Rusea’s, Frome in daCosta Cup heavyweight showdown

ASHLEY ANGUIN
STAR Writer
LONGTIME rivals Rusea’s High and Frome Technical renew their schoolboy football rivalry today, as Zone B’s heavyweights battle for early advantage in the ISSA daCosta Cup preliminary round at the Collin Miller Sports Complex at 3:30 p.m.
While Rusea’s have swept aside all three opponents so far, Frome will be determined to end that perfect run and make a statement of their own.
Rusea’s manager Craig Butler said the team must convert chances they create, and stay aligned with their system to ensure a positive result.
“We remain perfect, and we still have flaws. However, we want to work on them in this game. We want to finish our chances. We expect to have a positive result with a win and are aiming in this game to become more accurate in our finishing,” said Butler.
“You play three games a week, so the training is now more mental and tactical versus the physical because the days that we have off, we have to be getting recovery.”
Rusea’s lead Zone B on nine points, with Frome second on seven.
Both teams struggled last season.
It is easy to see why this match — the second of two meetings between the teams in the first round of the competition — holds such prestige.
Passionate supporters
The schools boast some of schoolboy football’s most passionate supporters, and whenever they meet, fireworks are usually expected both on and off the field.
Rusea’s, one of the former kingpins of schoolboy football, are second only to Cornwall College in daCosta Cup titles, with 11 championships. The Hanover-based Rusea’s won their first title in 1984, with their most recent triumph coming in 2017.
Frome, meanwhile, have won the competition once, lifting the title in 2003.
Intriguing battle
In St Elizabeth, an intriguing derby looms as seven-time champions Munro College host B.B. Coke.
Formerly known as Potsdam College, Munro enter the contest with a proud football tradition and ambitions of returning to their glory days, while also playing in honour of late player Kamal Reynolds.
With the match being played at home, head coach Everdean Scarlett acknowledged the expectation for his team to win, but stopped short of labelling Munro the outright favourite.
“I wouldn’t say that Munro is the favourite, but playing at home, you’re expected to win at home. We intend to have Munro as a fortress where we do not lose any game here,” said Scarlett.
Impressive result
They will be eager to build on their impressive opening result and maintain their winning momentum, following a comfortable 13-0 victory over Mount St Joseph Catholic on Friday.
Scarlett is also hoping his players will be more composed in their second home game, and put into practice the areas addressed in training.
“I am hopeful that today, playing at home, we won’t see the team showing a bit of nervousness. There are areas we definitely worked on in training,” he said.
Both enter today’s matchup with perfect starts. Munro are tied on nine points with Black River and B.B. Coke, but lead Zone D on goal difference.
ashley.anguin@gleanerjm.com

Today’s games:
Irwin vs Spot Valley at Irwin
Muschett vs Green Pond at Muschett
St James vs Cambridge at Jarrett Park
Rusea’s vs Frome at Collin Miller Sports Complex.
Knockalva vs Grange Hill at Knockalva 
Petersfield vs Little London at Petersfield
Cedric Titus vs Discovery Bay at Cedric Titus
Marcus Garvey vs Walkerswood at Drax Hall Sports Complex
York Castle vs Brown’s Town at York Castle 
Bellefield vs Vere at Bellefield 
Cross Keys vs Foga Road at Cross Keys
Mile Gully vs Porus at Mile Gully Community Centre
Winston Jones vs May Day at Winston Jones
Edwin Allen vs Alphansus Davis at Edwin Allen
Holmwood vs Knox College at Holmwood
Troy vs Alston at Troy
Robert Lightbourne vs Morant Bay at Robert Lightbourne
Seaforth vs Happy Grove at Seaforth
Yallahs vs Fair Prospect at Yallahs