THE sixth annual Jersey Football Tournament kicks off on Tuesday night at Springfield.
Now a sparkling jewel in the Island’s sporting calandar, last year’s champions, Argentina’s Boca Juniors, contest the opener against Japan, the current World Under-21 champions.
Boca and Japan opened the inaugural Guernsey tournament last Tuesday with Boca winning 2-1.
Boca really turned on the style with a well-deserved victory.
There were three cracking goals, fantastic latin skills and 100 per cent commitment in the first of six matches played in Guernsey this week.
More of the same please.
Boca’s Ariel Colzera and Marcus Mondaini, wingers that are already attracting top European clubs, were a treat to watch and the pair received excellent support from midfielders Galarza and Scarione as they pulled Japan defenders everywhere.
Japan bounced back to win their second match 1-0 against Paris St Germain on Thursday night.
Again there were magic moments but unfortuately PSG skipper Boukary Drame scored the only goal trying to intercept a pass to Japan’s Rui Komatasu.
Tall forward Komatasu regularly troubled the opposition’s defence with his height while Shinji Tsujio hit a post after crafty close control from Shingo Akamine.
Boca and Rangers, both undefeated, were playing last night with the victors almost assured of being tournament winners.
Previous Jersey tournaments have resulted in numerous startlets going on to bigger and better things.
Celtic’s Craig Beattie, who attracted interest from Glasgow neighbours Rangers before he was snapped up by the green and white hoops, has scored four goals in three games for Celtic’s first team on their current tour to the United States of America in the ChampionsWorld Series.
Beattie notched a brace in a 4-2 defeat by Chelsea while also netting in a 5-1 defeat by Liverpool and in a 2-1 victory over Manchester United.
Beattie has displayed his skills for Celtic at the last two Jersey Football Tournaments at Springfield - bursting onto the scene with a hat-trick in a 4-3 win against Sporting Lisbon in the 2002 tournament.
Celtic handed 17-year-old Scott Cuthbert his first start for the club and the side had a young look about it against Liverpool with goalkeeper David Marshall (19), Aiden McGeady (18) and Darren O’Dea (17) also featuring.
Marshall and McGeady played in Jersey last year while Cuthbert is the only one of the quartet in next week’s squad.
Following the Liverpool defeat Celtic’s John Robertson said: ‘I don’t think we are demoralised.
Defensively we were poor but I am not going to criticise them for pre-season friendlies because I know when it comes to the games that matter they have been absolutely brilliant for us.
‘I thought young Scott Cuthbert (against Michael Owen and Harry Kewell), in a very difficult situation, coped pretty well.
JEP Player of the Tournament in 2002, Sunderland’s David Bellion, and last year, Boca’s Gaston Sangoy, have now transferred to new clubs - Bellion to Manchester United and Sangoy, just last week, to Ajax.
Others to have enjoyed higher profile since playing in Jersey include Darren Fletcher (Man United), Stephen Hughes (Rangers) and Hugo Vianna, the latter who left Sporting Lisbson for Newcastle for £8m but this season’s is back at Sporting on a year’s loan.
Manchester United, runners-up last year, compete for the sixth time next week while Celtic visit Jersey for the fourth time.
The two British clubs meet at Springfield on Wednesday.
Article posted on 31st July, 2004 - 12.00am
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