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Kaieteur News
Defending champs in action today as Digicel Schools Football commences Defending champions Christianburg/ Wismar will be in action in one of three matches planned to kick-off the Fourth Digicel Schools Football Competition which gets underway today, at three venues. The two-time champions will engage Linden Foundation in one of the fixtures in the Region 10 Zone at the Wisburg ground, starting from 15:30 hrs. In Georgetown, Queenstown take on Freeburg at the Ministry of Education ground and this game is scheduled to commence at 15:30 hrs, while over at the Timehri Red ground, Supply and Xenon Academy square off from 16:00 hrs. Meanwhile, Head Coach of the reigning champions Christianburg/Wismar Anthony Stephens speaking with Kaieteur Sport at the Launch of the Tournament in Linden had stated that the players were in preparations for the commencement of the competition and even expressed optimism of reproducing the quality of players that the fans saw last year. He added that with the community and the Teaching Staff urging them to win the trophy outright, the students are highly motivated to do so. “We have already begun our preparations
and while we will not be taking any team lightly I am confident that we could duplicate last year’s performance.” In the final last year, Christianburg/Wismar successfully defended their title with a 1-0 triumph over nemesis Waramadong who succumbed 1-0 in sudden death penalties after regulation time ended in a thrilling 3-3 stalemate forcing penalty shootout which also finished without a clear winner. Waramadong will also be returning and the early discussions have centred on whether the two outstanding schools have been able to produce players the quality of what was seen from the inception of the tournament. The competition which opens today is tentatively set to conclude on July 27, at a venue to be announced later. Meanwhile, the Company has significantly improved the incentives for this year’s competition which will see the winning team carting off $1million, runner-up- $600,000, 3rd place-$400,000 and 4th place-$250,000. These prizes are expected to go towards projects to benefit the schools, while regional winners will receive $100,000 and schools making it to the national quarter-finals will see teachers, coaches and students receive smartphones.
Monday June 16, 2014
Messi scores stunner in Argentina win BBC Sport - Lionel Messi scored a superb goal as Argentina began their World Cup campaign with a win over World Cup debutants Bosnia-Hercegovina. Argentina went ahead when Messi’s free-kick was put into his own net by defender Sead Kolasinac. Messi then played a one-two with Gonzalo Higuain, jinked past two defenders and rifled in to make it 2-0. The goal lifted Argentina and, despite Vedad Ibisevic slotting in late on for Bosnia-Hercegovina, they held on. All eyes were on Messi in the first game of the tournament at the famous Maracana stadium in Rio and, even though the four-time World Player of the Year took time to get going, he announced his arrival in sparkling style with his goal. The strike was his second World Cup goal in nine games and provided the one piece of mesmerising magic Messi managed in a game in which he and Argentina improved the longer it progressed. The blue and white of Argentina fans was prominent at the spiritual home of fierce rivals and hosts Brazil, although they had to watch on as a disciplined
Bosnia stifled their side for most of the first half. There was huge hype around Messi and Argentina getting their campaign under way, and the forward helped his side take an early lead with his first meaningful touch. He supplied the left wing free-kick which was flicked on by team-mate Rojo before the ball came off defender Kolasinac and went into his own net. However, Argentina rarely looked like adding to the goal as they lacked pace and invention, while regularly giving the ball away. Bosnia slowly settled into the match and created sporadic chances, starting with a Miralem Pjanic shot being punched away by
keeper Sergio Romero. Pjanic also opened up Argentina when he clipped a ball over the top of their defence, which Izet Hajrovic brought down only for Romero to quickly come out and save. Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano had a powerful low shot blocked away by Bosnia keeper Asmir Begovic before Bosnia again went close to equalising. Senad Lulic managed to steal in and get on the end of a corner but his low header was palmed away by Romero. Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella brought on Higuain and Fernando Gago after the break and the move worked as La Albiceleste had more urgency about them after the reshuffle. The improvement culminated in Messi’s eyecatching goal. He played a one-two with Higuain before his balance, poise and pace helped him to evade two Bosnia defenders before he arrowed in an 18-yard shot off the inside of the post. Bosnia gave Argentina some late concern when Lulic slipped a pass through for Vedad Ibisevic to angle in a low shot with six minutes left, but Sabella’s side avoided any more scares.
Windies looking to rebound in T&T... From page 31 100th Test but only managed 10 in the second innings, when off-spinner Shane Shillingford scored the fastest Test fifty batting at number 11, as the West Indies slumped to an embarrassing 183-run defeat with an entire day to spare. The West Indies batting will have to show tremendous improvement as only Chanderpaul, the glue which hold the innings together, looked capable of defying the steady New Zealand attack. Pacer Jerome Taylor bowled well in his return to International cricket for the first time in four and a half years, while Kemar Roach lacked consistency leaving most of the work to Shillingford and Benn. The 22-year-old Thomas Latham, scored two fifties in Jamaica in only his second test match while 23-year-old James Neesham followed up his debut ton against India with another century in his second match at this level in the opening Test last week. Kane Williamson is only 23 but has already made six centuries including his last one in the first Test in Jamaica, while Bradley Watling and
Ross Taylor, who pounded the West Indies attack in the last series between the two sides, also got half-centuries in Jamaica. New Zealand, who piled up 508-7 declared in their first innings, have dropped out of form Peter Fulton and replaced him with Hamish Rutherford. On an unresponsive surface at Sabina Park, where he dismissed Chris Gayle twice on the way to match figures of 6 for 51, Tim Southee has jumped three places to fifth in the ICC Test bowling rankings. Dale Steyn, Ryan Harris, Vernon Philander and Mitchell Johnson are the only bowlers above Southee, who has shown the consistency over the last three years to suggest he belongs in that company, having taken 78 wickets in 17 Test matches at an average of 22.78 since the start of 2012. But it was off-spinner Mark Craig, with two fourwicket hauls on debut, who captured the most wickets for New Zealand after getting his chance when off-spinner Jeetan Patel declined to tour West Indies and committed himself to his English County Warwickshire.
At 21, Inderbir Singh Sodhi, the India-born legspinner, also bowled impressively but the track here should be livelier than the one used at Sabina Park and the Black Caps are toying with the idea of playing an extra fast bowler today. This is the first time that a Test match will start here on a Monday and work and the high interest in the FIFA World Cup in Brazil are highly likely to distract fans here from coming to see a Test series in which the poor showing of the Regional batsmen continues to be depressing. West Indies squad: Denesh Ramdin (capt), Chris Gayle, Kraigg Brathwaite, Kirk Edwards, Darren Bravo, Jermaine Blackwood, Leon Johnson, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Kemar Roach, Jerome Taylor, Sulieman Benn, Shane Shillingford, Jason Holder, Shannon Gabriel. New Zealand Squad: (Probable) Tom Latham, Hamish Rutherford, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum (capt), Jimmy Neesham, BJ Watling (wk), Neil Wagner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Mark Craig, Trent Boult.