Figaro: They are the best!

"That's the first free kick I ever take in my life, so it's a one in a million." Even crafty Mucurapo Secondary Comprehensive left-winger Terrence Clarke could hardly believe that his beautiful curling left-footed effort from adjacent to the right sideline floated, swerved, dipped and ricocheted-first off the crossbar, then the far upright-and into Carapichaima Senior Comprehensive's goal to give his team a 3-1 lead in Tuesday's RBTT InterCol final at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva.

It was a change of heart in the dying minutes that led Clarke to try his luck at the target, from a fairly narrow angle.

A-la-Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo, the youngster decided to give it a go.

"The captain wanted me to play it short," he said after the match. But I say 'I have this one'. I was going to cross it, but coach tell me go for it."

He did, and Carapichaima goalkeeper Akiel Alfred could only watch in dismay as the ball hit his net with three minutes of regulation time left. With it sank any hopes of "Caps" mounting a comeback in the match.

Carapichaima captain and defender Michael Renaud had to admit it took a special effort to score from that position.

"The third goal was a free kick (that) would have scored against anybody. It was a good goal," he said after the final whistle, adding that: "...we wanted to win, we reached the finals, but we didn't win. Kudos to Mucurapo."

Clarke immediately stormed off the pitch in celebration and was booked for removing his shirt. But the joyous celebration of only Mucurapo's second-ever national title, and their first InterCol accolade in 25 years, had already begun.

"I feel great to be the captain as well. It's the first time in 25 years, and we are proud to win this," said Mucurapo skipper Kevin Molino after the match. After a barrage of missed chances in the first half, Molino fought off cramp to play a beauty of a ball to Mutar Taylor, who obliged by giving Mucurapo the 2-1 lead 75 minutes into the match.

"We have good players, and we know we could reach this far," Molino related while Mucurapo fans and players alike chanted the popular refrain in the background: "heat in de place! Doh back back!"

Selris Figaro was a proud coach at the end of it, dripping with sweat and emotion after finally reaping the success that has evaded his talented teams of recent years.

"I can't even say the emotion (I feel). I was so proud of those guys, because during the summer vacation they were not seeing their parents. It was only us," he said with a faint smile, crediting fellow Mucurapo coach and former national striker Ian "Dread Dribbler" Clauzel and the rest of his technical staff for their contributions.

"We've been telling them they are the best, they are the best. Everybody's been saying that. Everybody can't be lying."

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