James Adderley has sports

Good evening, I’m James Adderley and you’re right on time for a fresh portion of Sports Monday. National Football Championship Juventus of Orange Walk kicked off the annual CONCACAF Football Championship yesterday at the People’s Stadium against the Honduran sub-champion Montagua of Honduras.

And of course for an international match of this magnitude official niceties must be observed so we take this opportunity to take a quick look at the Juventus starters.

Folks we’re only eight minutes in when the Hondurans get a clear shot at goal but Charlie Slusher is on top of things today. Juventus responds immediately with a feed from Freddie Tun but Oliver Hendricks launches a shot high over the crossbar. Belizeans erupt when Oliver Hendricks smashes a pass from brother Christopher into the net but the referee from Nicaragua overrules with an offside whistle and we’re not so sure. A nice individual effort by #13 of Montagua was meant to surprise Charlie Slusher but not today people and at the half neither team has impressed the scoreboard.

In second half, the action intensifies and it’s the visitors on the move early failing on 2 scoring opportunities thanks to an alert Charlie Slusher in goal. Montagua stays on the attack and press left side for a shot that bounces off Charlie’s chest but in a harmless manner. Talk about looking a gift horse in the mouth people, Christopher finds Oliver in front of the goal only to see him misplay what should have been a goal. It’s more Juventus when Esteban Hall tries to set table for Christopher Hendricks but the Honduran keeper kills the play with a karate move.

By the way Oliver, this is the wrong time to lose your footing but ce’st la vie. Meanwhile an outside shot presents major problems for Charlie Slusher who dodges a penalty call but we’ll take it. The Hondurans get a shot at an open goal when Slusher pushes the ball to a free opponent but his attempt to score is voided by the nice positioning of the very impressive Pablo Madrid. And at the end of 90, it’s a nil-nil final score which means both teams wind up with a point a piece.

Charlie Slusher

“We have been out of CONCACAF playing for a long while and this game is like a prime up for us and I’m glad that we at least didn’t lose at home because we’re trying to establish something that we started a couple years ago to gain respect at least on our home turf. And I’m glad about the results of the game.”

J.A.

“For a second week in a row we see Juventus not being able to come up with goals that should be scored.”

Freddie Tun

“In all the local competition games that we’ve played like how the people saw today, we had a lot of opportunities but we just can’t capitalize. I think that is the biggest mistake that Juventus is making right now.”

Q: “What kind of tightening up could we do before we go into Guatemala on Wednesday?”

Freddie Tun

“I think we need to workout a bit more in the midfield; the defense. The defense is playing excellent; the forward need to capitalize and I think if we fix up in those little things there I think we will perform good in Guatemala.”

Meanwhile folks our other CONCACAF team Acros of Belize City fell 1-zip to Club Deportivo Walter Perretti at Nicaragua yesterday. On Sunday Acros will be at M.C.C. Grounds against Alajuela of Costa Rica while on Wednesday Juventus will be at Guatemala against Communicaciones.

In B.F.L. football news, La Victoria handed Belmopan Bandits a 5-2 blast Saturday night to arrive at the finals of this competition against Juventus.

Tuning to the cycling scene, we just want to show you the kind of excitement yesterday’s mountain bike race attracted but more importantly we want to show you “Popular Fat Boy,” proprietor of Spain’s Vegetable Center who sponsors these events. Thank you Mr. Man.

In the meanwhile forget the name brand riders – the top 5 finishers looking like this: Edward Zelaya grabbed the “W”, 2. Steven Welch, 3. Fenton James, 4. Patrick Herbert, 5. Alton Mossiah.

In volleyball news, Saturday’s Division II results from opening day looks like this:

In female play Lady’s Scorpions 25-16, 25-25 against S.J.C. Sixth Form. On the male side, Grupo Taca rallied past Seidy’s Rookies 25-10, 25-20. S.J.C. Sagitun knocked off B.D.F. 25,14, 25-23. Scorpions jumped over Mirab 25-23, 25-22 and Advanced Advertising did it to Mirab Kenmore 25-23, 22-25, 15-8.

Hey folks that’s it. We invite you back same time, same place next week. Jah over all. I’m James Adderley.