Tournament sets pace for league
With eight teams participating the tension was palpable. Shots were fired and teams built on their chemistry as a unit in competitive settings before the start of the league.
Last weekend, a pre-season tournament was held at the Astro-Turf in Paradise grounds, as a build-up to the much anticipated start of the Newcastle Court Soccer Association (NCSA) League.
With eight teams participating the tension was palpable. Shots were fired and teams built on their chemistry as a unit in competitive settings before the start of the league.
Teams that raised eyebrows, were Vlam, Al-Ahly, Zenith and Outlaws.
Zenith was not playing at absolute peak, but still managed to impress with tenacity in attack and a solid defence.
Outlaws proved that although the team consisted of very young players, it still had the ability to play against more experienced and stronger sides, because of brilliant cohesion.
Outlaws progressed all the way to the tournament semi-finals before succumbing to a one-nil defeat at the hands of Vlam.
Al-Ahly seemed to still hold excellent form through the season’s break, making an impressive showing by toppling all of their opponents to reach the finals.
Captain, Fahim Paruk, marshalled his team brilliantly, managing to strategically control a game to his team’s advantage. Goalkeeper, Joe was excellent between the sticks and occasionally when he attempted to play as a striker as well by playing the ball forward on his own.
Vlam absolutely dominated all aspects of the games, stinging passes together well and being ruthless in attack. While other teams fell short in certain aspects of the game, Vlam managed to be a consistent unit. This consistency combined with some talented individuals proved to be the catalyst in leading Vlam to the tournament victory.
The league is set to start in the coming weeks and soccer fans should pay close heed to the talent found on the grounds of Newcastle.
