The Coca Cola National Intercol Semi-Finals will kick off on Friday with a doubleheader at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Balmain, Couva featuring two teams which are yet to taste what it is like to be crowned national champions.
The first match-up will see Central champions Carapichaima East Secondary chasing its first national title taking on reigning champion school of the East San Juan North Secondary.
When these two met in the league they were inseparable and incapable of breaching each other’s defence with a goalless affair. However, when the clock strikes 3 pm today only one will move on.
Carapichaima's road to the final-four was paved with nine goals, a 7-1 win over Couva East Secondary in the zonal semis and a 2-1 victory over Chaguanas North Secondary in the zonal title match.
San Juan North, on the other hand, scored 13 times in its efforts to repeat as zonal champions, a 7-0 thumping of Malabar Secondary, 3-0 over Manzanilla Secondary in the semifinal and a 3-1 title-winning performance over Trinity College East.
The San Juan boys will have experience on their side, after winning the national title in 2016 and losing finalist in 2017 and 2018.
Two hours later, the second semifinal will commence between Presentation College and St Anthony’s College. Ironically, these two teams also drew goalless in the league and had a couple of difficult encounters in the quest for title honours.
Presentation College which has never won a national Intercol title brushed aside Point Fortin Secondary 2-0 in their zonal quarters then St Benedict’s College 3-0 in the semis. The duel with national champion school Naparima College went down to penalties after regulation time failed to break a 1-1 deadlock. Presentation won 4-3 from spot-kicks to celebrate its first major victory of the season.
St Anthony’s College dispatched Tranquillity Secondary 8-1 before scraping past Malick Secondary 4-3 on penalties after they were level 2-2 at the end of regulation time. In their zonal final their top marksman Kai Phillip got a late winner to send East Mucurapo Secondary packing with a 2-1 victory. The Tigers went to the national quarterfinal where ravished the Tobago champs Speyside High 4-0.
Semi-finals (Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva)
Carapichaima East Secondary vs San Juan North Secondary, 3 pm
Presentation College vs St Anthony’s College, 5 pm
SOURCE: T&T Guardian