Let the Playoffs Begin!

By S. Odama
September 16, 2008

With the final regular season game played this past Saturday, eight teams have earned their spot in the 2008 NELASA playoffs, scheduled to begin next Saturday, September 27th. In group A, for the second straight year Fidjos Terra finished top of their group and will be the number one seed. The question remains, Will Fidjos Terra be crowned champions this year? Last year, they had an exceptional regular season, but were upset by 4th seed Juventude in the 1st round of the playoffs.

This year, with a new coach they’re hoping to bring the crown back to the city of champions (Brockton). They will again face another team from Rhode Island in Dinamo Da Brava which finished fourth in group B. Sporting from RI surprised many by finishing second behind Fidjos Terra in Group A. Knowing that this is Sporting’s 1s year in the league and the fact that they happened to be in the same group with defending champions Clube Tabanka, a second place finish is to be admired.

However, they will face Strela Negra who finished 3rd in Group B and had to beat Nos Bandera 1-0 last game of the season to secure a place in the playoffs. Sporting will need to bring their A game if they intend to convince others that their second place finish was no fluke. Strela Negra is a formidable opponent with excellent young talent. They do, however, lack experience which plays a major role in games of such magnitude. Clube Tabanka had an up and down season and only managed to finish a disappointing 3r place in group A.

As a result of their poor finish, they will face in-city Rivals, Nos Bandera, the number 2 seed in group B. This is a familiar place for Clube Tabanka, as they did not finished atop of their group last season, but peeked at the right time and were crowned champions. This promises to be an exciting match as Nos Bandera will be looking for revenge. They were knocked out of the playoffs last year by Clube Tabanka and must be eager to return the favor. The other Derby in the 1st round will be in the city of Champions (Brockton) between last season’s finalist, Emigrantes Das Ilhas and this year’s newcomers, Mindelo Association, a team that finished 4th in group A. For the second straight season Emigrantes finished top of the group and their mixture of young talent and experienced players could pose plenty of difficulties for Mindelo.

Emigrantes, who were the league as well as cup finalists last season and only managed to come away with the Super Cup, are likely looking for another shot at the title, but it will not come easy. Mindelo is a young team and they play with a lot heart.

This is only their 1st year in the league and they proved that they belong. This has been an exhilarating NELASA season and it promises to get better with some intriguing matches in the playoffs. Which team will be crowned NELASA 2008 Champions? Will the trophy remain in Boston or will it return to the city of Champions? The city of Pawtucket, RI, is desperate for a title. Will either Dinamo or Sporting have something to say about it? I guess we’ll soon find out. Let the games begin!