In a match that could possibly witness the largest gathering in the Guinness Greatest of the Streets history, heavyweights Sparta Boss will oppose newcomer Channel-9-Warriors today at the National Park Tarmac for the right to lay claim to the Georgetown Championship.
Sparta Boss clinched their berth in the final after downing holder North Ruimveldt 3-2 in the semi-final round while the unseeded Channel-9-Warriors overcame Back Circle in a penalty shoot-out 2-0 after normal time ended 1-1.
The star-studded roster of the East La Penitence unit along with their title as national champs will automatically catapult them into the position of favourite by many pundits. With regards to their attacking numbers, Sparta Boss has scored the second most goals in the event with 11 conversions.
Utility man Sheldon Shepherd leads the attack with five goals followed by Dennis Edwards, Devon Millington and Gregory Richardson who have scored twice. However defensively, they must improve as they have been breached five times, three of which came in the knockout rounds.
While the match will be viewed as the clichéd David versus Goliath scenario by many analysts due to Channel-9-Warriors and Sparta Boss’s respective reputations, the former have developed into the genuine article throughout the arduous campaign and should not be taken lightly.
The Cinderella story of the event, Channel-9-Warriors and their legion of supporters will be confident of adding Sparta Boss to their growing cast of fallen foes which currently comprises Leopold Street, West Front Road-Gold Is Money and Back Circle.
From an attacking standpoint, the unbeaten giant killers have recorded a decent seven goals presently, with the youthful trident of Joshua Fiffie, Kevin Barrow and Kevin Lawrence scoring three, two and two goals respectively.
On the defensive end, Channel-9-Warriors possess the best record as they have only been breached once. The third place playoff will be a contest of former winners against as Back Circle will oppose dethroned king North Ruimveldt at 10:00hrs.
Seen by many as the best team in event due to their earlier showings inclusive of a win over Sparta Boss, Back Circle will now attempt to end the championship on a good note.
Offensively, the East Ruimveldt unit leads the scoring chart with 12 goals, six of which have come off the boot of veteran Andy Duke.
Similarly, attacking quality has also been showcased by Devon Harris and Jermaine Beckles who have scored twice. On the defensive end, Back Circle has conceded four goals to date, with their only concession in the knockout round coming in their semi-final loss.
On the other hand, the dethroned North Ruimveldt outfit has recorded eight goals thus far. Nickosie Barker and Linris Carrington has scored three and two goals respectively while recent recruits Joshua Browne and Solomon Austin have scored once.
Defensively, the former holder has conceded four times to date. Prior to the commencement of the 3rd place match and finale, exhibition matches will be staged. A concert featuring Jamaican artiste Konshens will take centre stage before the finale.
Winner of the event will pocket $500,000, the championship trophy and the right to represent the zone at the national tourney while the second, third and fourth placed units will collect $200,000. $150,000 and $100,000 respectively and the corresponding accolade.
