Belize Draws Nil with the Cayman National Team
Belize played the Cayman national football on Wednesday night at the F.F.B. stadium in Belmopan as part of the World Cup Qualifier games. Expectations were high going into the game but despite numerous attempts to score, the Jaguars were unable to penetrate the net throughout the game. The question in the minds of many is whether super striker Deon McCauley would have made the difference. News Five’s Isani Cayetano recaps the game.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
The scoreless draw at the end of regulation time, following a rather leaden performance by the Jaguars, who faced the Cayman Islands national team in Belmopan on Wednesday, is a disappointing finish. The home game, by all reasonable expectations, should have been a victory for Belize. Instead, the second of a two-game series will now be played away on Sunday, the odds seemingly stacked against the Jaguars to score the goals needed to advance in the remaining qualifying matches.
Abijah Rivers
Abijah Rivers, Defense, Cayman Islands Nat’l Team
“This is actually our first official game in about four years and the team is pretty young. We came to Belize with a respect for the Belize team, we know you guys are really capable of a high level so we set out to get a win. The game ended up zero-zero so we’ll take that home.”
Despite an extremely good job at defending the goal and maintaining possession of the ball more often than not, there were many squandered opportunities to score on the visiting team, beginning with a penalty in the opening minutes of play.
Elroy Smith
Elroy Smith, Defense, Belize Jaguars
“Everybody deh out ya soh di think cause we haffi keep wih head high. Well me personally haffi keep my head high because, you know, I neva really had wahn, I cyaan seh ah had wahn hundred percent game. Missing da penalty deh really hurt me, still di hurt me, you know. So I haffu like apologize to di nation, family and friends weh mi di watch, you know, weh had da faith eena me. I haffu apologize. But I still have strong faith that di team, afta di game weh we play tonight, I feel like di team, we could do it da Cayman, I have no doubt ah that.”
The unsatisfactory outcome, in the face of bold predictions from FFB President Ruperto Vicente, begs the question of Deon McCauley’s conspicuous absence from the pitch. Whether or not he would have made a difference on the field is conjecture, the overwhelming sentiment being that Belize would have won the match. Midfielder, Kafu Roches, after the game.
Harrison ‘Kafu’ Roches
Harrison ‘Kafu’ Roches, Midfield, Belize Jaguars
“Wi mih di try wi best but unfortunately wi neva did touch di net. But we noh give up, we got fu we shoulders up, we gwein out deh soh with hands and heart again and try do it accurately. Hopefully we get weh we want, weh wi di look forward fa, fu di goals dehn and mek Belize proud noh.”
On the other end of the field, Cayman was off to a sluggish start and, according to Abijah Rivers, only came alive after the failed penalty attempt.
Abijah Rivers
“The team was just asleep for the first maybe fifteen to twenty minutes. It took us a while to get into the game. I think a penalty saved by Ramon Sealy, he’s the vice captain of the team, really ignited the fire in the players and kind of woke us up a bit. After that we started to get a feel for the game and we got into the game.”
The glimmer of hope here is that the team is transitioning in its composition to include younger players in its matches.
Harrison ‘Kafu’ Roches
“Da decision deh soh fu bring een di youths dehn that da mi wahn wonderful decision di coaches dehn mek. Da bout time, you know, fu have this kinda combination with di kinda good veteran weh wih have bout because I know that eena di future wih might have betta if we staat develop di youth dehn from now on so that eena di near future dah dehn be di leaders, you know.”
The Jaguars will be traveling to the Cayman Islands for game two of the series. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.
The Jaguars leave on Friday morning to take on the Cayman team on Sunday.
