F.C. Belize tops Verdes in weekend football action
Good evening, I’m James Adderley with this week’s dish of Sports Monday. Week six of the RFG Insurance Cup tournament found F.C. Belize in action against Hankook Verdes in a bitterly contested ballgame inside the M.C.C. Grounds yesterday.
As a matter of fact folks, the action gets heated early when the Verdes striker Luciano Rodriguez displays his impressive ball skills with this trick shot that forces Elroy Rowley into a flying save.
The city team answered right back off this centre from Jeromy James that finds the head of Daniel Thomas and it might have counted except for the intervention of number two Jose Lara, the defence-man who uses the Chilena to reverse the ball out of goal.
Now keep your eyes on this spotkick from Belize F.C. Captain Eian Henry. The header from Muschamp finds the foot of Daniel Thomas; the ball takes a deflection and just like that the host team is up 1-zip some twenty minutes in.
A few minutes later F.C. Belize looks to expand the lead as Rudolph Flowers centres to Daniel Thomas and he probably should have made it count right here.
F.C. Belize continues pressing when “Jarro” James with this pass to Rudolph Flowers who either fouls the goalkeeper or the keeper fouls him. The referee says nevertheless, play on. Rudolph Flowers then reaches “Jarro” James with this pass, his header beats the keeper, but watch Joseph Waight rescue Shandi Wagner and for sure the Cayo keeper has two of his defence players he must take to lunch sometime this week.
It’s another squandered opportunity for the city team when Henry drops this floater to James, who misses the target. At the half it’s a 1-zip lead for F.C. Belize.
Folks, we’re some ten minutes into second half when Tyrone “T-Bone” Muschamp threads the line to find Daniel Thomas who makes it a 2-zip score with his second goal of the match.
Nevertheless, Hankook Verdes tries to come back – Robert Da Silva picks out Luciano Rodriguez, but his header sails over the crossbar.
Now watch “T-Bully” operates–he beats the last two Verdes defenders, but guess what? Muschamp simply cannot come up with the conversion. For Verdes things take a turn for the worse when Daniel Jimenez is red-carded for mouthing off to referee Pedro Villanueva.
In the meantime, Muschamp remains an impressive player as displayed here, but he certainly will have to learn to finish if he is going to progress further in the sport.
It’s more downhill for the Cayo team when Robert Da Silva takes down Thomas Castro from beind, which gets his ejected. But even worse, Calbert Neal is forced to join his teammates on the sidelines after protesting much too vociferously. Hankook Verdes is now down to the minimal eight men on the field.
Meanwhile folks, Joseph Waight in attacking mode for Verdes gets taken down by goalkeeper Rowley inside the eighteen and the referee rules penalty.
Up steps Jose Lara who converts, and now Hankook Verdes has a new lease on life in a 2-1 ballgame. Looks like the eight-man team is more effective than the 11-man unit right about here.
Stunned, F.C. Belize goes back offensive. Flowers finds Robert Cunningham, but he fails to deliver from point-blank range. It’s Robert Cunningham again with another good luck at goal, but again he can’t find the back of the net. FC Belize nevertheless takes the three points with the 2-1 big W. Yeah, congrats!
In other action around the league, Wagiya was held to a 3-3 tie at Belmopan United, Placencia Pirates beat Benque Viejo United 2-1, while Kremandala crushed Cayo Avengers all of 7-zip. Over the group B, BOCA F.C. bombed the Calcutta Bulls 2-nil, while the San Pedro Seahawks settled for a 1-1 tie with Mango Creek F.C.
Meanwhile people, the unexpected withdrawal of Juventus from the season has brought a rapid response from the B.P.F.L. All teams will be awarded full winning points against the O.W. ball club. Juventus has been banned from the league and are being fined three thousand dollars. Now tell me folks, what a difference a year makes for defending champion Juventus of Orange Walk.
Looking to week seven, Benque will host Hankook Verdes in the battle for the west, Wagiya will host FC Belize at the Carl Ramos Stadium, Cayo Avengers will get a visit from BOCA F.C., while the Placencia Pirates come to the M.C.C. grounds for a date with Kremandala.
Over in Group B, Belmopan United will be at home against the San Pedro Seahawks, Mango Creek will be visited by New Site Erie and Calcutta Bulls will be off. Why? Juventus certainly has withdrawn.
Turning to the basketball scene, this gathering has been convened by the local basketball powers for a FIBA referee certification course under FIBA Instructor, Fred Hogan, of Canada.
From gold medal status in 1998, Belizean basketball has plummeted to the point where no semi-pro activity and very little national structure seems to be in place. I guess some people are no longer interested in the sport. And this is an attempt by the B.B.F. to renew some interest.
Our very own Jackie Woods spoke to the President of the Belize Basketball Federation, Fred Garcia.
Fred Garcia, President, Belize Basketball Federation
“We’ve been mandated, FIBA has sent down instructions that it’s a must. One of the biggest problems we’ve been having is being fined at international events that FIBA has sponsored and it has come to the point where as of 2006 is certain things are not done in the country then we won’t be able to attend certain games.”
Jacqueline Woods
“So presently when you guys go outside to play, how much are you fined?”
Fred Garcia
“I still have a bill for five hundred U.S. from them for the last game we went to. We didn’t take a certified referee, so this is why this course has become mandatory and we are now pushing before the next games come in March.”
“Right now we have eleven people and they’ve all been doing the course. This has been for the last six months we have been going countrywide doing the coaches and referee course so that we can get people certified.”
Brads Neal, V.P., Belize Basketball Federation
“The training is gonna be where Mr. Fred Hogan is gonna pretty much go over the rule book, as well as the FIBA referee manuals and gonna do the proper interpretation, because that’s one of the problems that we have, interpreting the rules of basketball properly. This is going to be a course for four days and we’re hoping to have two re-certifications, which is going to be Mr. Glenn Gill and Mr. Leroy Clother and we’re hoping to have at least five or six more FIBA certified referees when the course is completed. We have some excellent guys around, some who have tried to re-certified before, but we’re hoping on our soil that they are going to get their certification.”
In other basketball news, the National Female Team played two matches against the Mexican champion Uady at Chetumal, Mexico over the weekend. Belize fell game one 72-59, but forced a draw to the two game series by taking game two 68-71. We say congratulations to one and all.
Hey folks, that’s our show for today. We invite you back same time, same place next week. Jah over all, I’m James Adderley.
