HAYDEN Diaz, coach of Dream Team FC, was an elated man on Saturday evening following his team’s tense penalty shootout victory over Boys Town in the final of the Caribbean Welders Fishing Pond Football League.
Trailing 2-0 after a poor performance in the first half, Dream Team were fortunate to earn a penalty after a handball in the area to halve the deficit just before the interval. And after an improved showing, Stephan Kerr stepped up late with a brilliant curling free-kick to make it 2-2. With no goals in extra time, Dream Team’s kickers held their nerve to win 4-2 from the spot.
“I always say that I don’t check the game before it happens but on the day we improvised. We lost a good player (Kwame John) last week (to a red card in the semi-final) but we improvised and came together,” Diaz declared.
He acknowledged the sub-par showing by his players in the first half but noted that the tweaks he made after the interval proved crucial and decisive.
“In the first half we had a little misunderstanding in terms of where certain people had to play so it had the two blunders where the two goals came and score. We talked about it half-time and we bucked up on it. I know my team could come together and hold it out to the end. My small 15-year-old player (Rion Moore) is small but effective. Based on how I used my subs today, it worked out for me and the team,” he continued.
The coach also cited the penalty just before the whistle as being pivotal to keeping them in the game and giving them an avenue to stage a comeback.
“That was very important because we had to pull one back to have some confidence going into the second half. And because of that we hold it tight to the end,” he said.
Meanwhile, Member of Parliament for Toco/Sangre Grande, Dr Rupert Griffith, was present and expressed pleasure to be part of the prize- giving ceremony.
“I want to say I have a lot of respect for (league organiser) Prakash (Ramkissoon) and what he is doing for the village. I give him the assurance that next year we will have a proper pavilion so at the end of the season you will have a different environment to celebrate,” he said.
Special awards:
Best Defender - Perry Parris
Most Goals - Hakeem Byer
Most Goals (Team) - Take That and Cool It
Best Goal - Simeone Augustus
Most Disciplined Team - Coca All-Stars
Most Valuable Player - Kerin Vincent
Best Goalkeeper - Kyle Perreira
First Hat-trick - Kerin Vincent