East Side’s reported elimination carries weight in a competition they have dominated for years. The report says they had won the tournament 19 times, including 13 of the previous 14 editions, and entered the semi-final as the top seed.
Central’s reported record now stands at 6-1-2, while East Side finish with a 0-13 mark. Those contrasting records underline the scale of the result, even before considering the defending champions’ recent control of the competition.
Central’s last appearance in the city final came in 2018, when they also reportedly defeated East Side. A return to the final gives the program another chance to turn a breakthrough win into a championship.
The scoreline points to a match decided by patience rather than sustained attacking volume. The report says Central kept a clean sheet, with goalkeeper Souare Moussa making four saves.
That resistance created the platform for the extra-time winner. Fritz Salens St. Hilaire reportedly finished the decisive move after Christopher Sevilla set up the chance, giving Central the moment that East Side could not answer.
Central’s next opponent will be Barringer, who reportedly beat Shabazz 5-1 in the other semi-final. The contrast is clear: Central advanced through a one-goal extra-time battle, while Barringer reached the final with a more comfortable margin.
Saturday’s final will test whether Central’s defensive discipline can withstand Barringer’s attacking momentum. If the reported semi-final result holds, Central now have one match to complete the upset and claim their first tournament title since 2018.