The local Caribbean Cup tournament is entering its penultimate round of competition this Sunday, Aug. 24 with the final-four field now complete. Team Grenada and Team Guyana entered the fray to battle Team St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Team Jamaica, respectively, after posting quarterfinal wins last Sunday at the Jefferson High School Sport Complex in Flatlands, Brooklyn.
Team Grenada, like Team St. Vincent and the Grenadines, was one of the dominant teams in the tournament in the 1990s, and as two teams from the Windward Islands, with players who have battled each other on the soccer from the Windward Islands schoolboy tournaments through the recently rejuvenated senior Windward Islands tournament, it means that longstanding, intense rivalry will be recaptured when the teams square off in Sunday’s semi-final at 3:30 p.m.
Grenada reached the final four when it defeated Team Haiti, 1-0, on veteran Shane Rennie’s goal in the 10th minute. After taking the lead against a very determined Haitian team, Grenada was reduced to 10 players when Michael Richardson received a second caution and was ejected from the game. Grenada turned out to be the more determined squad and battled Team Haiti to the last minute to preserve the narrow margin of victory and a place in semi-finals, with a chance to reach the final.
Team Guyana has been good all season, led by league-leading scorer Anthony Abrahams, who has racked up over 14 goals so far. The Guyanese won the West Zone and came into the playoffs with the same winning momentum that won it the division title; if their good play continues and Abrahams continues to find the back of the net, then Team Guyana has a very good chance of overcoming an experienced Team Jamaica squad and getting to the championship game. In its quarterfinal game, Team Guyana brushed aside Team Barbados, 3-0, on goals by Bevon Moseley, Abrahams and Marlon Benjamin.
Meanwhile, The Caribbean cup Community Outreach Program, in an effort to give back to the community, has supplied local school children with back-packs filled with school supplies for the upcoming school year. Moore back-packs will be handed out before Sunday’s second game, at 5:00 p.m.
MLS
In Major League Soccer games last weekend, host DC United hammered the Colorado Rapids, 4-1, at RFK Stadium. Luis Silva scored to give United a 1-0 half time lead; Dillon Serna came up with the equalizer for the Rapids, but more goals from Silva, Chris Rolfe and Fabian Espindola gave the host a wide margin of victory. Sporting Kansas City knocked off Toronto FC, 4-1, as well in another slug fest. Dom Dwyer, in the hunt for the MLS scoring title, scored twice, and Soony Saad and C J Sapong tallied for the host team’s win; Gilberto scored for the visitors.
Real Salt Lake, playing at home filed Rio Tinto Stadium took the Western Conference top spot when it defeated the Seattle Sounders, 2-1. The shortest player in the league at 5-2, Joao Plata, scored a header off Luke Mulholland’s cross, then Mulholland tallied to put RSL ahead, 2-0; Chad Barrett pulled a goal back for Seattle. Host Columbus Crew smashed the Los Angeles galaxy, 4-1, in yet another slug fest. Goals from Justin Meram, Ethan Finlay, Ben Speas and Giancarlo Gonzalez gave the Crew the win in what was considered its best performance of the season so far. Gyasi Zardes tallied for the Galaxy.
The New England Revolution and the Portland Timbers played to a 1-1 draw; Charlie Davies scored for the Revs and Liam Ridgewell equalized for the Timbers. Home field advantage did not work for the San Jose earthquakes as the visiting FC Dallas romped to a 5-0 victory. Tesho Akindele scored a hat trick and Fabian Castillo had a double to give Dallas a comfortable win. Chivas USA and the Vancouver Whitecaps played to a goalless draw. Montreal edged the Chicago Fire, 1-0, on Marco Di Vaio. The Houston Dynamo beat the Philadelphia Union, 2-0; Will Bruin and Omar Cummings .
Photo by Keith Dawson
