthur was knocked off his feet from a point blank range shot from Peters early in the game and suffered an injury. He was later substituted after a second injury.
Alpha United launched an early attack and was rewarded when Peters slipped a half side trap to score the first goal of the match and then Abrams netted the second one minute before half time after he received a perfect pass close to the penalty spot and fired home his first goal.
His second goal came in similar style in the 55th minute after he was again unchallenged in the penalty spot and scored. Pele had the opportunity at least to score but Konata Manning squandered a penalty kick in the latter stage of the second half and then national striker Nigel “Powers” Codrington was red carded for an off the ball infringement.
Alpha United’s path to the final included victories over Pouderoyen, Western Tigers and Pele, while Top XX got the better of Monedderlust, Netrockers and Winners Connection.
Before the start of Sunday’s second semi-finals, a minute silence was observed for Western Tigers player Sheldon Jones Levi who died in a motor vehicle accident Sunday morning.
The third place playoff will be between Pele and Winners Connection the first match of a double header card billed to kick off at 18:00 hours.
The winners of the final will take home $750,000 with the runner-up securing $350,000, third place $250,000 and fourth $150,000.
The lineups for today’s final are:
Top XX: Michael Marks, Ruel Williams, Selwyn Isaacs, Derrol Danity, Kirk Murphy, Javin Crawford, Francis Primo, Shevone Seaforth, Jafar Munroe, Collie Hercules, Cary Harris, Marlon Benjamin, Quacy Johnson, Delroy Peters, Romain Haynes, Koyode Mc Kinnon, Kevon Beaton and Jamie Wilson.
Alpha United: Sean Johnson, Ronson Williams, Howard Lowe, K. Smith, Quincy Madramootoo, Travis Martin, Gordon Henry, Sherwayne Vincent, Dwight Peters, Anthony Abrams, Dwayne Daniels, Shawn Bishop, Frank Dover, Elton Brown and Philbert Moffat.
