Changing face of soccer a win for all

 THE National Soccer League grand final tomorrow will see the Lae City Dwellers take on Madang.

 The decider is the first time in the competition’s nine-year history that Hekari United, the club that has dominated the football landscape  in this country for close to a decade, not involved.

Lae and Madang earned their berths with 3-2 and 3-1 victories over the Port Moresby-based sides Hekari and FC Port Moresby last Saturday at Laiwaden  Oval in Madang.

Although home side Lae are favoured to be the first team after Hekari to win PNG soccer’s most coveted prize, Madang has proven that it can compete and rise to the occasion.

The fans in the country are the big winners because no longer are there false expecatations or nervous hopes come grand final time. 

With Hekari’s star-studded side not playing in the main game at the Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium, the field is truly open.

This is good for soccer overall because with the dominanace of one club in a competition, the effect invariably creates less interest among casual fans.

Some might say that it would be better for Hekari to lose their title in a final rather than failing to defend it but that challenge is for another season.  

At the moment the focus should be on the two teams that have made the only game that counts.

Is the reign over for Hekari? Hardly. 

The team is still considered the best side in the country and will rebound from this set-back as all great sides do but what their loss means for the other sides is that it has given them confidence that they too can aspire to the title and win it — provided they reach the standard of football required.

Madang, against all odds did that and now— regardless of tomorrow’s result — will have set a trend that could change the soccer for the better in this country.