Juvetus tops Yabra in sudden death
Good evening I’m James Adderley and this is Sports Monday. Obviously you’ve seen Janelle Chanona’s news report on the melee at the M.C.C. Grounds yesterday. Kulture Yabra fans erupted after the referee awarded a game winning penalty to the visiting Fabro’s Juventus Stars in week 5 of the Regent’s Cup playoffs. Before all this happened of course–there was an exciting ballgame in session.
Savour this image in your mind as referee David Jones leads the two camps on to the pitch–flanked by his two assistants. So let the hostilities begin.
After being unable to defeat the Orange Walk team all season long, the defending champion from Belize City looks for the lead early on this diving header from Landi Pinelo.
For Jarbi Alvarez, today is not a good day as this tackle from Freddie Tun takes him out of today’s action. Nevertheless, it’s Juventus taking the early lead when Shane Moody bats out this right foot punch from Freddie Tun to Rudolph Flowers, whose diving header crashed into the net for the 1-zip O.W. lead.
Even before Yabra can recover, Elroy Kuylen deals to Rudolph Flowers and just like that the Fabro’s team takes a huge 2-zip lead just fifteen minutes in.
They say when the going gets rough the tough gets going–and indeed Landi Pinelo should have done better with this scoring opportunity. Even the put back from Yabra does not achieve the required results.
With his back to the goal, Oliver Hendricks tries the trick shot. Only to see it crash against the far upright creating excitement, but recording no goal.
Rudolph Flowers reminds Yabra how dangerous he is when he launches this potent left foot that sails over the crossbar. However, when Landi Pinelo fires this bullet in traffic, Geovanni Rodriguez pushes to Oliver Hendricks and the left foot scores just in time to take to the locker room.
Out of intermission Juventus strikes first with this left foot from Rudolph Flowers, but Shane Moody comes up with the save.
At the other end, Hendricks sets table for Roberto Muschamp and guess what–Muschamp delivers with the left foot and we have a tied ballgame at two apiece.
It’s getting late now, so Yabra looks to steal the victory when Freddie smashes the ball against the crossbar.
The rebound somehow ends up in front of Roberto Muschamp and his launch also ricochets off the crossbar. A last attempt perchance to grab the victory for Yabra is squandered here by Landi Pinelo.
And at the end of regulation we have a 2-2 stalemate.
So here comes overtime, and its only five minutes in when controversy strikes. Juventus has the corner kick, we slow down the picture for you at home to make the call. Watch Oliver Hendricks’ his left hand makes contact with the ball, referee Jones rules penalty in sudden death overtime, a very, very hated call inside Belize City.
Despite numerous protestations from the Yabra team Elroy Smith steps up and converts. Immediately, the referee runs for cover from the security forces sensing danger. And then, all hell breaks loose. We will just have to wait and see how this particular incident plays out.
Meanwhile, in other Regents Cup playoff match over the weekend, Builder’s Hardware Bandits burned Griga United in a 1-zip scorcher at Dangriga yesterday. That goal came from Jair Perera.
Thus with one schedule remaining in this football playoff, three teams shows nine points apiece, namely Kulture Yabra, Builder’s Bandits and Juventus Stars. Incidentally Kulture Yabra is already assured of a playoff berth. It’s a wild mathematical chance that they could be left out of the playoffs.
This Sunday Yabra ends this round of the playoffs at the M.C.C. Grounds against Griga United, while the Bandits travel up north to the People’s Stadium for a date with Juventus.
So we do still have a lot of football play to look forward to Belize fans. And of course, we are going to be keeping an eye on how the different football associations handle this particular incident. We think certainly that it must be looked into, and looked into carefully from all angles. For the good of the sport, the community must come together in this particular time. That’s it for now, we thank our cameramen for their great work over the weekend, Jah over all, I’m James Adderley.
