No room to breathe as five more teams to advance to quarters tomorrow

Dec 18, 2024 Sports

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K&S/One Guyana National Futsal Championship

Kaieteur Sports- The intensity is heightening with every night as teams continue to walk the plank while others advance as the inaugural Kashif and Shanghai Organisation M.S year-end futsal extravaganza gathers momentum.
Tomorrow night, Thursday December 19 will be no different with some exciting match-ups in the making. The round-of-32 which got going last night at the National Gymnasium following the conclusion of the round-of-64 on Monday night, will continue tomorrow.
Set to open the night’s action at 19:00hrs (7pm) is Timehri Hustlers and Kitty Hustlers. Timehri had squeezed past Tiger Bay (2-1) in a close encounter with Kitty brushing aside Lodge (6-3) and both will be aware that only the winner will advance.

Espanyol earned the right to clash with Laing Avenue after defeating Broad Street 6-2, Laing Avenue were dismissive of Finishers by a 4-1 margin. The two will collide from 20:15hrs (8:15pm).
Stabroek ‘B’ and Showstoppers will then faceoff at 21:00hrs (9pm), followed by Spaniard and Bent Street at 21:45hrs (9:45pm). The final clash of the night pits Back Circle ‘A’ and Vryheid’s Lust with the team from the East Coast set to come under heavy thunder from the Back Circle side which hammered Essequibo 12-0 in their opening round clash.
Vryheid’s Lust was pushed into extra time to get past Trini Gunners 6-2 following a 2-2 regulation time scoreline.
Meanwhile, in a riveting finale to the round-of-64 on Monday night, sounding a big warning to the established teams was Road Warriors, a mixture of Brazilian and Guyanese players. Playing arguably one of the most exciting brands of futsal, the Warriors thumped Foot Steppers of Timehri, 10-2.
They were led by their captain Matheus Monteiro De Souza with a helmet-trick in the 2^nd, 9^th,11^th and 14^th minute. Wendrecky Gios De Souza supported with a brace in the 2^nd and 11^th minute also, whilst there was one apiece for Dionathas Pereira (17^th), Chai Williams (20^th), Daniels Alves (28^th) and Jaleel Alcindor in the 29^th minute.
Foot Steppers managed goals off the boots of Shawn Cudjoe (7^th) and Cleavon Murray in the 13^th as they were outmatched on the night.
Rockstone from the bauxite mining town of Linden found the going very rocky and were sent packing by Agricola Ballers, 1-5. Bilaal Jabar led Agricola with a hattrick of goals in the 1^st, 20^th and 23^rd minute, David Webb scored on the stroke of full time (30^th) with the other being an own goal in the 8^th minute.
In what was a very enthusing showdown, 5-man California Square rallied to beat a full strength Ithaca Ballers 5-4 in extra time after the two teams battled to a 3-3 fulltime scoreline. The lads from California Square had to dig deep into their reservoir of experience to come out on top.

Ithaca it was that took the lead through Neil Lynton in the 7^th minute, California’s Josh Abel responding in like manner to draw his team level in the 16^th minute. But, almost immediately, Ithaca restored their one goal advantage through Maliki Anthony’s first goal of a double, also in the 16^th minute. Anthony was on target again three minutes later to double the advantage.
Gasping for breath were the California players but they found the impetus to keep going as they were urged on by the city fans who were very vociferous. That support from the stands resulted in California firing in two unanswered goals in the 23^rd and 28^th minute through Dexter Marshall and Goalkeeper Christian Benjamin from halfway in the opponent’s half to level the score and push the game into extra time, at 3-3.
Three minutes into the first 5 minutes of extra time (10 minutes in total) Ithaca it was that again took the lead through Frank Anthony but that was to be their final strike of the match. California’s Meshack (30+5) and Abel (30+7) sealed the deal for their team and a place in the round-of-32.
Linden YMCA had to leave via sudden death penalty kicks following a 2-2 regulation and extra time stalemate with North Ruimveldt. YMCA jumped ahead in the 13^th minute when Andre Myers found the back of the nets but a double from Antoni Allen in the 15^th and 19^th minute catapulted North Ruimveldt into the ascendancy.
However, Kevin Gittens found the equalizer for Linden YMCA in the 23^rd minute. Both teams tried for the winner but that proved to be elusive. North Ruimveldt prevailed 5-4 on sudden death penalties.
Ballers United of Berbice made light work of Gladiators winning 3-0, Dane Johnson (4^th), William Sommersell (16^th) and Ray Reddock in the 27^th minute, all finding the back of the nets.
The other match saw Back Circle ‘B’ edging Stevedore 5-4 in extra time after a 2-2 regulation time scoreline. On target for the winners were Martin King (30+3 & 30+7), Fabian Abrams (8^th), Kelon Gordon (21^st), and Sigmund Cobena (30+5).
For Stevedore, Jared Cumberbatch (19^th, 30+1) and Nikel Brandt (20^th, 30+2) were on target.

(No room to breathe as five more teams to advance to quarters tomorrow)

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• Agricola, Kitty Hustlers, Road Warriors, Tiger Bay, Timehri Hustlers

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