A last minute U-17 6v6 round of Friendly matches, hosted by Oualichi FC with the support of the St. Maarten Football Federation over the last weekend, brought some exciting football action to Emilio Wilson Park. With teams from St. Maarten and a visiting team from Saba showcasing their skills, the weekend had some intense “small-sided” field action.

The visiting Saba Warriors were one of the highlights of the event, as this was the first time they faced St. Maarten. They earned a victory in one of their games, with a strong performance against FC Soualiga A, and demonstrat­ing extremely fast and pre­cise play throughout. Hosts Oualichi FC A also stood out as they remained unde­feated with two wins and a well-earned draw. Mean­while, Belvedere B wrapped up the weekend with two notable victories, including a final win over FC Soualiga B, showing impressive compo­sure and teamwork.

Soualiga divided their strength equally between Teams A and B and played with heart and determina­tion, testing their oppo­nents and showcasing their large base of talented players. They also, “played up” some younger under 15 “u15” players that were up for the challenge, as did many of the teams.

Both SCSA Eagles squads delivered exciting moments: the A team clinched a 5-2 victory against Belvedere FC A, while the B team earned a hard-fought win over Oual­ichi FC B and also participat­ed in a friendly mixed game due to a forfeit. Oualichi FC B and Belvedere FC A also battled to a draw in a tightly contested match. Despite facing challenges with field­ing a full team for the last two days, 758 SC played well on the first evening with their available roster.

The matches, coordinated by Oualichi FC, came to­gether in under 10 days. The idea first came about after Saba coach Alejandro Lon-gar connected with Oual­ichi’s coaching staff during the U-13 Regional Friend­lies in Anguilla last month and explained that his u17 team was ready for some challenges. After getting the green light from several clubs in the federation, and President of Oualichi board Kim Vreeswijk commitment to organizing the event , they made arrangements. The Saba Warriors arrived to St. Maarten late by ferry boat on Friday evening to jump right into their first game, and left Sunday afternoon.

With the Raoul Sports Complex temporarily closed for track renovations, Emilio Wilson Park was crucial as the venue, enabling the matches to continue in “6 a side” format, and be­ing great for the spectators.

“I am immensely proud of what we have achieved to­gether as a team and board of Oualichi. Ultimately, our primary goal has always been to ensure that the children have the opportunity to en­joy playing football, and this weekend was a testament to that commitment. We also could not have done it with­out the help of the volunteer referees,” said Oualichi FC President Kim Vreeswijk

The president continued, “The event was filled with joy and camaraderie, and we are excited to continue organiz­ing similar weekends in the future. Our hope is to expand these events and extend invi­tations to our neighbouring islands, fostering a stronger sense of community through the sport we all love.”

The Daily Herald.