School Yard to represent Vincy ‘big time’

Winners of the local leg of the Guinness Street Football Challenge, School Yard, plan to represent St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) in a big way, when the regional finals are staged here in SVG at the Arnos Vale Netball Complex on June 21 and 22.{{more}}

School Yard earned that right with a 1-nil win over Double Trouble, on kicks from the penalty spot, last Wednesday night at the Sion Hill Playing Field hard court, after both teams had played goalless in regulation time.

For the team, which emerges from the Edinboro area, it is a feat well deserved, as opined by Captain Cleus Codougan.

Leading from the front, Codougan, the man to register the only successful kick from the penalty spot, told SEARCHLIGHT that his team will be doing all within its power to be properly prepared to face the other teams which are coming in for the regional finals.

“We definitely have to do some more practice and strengthening up for the regional competition, because we made some mistakes here in the local final and we need to correct them,” Codougan admitted.

He noted that winning this time around was a reprieve for School Yard, who were beaten in the 2011 local finals by Madd Rockaz.

School Yard, which represented the Kingstown zone, after emerging winners of their group, edged out HyGrade one-nil in the semifinals, while Double Trouble defeated the 2012 local winners and inaugural Caribbean champions, Team Crew also one-nil, in the other semifinal.

In a case of winner takes it all, School Yard pocketed $ 5000.00

The other teams contesting the finals were Legends, Blues, Sharpes FC, System 3 and Brownstown.

In the regional grand finale, School Yard will meet teams from Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago.

When the inaugural regional final was staged in Guyana last year, Team Crew stashed away US$ 4000.00, as well as an offer to have street football pitch constructed in their community.(RT)