CLARENDON PARK, Clarendon — The matchup between former champions Glenmuir High and Cornwall College at Juici Field, in Clarendon Park, could highlight today’s opening round of games in the ISSA/FLOW daCosta Cup quarter-finals.

With just the winners of the four zones advancing to the semi-finals of the daCosta Cup and qualifying for the Ben Francis knockout competiton, all 16 teams, led by defending champions St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) and including four first-time qualifiers — Ocho Rio High, Steer Town, Fair Prospect and Little London — will be seeking to get an early advantage.

Cornwall College, who come into the game with a 14-game win streak, the best in the country, Clarendon College, Rusea’s High and STETHS will all be buoyed by their wins last weekend in the FLOW Super Cup competition, and will hope to build on that as the race for the daCosta Cup intensifies.

Two years ago, Glenmuir High beat Cornwall College 2-0 when they met in the first game of the quarter-final round and went on to qualify for the semi-finals, topping the zone ahead of the Montego Bay-based school.

At least five members of the Cornwall College team, including strikers Jourdaine Fletcher and Peter-Lee Vassell — who have combined for 28 goals so far this season — played in that game that came days after a tough loss to Jamaica College in the FLOW Super Cup, and will be seeking to atone for that costly loss.

Cornwall College cruised through the inter-zone round with three wins without conceding a goal, while the Patrick “Jackie” Walters team had to beat Vere Technical in their final game to secure second place from their group.

The game will also see a battle of wits between two close friends, Walters and Cornwall College’s Dr Dean Weatherly, who is having one of his best seasons in years on the Cornwall sideline.

Defending champions STETHS, one of five teams that had perfect win records in the inter-zone round, face a Fair Prospect High team that has beaten the odds all season, but will find themselves up against their toughest opponent all season.

STETHS are coming off a gutsy 4-3 win over a good Holy Trinity team last Saturday, after going behind three times, and should have things much easier today.

Rusea’s High have grown in confidence with each round, and their 3-0 win over Haile Selassie last Saturday could have been their best performance so far, but will face a solid Paul Bogle team that just missed qualifying for the FLOW Super Cup.

Rusea’s have not conceded a goal in their last seven games, while Nazime Matalie and Shawn Bradford have led their scoring drive.

Dinthill Technical are still perfect in the daCosta Cup and ,after a frustrating loss to Bridgeport High in the Super Cup, will be taking orders from a new coach today after Kevin Williams was let go last weekend.

Today they could face another big task in the form of Lennon High in the first game of a double-header at the Wembley Centre of Excellence.

Despite just getting though at both stages in the first round and then in the inter-zone round, Lennon can be dangerous with Christopher Randall leading the way.

Dinthill, however, are not short of firepower and they will hope there is no repeat of the inept performance against Bridgeport.

Clarendon College will be flying high after their big win over Jamaica College last weekend and could make it a long, hard day for the debutants Steer Town Academy in the first game at Juici Field.

Except for a hiccup in the inter-zone round where they were held to a draw by Spalding High and their loss in a first-round game to Lennon, Clarendon have been flawless this season and Creighton Charlton could be seeking to pad his scoring record today.

Steer Town beat Brimmer Vale 5-0 in their final inter-zone game to edge Port Antonio High, but will face a team several rungs higher than those they faced earlier.

Ocho Rios have been one of the surprise packages this season, winning their inter-zone round with a perfect run of three wins but were rudely awoken from their dreams last weekend, beaten 6-0 by Excelsior High in the FLOW Super Cup.

Today they will face a Manchester High team that will be seeking to get back on track for their first title and will be well rested.

Little London have opened some eyes this season and, despite having to advance from the first round as a best third-placed team, won their inter-zone round before they were beaten in the first round of the Super Cup by Wolmer’s Boys’.

Today they are up against a Spot Valley High team in a western derby that could produce some fireworks.

Little London have shown an affinity for attacking football but have let in goals as well.

In the other game, Vere Technical will seek to continue their good run in the daCosta Cup after just losing to Kingston College 2-1 in the Super Cup, and take on a Petersfield High team that concede the most goals of all 16 qualifiers in the inter-zone round, seven with six coming in their loss to Cornwall College.

Games today

• xempmargin;Ocho Rios vs Manchester @ Drax Hall 3:00 pm

• xempmargin;Clarendon College vs Steer Town @ Juici Field 1:00 pm

• xempmargin;Glenmuir vs Cornwall @ Juici Field 3:00 pm

• xempmargin;Spot Valley vs Little London @ Jarrett Park 1:00 pm

• xempmargin;Rusea’s vs Paul Bogle @ Jarrett Park 3:00 pm

• xempmargin;Lennon vs Dinthill @ Wembley Field 1:00 pm

• xempmargin;Vere vs Petersfield @ Wembley Field 3:00 pm

• xempmargin;Fair Prospect vs STETHS @ Lynch Park 3:00 pm