The Good Friday Annual

The Good Friday Annual Tournament

The Good Friday Annual Men Open Soccer Tournament held at the OSA Soccer Complex on Martingrove Road was very competitive this year. At the end of the day the teams with the most endurance advance to the semi final. The format of this year’s tournament was that of the World Cup with teams assumed the names of various countries although the players of the teams were not of the same ethnic background of the names of the teams. The teams in this particular tournament are usually stacked with talented players and organized and managed by the players themselves. Their rationale must be to compensate managing the team by recruiting the best players available with the guarantee of winning the Cash Prize.

This year was no different with USA and favorite India in the finals. India defeated Ukraine 2-0 while USA won over Cuba by a close 1-0 decision. The finalist enjoyed 20 minutes of rest while watching the Consolation game between Sweden and Togo. The Consolation game was goalless but with 86 seconds left Sweden scored from a rocket of a shot off a rebound 15 meters away to clinch the prize.

 The tournament final was a lot more entertaining with USA creating numerous scoring opportunities from counter attacks, exposing the India offensive sharp shooters defensive skills. India was also quicker to the ball and filled the open spaces beautifully. The pressure finally paid off when they were rewarded with 8 minutes left when their striker utilized a one on one situation and used his backing defender as a screen to lace a beauty of a roofer past India goalkeeper Brian Bowes.

India was in trouble because surprisingly after the goal USA was still having the better of the run of play. However with just over a minute left India striker Caswain Mason received a rebound off his striker Gladstone “Scratchy” Richards and piped a bullet of a shot from 8 yards out to send the game into sudden death pena1ty kicks.

The teams traded their first two penalties and on the third penalty USA missed that give India the $4000 cash prize.