The 2016 Kotmale Chox U19 Schools’ Football Championship knockout stage features unknown commodities, current and former champions battling it out in the quarter finals at the City Football Complex.
ThePapare.com takes a look at each quarter final fixture.
St.Patrick’s College v Hameed Al Husseinie College (26th September at City Football Complex at 2.50pm)
New comers to the championship St. Patrick’s College, sent 2014 runners-up St. Peter’s College and quarter finalists Maris Stella College to the shadows with a dominant group stage performance.
St. Patrick’s College blew the competition apart scoring 32 goals and conceding 3 on their way to 18 points; which included 6-1, 3-1 wins against St. Peter’s and Maris Stella.
Hameed Al Husseinie is coming into the quarter final on a high after being crowned champions defeating Zahira College in the 2016 National School Games, while scoring 20 and only conceding 6 goals; their only loss was 3-1 against St.Henry’s.
Hameed Al Husseinie, who are the 2015 All Island Division I runners-up and 2016 National School Games champions, too had a comfortable ride in the group stage apart from the tough clash against Royal where they scrapped through to 2-1 and were awarded two walkovers against Rahula College and Maliyadeva College.
LIVE | St.Patrick’s College v Hameed Al Husseinie College | QF 1
Holy Cross College v St. Joseph Vaz College (27th September at City Football Complex at 2.50pm)
Holy Cross were 3rd place winners from last year and they came into the tournament without three star players who had switched schools to St. Joseph’s College, but against all odds managed to win the group with their only loss coming against De Mazenod away from home.
In a bitter affair they narrowly defeated St. Joseph’s 1-0 in a match riddled with emotions; emphasized by the Holy Cross fans who made their way from Kalutara to the Rathmalana Railway grounds.
Though Holy Cross came out on top they were only able to score 13, compared to the other group leaders who have scored 30 plus, but given that this was the ‘Group of Death’ 2 goals per game is commendable.
St. Joseph Vaz College from Wennappuwa filled the second place in group B, edging out S. Thomas’ College 2-0 and surviving 3-2 scare against Dharmaraja College up at the Bogambara Stadium.
They have a better scoring record compared to Holy Cross with 20 goals but have conceded 13 which is 8 goals more than their opponents.
LIVE | Holy Cross College v St.Joseph Vaz College | QF 2
St. Henry’s College v Maris Stella College (29th September at City Football Complex at 2.50pm)
The defending champs, St. Henry’s College lived up to their name as they strolled through the group scoring 30 and only letting in 3 goals, threatened only by Hameed Al Husseinie yet winning by a 3-1 margin.
Maris Stella College barely managed to get into the quarter finals from another tough group D, due to a better goal difference of +18 to St. Peter’s +11. Maris Stella College drew the opening game of the tournament with St. Peter’s College 2-2 after leading 2-0 while a better defensive record than St. Peter’s (6 goals to 14 conceded) gave them the edge.
Maris Stella without three key players, in Dilip Peiris, highest goal scorer from last season, Sandeepa Fernando and Supun Lahiru will definitely have a tough task against the reigning champs.
LIVE | St.Henry’s College v Maris Stella College | QF 3
Zahira College v De Mazenod College (30th September at City Football Complex at 2.50pm)
Champions of the inaugural edition in 2014, Zahira College much like St. Henry’s yawned their way to the quarter finals scoring 39 goals and only conceding 4. Their lowest winning margin was 4-0 against Wesley College while they got a walkover against Sr Pada College.
Zahira has the highest goals scored amongst the groups and one of the best defensive records.
De Mazenod College had a slow start to the tournament with only one win from their first three matches. However they recovered remarkably well to win the final three must win matches, with a similar score line of 2-1 at home; which included the final group match against Holy Cross as they pipped St. Joseph’s into 2nd place by 1 point.
However compared to Zahira, De Mazenod only scored 14 and conceded 9 in their six games.
De Mazenod has peaked at the correct time with momentum but the question is whether they can take it to another level to defeat giants Zahira College.
LIVE | Zahira College v De Mazenod College | QF 4
