Guam – Cars Plus FC and Quality Distributors FC will contest the 2011 Beck’s GFA Cup final after respective wins over Guam Shipyard and MDA Cobras in the semifinals last Sunday.
The final will kick off at 7 p.m. and an awards ceremony will follow immediately afterward. In addition to the cup, trophies from the 2011 Budweiser Guam Men’s Soccer League will be awarded, which will then be followed by a fiesta-style celebration with free food and drinks. Admission is free and all are invited.
Shipyard and Cobras will face off in the consolation match, slated for 5 p.m.
Here is a closer look at the semifinal matches:
Cars Plus FC def. Guam Shipyard 3-1 PSO (4-4 AET): The drama of a penalty shootout saw Cars Plus goalkeeper Joe Laanan come up trumps against his former team, stopping three straight spot kicks after Jared Quichocho converted for Shipyard. Ian Mariano, Donovan Merfalen and Matthew Cruz successfully converted for Cars Plus, who were up 3-1 during the first half with a brace from Dominic Gadia and a goal from Mariano. Kiko Santos scored Shipyard’s first goal before succumbing to injury midway through the first half. Jason Cunliffe, who assisted the first goal, took matters into his own hands and capped a determined solo run with a goal to cut the halftime deficit to 3-2. A long Cunliffe throw in took a couple of deflections before Aaron Unpingco slammed the equalizer into the bottom corner early in the second half. Two minutes later, Jared Quichocho found the opposite corner from close range after Cunliffe sent in a free kick for the 4-3 lead. Shipyard defended bravely, throwing bodies in front of numerous shots, before Cars Plus finally broke through with a header from Mariano, his second of the match. Neither team could find the net in extra time, leading to the thrilling finale.
Quality Distributors FC 4, MDA Cobras 1: Scott Spindel and Jordan Gregory gave Quality a 2-0 lead at halftime, but Austin Cruz handed Cobras a lifeline in the 63 minute after capitalizing on a goalkeeper mistake to halve the deficit. Quality endured some nervy minutes before Sean Fitzsimmons smashed a long-range effort into the top corner in the 83 minute to all but seal the win. Spindel added the fourth, and his second, right at the death. The win means Quality is the only team to feature in all four editions of the cup.
Information from a press release.
frankie@spbguam.com
