Gatorade 5v5 set for thrilling end

The first ever Jamaica Champion in the Gatorade 5v5 football championship will be crowned today at the Barbican playing field. Eight teams have qualified for the quarterfinals, which will begin at 1 p.m.

Coach Donovan Stone, who guided STETHS B to the quarterfinals, is impressed with what he has seen.

“The tournament has proven to be quite positive. The opportunity that it gives the youngsters, the possible exposure and the chance that it gives them to compete against players from around the world is excellent,” he beamed.

“The games are very competitive. I didn’t expect that it would be so tight. But the prize at the end makes it worthwhile.”

Some of the top schoolboy teams made their mark. Excelsior, Clarendon College, Calabar High, and Kingston College were unbeaten in their groups.

It took a playoff to determine the second-place team in Group D, where Kingston College drew their first two games and were awarded points in the third when Cavalier B failed to show. With the three points and three goals awarded from that forfeited game, they topped the group, leaving Garvey Maceo and Liguanea FC to contest an extra game. Garvey Maceo eventually prevailed 1-0.

The quarter-finalists are Clarendon College, MRC Academy, Excelsior, STETHS B, Calabar, Church of God of Prophecy, Kingston College, and Garvey Maceo.

The quarterfinals will begin at 1 p.m. today, with the final set for 4 p.m.

The champions will represent Jamaica at the World finals in Madrid, Spain, from May 27 to June 2 and will attend the Champions League final in Madrid