Sagitun is king of football

Good evening I’m James Adderly and welcome to another ride on Sports Monday. Game 3 of the Regent Millennium Cup Championship staged at the MCC Grounds yesterday, turned out to be an event instead of just a mere football match.

The biggest crowd in many moons massed at the Barracks for the final showdown between Sagitun and Grigamandala. Congratulations to the BFL, who went the extra mile to create a real prime time atmosphere inside the park for this mighty showdown.

Riding the momentum from last week’s win, Sagitun of Independence roars out of the starting gate – and its Robert Muschamp on the move with the heel pass, but the launch from David Torres is wild. At the other end, Grigamandala’s Francis Arzu creates space for the shot, but the clean tackle from behind by Hilberto Muschamp robs him that opportunity.

On the next possession Sagitun should have gotten on the scoreboard when Cadle feeds Bent Burgess – who gets taken down – Referee Ruperto Vincente rules Alex Savory was going for the ball. Wilhelm Loe then comes up with this loose ball and fires with evil intentions; only he misses the target.

Today Stanley Reneau is being tested more than usual and this time he passes with flying colours when Derys Benavides fires and at the half, we have a scoreless ballgame.

2nd half opens to Bent Burgess on the run from the right side, but a push too far allows Reneau to kill this effort. Grigamandala’s finest moment comes when Danny Diego fires in heavy traffic and only the quick reaction by Darren Hinds keeps the ballgame scoreless.

The stalemate ends 9 minutes in when Stanley Reneau abandons his goal, cannot clear the ball, which is picked up by Bent Burgess, who eludes Reneau and Peter Mariano to chip the ball into an empty net. Grigamandala tries to answer immediately off this corner high, but Mark Leslie’s header is rejected by Darren Hinds at the very last moment. Meanwhile why Stanley Reneau would want to throw his elbow at Robbi Cadle is anybody’s guess – for which a spotkick right on top the 18 is awarded.

You might remember last week’s blast from Hilberto Muschamp – well he strikes again in Game 3 with this curler into the corner, only this time Reneau comes up with a mighty save. Of course if you give Muschamp enough spotkicks, he will score and here catches Reneau, from this spotkick from way outside. Reneau was poorly positioned and this gives Sagitun a commanding 2-zip lead.

It’s a beaten Grigamandala team when Gabriel Ramos gets his name on the scoreboard as Sagitun wins the 2000 BFL title with a 3-zip big W over Grigamandala.

Hilberto Muschamp, Team Captain, Sagitun

“In a 3 game series, the better team always prevails and we proved that today. We went to Dangriga, dominated the first game and couldn’t score; we lost. We went home, we got our act together, we converted 2 goals, and we got the victory. Our focus here was to come out, play the same type of football, try to dominate and most of all try to convert opportunities. We did so with a spotkick call again, this time from a little bit further. A lucky spotkick I may same James, but a lucky spotkick at a very good time.

James Adderly

“Okay, it’s your first BFL football title, how does it feel?”

Hilberto Muschamp

“This is the only thing that has been lacking in my career, I have played in almost all of Belize’s selections. I had one sub-champion with Acros and now this. It’s a wonderful feeling and most of all I won it for home.”

James Adderly

“What does this championship mean to Sagitun and Benedict Lopez?”

Benedict Lopez, Sagitun

“This championship to Sagitun, means a lot because it’s our 2nd season and we know last year we fizzed it. But this year we came out to do it. This championship means a lot to me because I am going to take it back to Europe for my daughter.”

James Adderly

“I must say that it was a breakdown at first, 9 minutes into the 2nd half, when Stanley Reneau gambled and lost.”

Anthony Adderly, Coach, Grigamandala

“Well, I don’t know what went wrong with Stanley Reneau. Those scores are because of Stanley Reneau. The first one, when he came out having already secured the ball, he should have allowed the defense to continue play the ball; he did not, it cost us. The second one, I still don’t know what went wrong, that ball was in his hands. Instead of trying to volley the ball over the goal, he should have taken that ball because he was all alone. But in addition to that, I thought that the officiating…when one of my players were kicked deliberately, a card should have gone up. That didn’t go and the referee kept calling plays. In the 1st half there were 10 fouls against Grigamandala, 5 against Sagitun and Sagitun was the one who was doing the roughing. That’s the way I saw the game.”

James Adderly

“Do you think this Sagitun team was able to expose the weaknesses on the Grigamandala team?”

Anthony Adderly

“I think in the 1st half, they exposed the weakness of Kurl. Kurl is a player that never practices with Grigamandala, but he is a very individual player. But instead of spreading the field, he was coming into the middle and at MCC Grounds, he needed to move the width of the field to draw the Sagitun team out, and I must say that in the 2nd half, he was the one with the first opportunity at scoring and it just didn’t work out for us today.”

Meanwhile, folks, immediately after the ballgame yesterday, the awards were made official and Nelson Moss was voted Most Valuable Player, he hails from Grigamandala. Raul Celiz of Sagitun Best Midfield. Best Forward Bent Burgess of Sagitun, Best Defense Hilberto Muschamp of Sagitun, Best Goalkeeper Stanley Reneau of Grigamandala, Rookie of the Year Vallan Symms of Kulture Yabra, Coach of the Year, Anthony Adderly of Grigamandala, Referee of the Year Ruperto Vincente, the Manager of the Year, Tony Zabaneh of Sagitun. We want to give these award winners our personal congratulations.

Turning to the volleyball scene, the Belize Volleyball Association season at the City Centre, on Saturday, saw John 3:16 take down Bowen’s “Lighthouse Lager” 25-07, 25-15, Orange Walk’s “Music Centre” got past Christ Crusaders 25-19, 25-19. Continental “Flyers” downed BTL, 25-17, 25-17. That’s in firms play.

In male division, Acros “Scorpions” stinging AMS “Jaguars” 15-25, 25-19, 25-21, 24-26. Mirab beat up on Corozal’s “Kardims”…actually, the Kardims couldn’t find the City Centre, Mirab won by default.

Channel 5 is looking for a reporter to join the staff of one of the region’s most highly honoured television news organizations.

Please bring a resume with two letters of recommendation to 17 Regent Street, Belize City or via email to gbtv@btl.net.