Fidjos Terra, Tabanka renew rivalry with eye to 2008 NELASA Title

By Osvaldo Dos Reis
September 3, 2008

Fidjos Terra and Tabanka will renew their football rivalry on Saturday, September 6th, with both teams looking for bragging rights ahead of the penultimate (17th round) game of the 2008 NELASA season.

Tabanka, the defending champion, got the upper hand earlier in the season, beating Fidjos Terra 2-1 during a competitive game at the Madison Park High School in Roxbury, MA. This time the two clubs will battle it out at the PIC Park in Brockton, MA.

“We have to rectify those mistakes we made in the first game. By doing that we’ll definitely win the game, which will keep us in the first place,” said Betinho, coach of Fidjos Terra, a team that has not won a league title in four years.

Currently first in the standings with 37 points, three ahead of third place Tabanka, Fidjos Terra’s hope going into Saturday’s game is to win group A while looking ahead to the playoffs. “We face every game the same. We will be serious and competitive. We need to win or tie and even with a loss we can still move ahead,” added Betinho.

Knowing what the risks are in case of a loss, Tabanka will have to show a ruthless approach to winning this game and pick up some points, which could put them in the perfect position to make the playoffs and battle to keep their crown. With one more game to go, it looks like the race will be very tight. While Tabanka and Fidjos Terra beat each other, Sporting (2nd with 34 points) could well be a spoiler.