Savannah, Sandals extend run in Western Confed Super League

BY PAUL A REID Observer writer

Thursday, January 01, 2015    

NEGRIL, Westmoreland — Being forced to play during the festive holiday season did not stop the Savannah SC and Sandals Whitehouse teams from extending their brilliant starts in the Jamaica Football Federation Charley’s JB Rum Western Confederation Super League.

Former champions Savannah SC made it five straight with a 1-0 win over Beaches Negril while Sandals Whitehouse chalked up their fourth win in a row, holding off Violet Kickers 2-1 in Montego Bay, St James.

Savannah and Sandals Whitehouse will meet in what is expected to be a mouth-watering match-up on Sunday at Frome when one team will lose its perfect record.

It was not so festive for former champions Wadadah FC who were clobbered 1-5 by promoted Salt Marsh United, while Granville FC edged Montego Bay Boys Club 1-0.

Ron Daley scored his league-leading fifth goal, in the 61st minute for Savannah, while handing Beaches Negril their fourth straight loss.

At the Green Pond High field, Sandals Whitehouse dug deep to beat Violet Kickers 2-1 and stay three points adrift of Savannah.

Damion Wynter gave Sandals the lead in the 15th minute, but Ryan Binns levelled the scores for the home team in the 70th minute.

Ronnie Whyte scored the winner for Sandals in the 80th minute as they escaped with all three points.

Salt Marsh got a memorable win in their drubbing of Wadadah FC with Omar Williams leading the way with a treble, scoring in the 19th, 37th and 71st minutes.

Garrel Gooden scored in the 53rd minute and Errol Plummer in the 77th minute before Alex McFarlane got a consolation goal for Wadadah FC in the 82nd minute.

At the UDC field in Montego Bay, Andrew Allen’s 41st minute goal was enough to give Granville a 1-0 win over Montego Bay Boys Club and move past Wadadah FC into third place on goal difference.

Both teams are on nine points, one more than Tomorrow’s People, with Salt Marsh United improving to sixth place on seven points, one ahead of Village United.

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Savannah, Sandals extend run in Western Confed Super League

Keen battle! - Reno FC to meet MoBay Boys’ Club as Western Confed heats up

FROME, Westmoreland — LEADERS Reno FC and joint second-placed team Montego Bay Boys Club will meet at the Frome Sports Grounds on Sunday in the featured game as the Jamaica Football Federation’s/Captain’s Bakery and Grill/Charley’s JB Rums Western Confederation Super League continues after the holiday break with a full schedule of six matches.

Reno FC sits on top of the point standings with 10 points from four games, two points ahead of Holland United and Boys’ Club, while Savannah SC and former champions Granville FC are next on six points each.St James clubs, Tomorrow’s People and defending champions Wadadah FC are next on five points each, while promoted Sandals Whitehouse- three points, Lucea FCtwo points, and Village United and Duanvale on a point each, are at the bottom of the tables.Reno, who were the beaten finalists last season, giving up a first-leg advantage to lose on penalty kicks to Wadadah FC, are off to a fast start this season, dropping just two points from a potential 12, and will seek to extend their unbeaten run at Frome that has spanned all of last season.Boys’ Club, who won the St James Senior League last season, have also won their last two games and are one of the hottest teams in the league, but they are yet to prove their pedigree.Androcle Poyser has scored in their previous three games played and will once again lead the Boys Club attack.Holland United are expected to return to winning ways when they take on Lucea FC at the Colin Miller Sports Complex in Lucea, after being held goalless by Granville United on Monday.Lucea FC, the only club from Hanover in the competition, has struggled so far, earning just two points, but has been defensively adequate, giving up just five goals in their four games played.Holland United led by Stephon Bramwell and Romaine Lewis, who have combined for seven of the team’s 10 goals, are the competition’s most prolific scoring team, and will test Lucea’s resilience.Norwood Strikers’ Roshane Reid has scored five goals in his team’s last two games and they hope the holiday break has not cooled him off when they host Savannah SC who have drawn three straight after an opening day 2-1 win over Lucea.After giving up a 3-0 lead to settle for a draw against Holland, Norwood trounced Village United 5-0 in Trelawny last week, and will start favourites to hand Savannah their first defeat.Two-time champions Granville United have managed to stay in the top half of the tables despite scoring a single goal, but remain the only team yet to concede a goal. They will take on the last -placed Duanvale FC that has conceded 13 goals, while scoring just once.Defending champions Wadadah FC will go after back-to-back wins when they take on Village United, after beating Lucea FC with a late goal on Monday afternoon.At Jarrett Park, the inconsistent Tomorrow’s People will host Sandals Whitehouse who have lost their two previous games played in Montego Bay, both at the UDC Field.Sandals Whitehouse have won just once all season long and will hope to start the New Year off with three more points.Holland United’s Romaine Lewis (left) gets to a ball ahead of Norwood Strikers’ Dane Gillette in a recent JFF Captain’s Bakery and Grill/Charley’s JB Rums Western Confederation Super League game at the UDC Field in Montego Bay. Holland came back from a 0-3 deficit to draw the game 3-3. (PHOTO: PAUL REID)

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Keen battle! - Reno FC to meet MoBay Boys’ Club as Western Confed heats up

Confed dream final: Host Brazil vs world champion Spain

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The Confederations Cup has the final many wanted: a long-awaited matchup between world champion Spain and host Brazil.

The most dominant national team in recent years and the most successful team ever in international play will meet Sunday at Maracana Stadium for the title of the eight-nation warm-up tournament for next year’s World Cup.It will be the first meeting between the nations since 1999 and their first competitive match since Brazil’s 1-0 win on Socrates’ goal in the first round of the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.“It’s the match everyone wanted to happen,” said 21-year-old Brazilian forward Neymar, the star of the five-time world champions. “The entire world wanted it and everybody will be watching it.”With more than 70,000 Brazilian fans packing the iconic venue, Brazil will be seeking its third straight Confederations Cup title. Spain enters unbeaten in a world record 29 competitive matches over three years since losing its 2010 World Cup opener to Switzerland.“For us it’s a dream game,” Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque told FIFA.Brazil was eliminated in the quarterfinals in the last two World Cups and hasn’t won a significant title since the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa. Spain won the 2010 World Cup along with the 2008 and 2012 European Championships.“They are the current world champions, they have to be praised,” Brazil captain Thiago Silva said. “But anything can happen in a final, and I’m certain that Brazil will be fully prepared for the matchup.”Spain hasn’t lost in 26 matches overall since a 1-0 defeat against England at Wembley in 2011. Brazil struggled after coach Luiz Felipe Scolari replaced Mano Menezes in November, winning only one of its first six matches. Scolari, who coach Brazil to the 2002 World Cup title, enters the final with a five-game winning streak.“There is no doubt it will be an even match,” Brazil right back Daniel Alves said Saturday. “There is mutual respect between these two national teams.”Brazil beat Japan, Mexico and Italy in the group stage before defeating South American champion Uruguay 2-1 in the semi-finals. Spain defeated the Uruguayans in its opener, then routed Tahiti and beat Nigeria before getting past Italy on penalty kicks in the semi-finals.“It’s the match everybody has been waiting for,” said Brazil assistant coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, who led the national team to the 1994 world title. “We all know how good Spain is, but Brazil is going through a sensational moment and is full of confidence.”While the host hasn’t played since Wednesday, Spain endured overtime and the shootout in the semi-final against Italy in the heat of Fortaleza on Thursday. Del Bosque has said Spain will not use fatigue as an excuse, and Scolari also downplayed the issue.“They were able to rest all of their starters when they played Tahiti, so basically they had to play one game less than we did,” he said.Both coaches will have all of their top players available for the match at the renovated Maracana.Four players who will be in Sunday’s final were nominated for the Golden Ball award handed to the best player at the Confederations Cup: Brazil’s Neymar and Paulinho and Spain’s Andres Iniesta and Sergio Ramos.Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

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Confed dream final: Host Brazil vs world champion Spain

Confed dream final: Host Brazil vs world champion Spain

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The Confederations Cup has the final many wanted: a long-awaited matchup between world champion Spain and host Brazil.

The most dominant national team in recent years and the most successful team ever in international play will meet Sunday at Maracana Stadium for the title of the eight-nation warm-up tournament for next year’s World Cup.It will be the first meeting between the nations since 1999 and their first competitive match since Brazil’s 1-0 win on Socrates’ goal in the first round of the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.“It’s the match everyone wanted to happen,” said 21-year-old Brazilian forward Neymar, the star of the five-time world champions. “The entire world wanted it and everybody will be watching it.”With more than 70,000 Brazilian fans packing the iconic venue, Brazil will be seeking its third straight Confederations Cup title. Spain enters unbeaten in a world record 29 competitive matches over three years since losing its 2010 World Cup opener to Switzerland.“For us it’s a dream game,” Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque told FIFA.Brazil was eliminated in the quarterfinals in the last two World Cups and hasn’t won a significant title since the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa. Spain won the 2010 World Cup along with the 2008 and 2012 European Championships.“They are the current world champions, they have to be praised,” Brazil captain Thiago Silva said. “But anything can happen in a final, and I’m certain that Brazil will be fully prepared for the matchup.”Spain hasn’t lost in 26 matches overall since a 1-0 defeat against England at Wembley in 2011. Brazil struggled after coach Luiz Felipe Scolari replaced Mano Menezes in November, winning only one of its first six matches. Scolari, who coach Brazil to the 2002 World Cup title, enters the final with a five-game winning streak.“There is no doubt it will be an even match,” Brazil right back Daniel Alves said Saturday. “There is mutual respect between these two national teams.”Brazil beat Japan, Mexico and Italy in the group stage before defeating South American champion Uruguay 2-1 in the semi-finals. Spain defeated the Uruguayans in its opener, then routed Tahiti and beat Nigeria before getting past Italy on penalty kicks in the semi-finals.“It’s the match everybody has been waiting for,” said Brazil assistant coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, who led the national team to the 1994 world title. “We all know how good Spain is, but Brazil is going through a sensational moment and is full of confidence.”While the host hasn’t played since Wednesday, Spain endured overtime and the shootout in the semi-final against Italy in the heat of Fortaleza on Thursday. Del Bosque has said Spain will not use fatigue as an excuse, and Scolari also downplayed the issue.“They were able to rest all of their starters when they played Tahiti, so basically they had to play one game less than we did,” he said.Both coaches will have all of their top players available for the match at the renovated Maracana.Four players who will be in Sunday’s final were nominated for the Golden Ball award handed to the best player at the Confederations Cup: Brazil’s Neymar and Paulinho and Spain’s Andres Iniesta and Sergio Ramos.

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2. Please understand that comments are moderated and it is not always possible to publish all that have been submitted. We will, however, try to publish comments that are representative of all received.

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Confed dream final: Host Brazil vs world champion Spain