A South All-Star XI will look to make a clean sweep of titles this season when the Field of Dreams Football Show/Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) All Star Game kicks off at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium in Marabella this weekend.
The initiative, a collaboration between the SSFL and former national striker Steve David, will see a South XI battle a North XI in a match featuring the top players in the SSFL on Sunday at 3 pm. Prior to the match, a skills competition will take place on Saturday at 3 pm at the same venue. The skills competition, which is open to all the players in the SSFL, will include a 60-yard dash, a juggling competition and strikers going one on one with a goalkeeper.
South has dominated the 2017 season with Shiva Boys Hindu College of Penal winning the Intercol title on Monday and Presentation College San Fernando taking the league title. Shiva Boys and Presentation players dominate the South squad with nine players from Shiva Boys and seven from Presentation on the 20-man provisional squad. Judah Garcia of Shiva Boys will captain the South team.
The 24-man North team provisional squad will be captained by Matthaeus Granger of St Mary’s College. St Anthony’s College and St Mary’s each have five representatives on the team.
Garcia was at the launch of the All-Star event yesterday and said, “It is a big weekend and I want to thank the Field of Dreams for keeping this event. The players are really excited to play against the other players which includes national players. It is the best players in the country and it will be a very exciting battle to see the North go against the South. What they need to keep in mind (is) that South took everything this year and we are coming all out in that game Sunday to take this All Star game.”
Granger, choosing the humble approach, said his team will let their play do the talking.
“It is a great gesture on behalf of the league and Mr (Steve) David to organise this game for the players. I hear a lot of back talk going on between North and South, but I will leave talking for the pitch on Sunday, because we really confident after the training session yesterday (Wednesday) that we will get the required result.”
Steve David, who is one of the hosts of the Field of Dreams Football Show on ACTN TV, said this weekend’s activities is a great opportunity for the footballers.
“We are going to have coaches from the US Colleges who are coming down and want to see our players. We are hoping we could open up a channel for them to get scholarships or even to get professional contracts,” he said.
David called on the TT public to give the players more motivation to play at a higher level. “All we need is the people in the stands...support is so important, I played, I know, when you run out on the field in front of five people, it is different to when you run out on the field in front of a full stadium,” he said. The event is free to the public.
South All-Stars:
Goalkeepers – Denzil Smith (Shiva Boys), Levi Fernandes (Naparima).
Defenders – Mylz Barrington (Presenation), Jabari Graham (Shiva), Yohannes Richardson (Shiva), Shirwin Noel (Presentation), Matthew Beal (Shiva).
Midfielders – Kierron Mason (Shiva), Tyrel Baptiste (Shiva), Quinn Rodney (Shiva), Darnell Hospedales (Presentation), Judah Garcia (Shiva), Jordan Riley (Presentation), Jerrin Jackie (Presentation), Tyrel Emmanuel (Presentation), Josiah King (Carapichaima East).
Forwards – Keon Boney (St Benedict’s), Junior Asson (Shiva).
Reserves – Theophilus Bourne (Carapichaima East), Ackeel Jacob (Presentation).
North All-Stars:
Goalkeepers – Regaleo Holder (St Mary’s), Hezron D’Abreau (Valencia Secondary), Emmanuel John (Trinity East).
Defenders – Anfernee Stokes (QRC), Derron John (St Anthony’s), Kyle Thomas (San Juan North), Matthaeus Granger (St Mary’s), Jesse Williams (St Anthony’s), Giovanni Lewis (Valencia).
Midfielders – Che Benny (St Anthony’s), Haile Beckles (St Anthony’s), Tyrese Bailey (St Anthony’s), Gabriel Nanton (St Mary’s), Tyrese Spicer (St Mary’s), Anthony Samuel (St Augustine), Saleem Henry (Trinity), Nathaniel Perouse (San Juan North).
Forwards – Brandon Semper (San Juan North), Renaldo Boyce (San Juan North), Devon Charles (St Mary’s), Akil Frank (Signal Hill), Justin Araujo-Wilson (Fatima), Kishon Hackshaw (Trinity East), Kerri McDonald (Speyside).
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SSFL to host inaugural All-Star game.
T&T Newsday Reports.
The Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) will be hosting its inaugural All Star Game on Sunday, at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella.
This game will form part of the SSFL’s North-South Classic, with action set to begin at 3 pm.
According to William Wallace, president of the SSFL, “On the weekend of the 9th and 10th, we are putting on, for the first time, what we’ll call a North-South Classic. It’s an All Star game featuring teams from the North Zone, East Zone and Tobago versus the Central and South (Zones).”
Wallace said the North-South Classic will be staged in collaboration with legendary Trinidad and Tobago striker Steve David and local television network ACTS TV.
“We are inviting one and all to this game,” said Wallace. “Entry is free. It’s more than a game, it’s an event.
On Saturday we’ll have a skills competition starting at 3 (pm) and, on Sunday, we’ll have the actual game.”
The SSFL president said that coaches – local and international – will be involved in the process. “The national coaches will be there to look at players,” noted Wallace.
“We’ll also having some scouts at the game from outside of Trinidad and Tobago.
For the secondary school players who are going out on scholarships, that’s a very important thing for us.”
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