Belize Bank Super League heading into playoffs
Good evening, I’m James Adderley with this package of Sports Monday.
Inclement weather prevented Wednesday night’s back match between Valley Renaissance and Barrio Fino Corozal which subsequently forced the postponement of the Belize Bank Super League playoffs openers which had been set to blast off over the weekend. However, Valley Renaissance and Barrio Fino did conclude their regular season back match yesterday inside the Carl Ramos Stadium in what can only be described as a complete rout people. In fact, we’re only into the second minute of this regular season finale when Harrison Tasher beats Kai Zetina to open the scoreboard. Tasher then sets table for his boy Kenroy Arthurs who promptly launches a screaming high riser. On the next press by the host team, Leonard Valdez looks good on this push. Nevertheless, the ball inches outside the far upright. Now let’s rejoin Kenroy Arthurs as he bids for his goal with this move that certainly won’t get it done. In the meantime, Valdez is coming but he’s not brining any goal with him and this press here certainly beats us out as Valdez squanders another one on one look with Zetina. Folks, we have a sighting; it’s the first highlight for Barrio Fino, which comes in the form of a long distance attempt from Hugo Aguilar that doesn’t quite impress the scoreboard. Forty minutes into the ballgame Leonard Valdez decides to go for the assist instead of the goal and he gets the assist when Dwayne Sampson taps in goal number two for the South.
Two minutes after that the resumption of hostilities Barrio Fino breaks through and it comes off this set piece triggered by Jason Hall who looks impressive as he gets Corozal onto the scoreboard to make it a 2-1 score. This brings out a furious response from Valley Renaissance who views their post-season appearance in the balance. Tasher picks out Dwayne Sampson who makes it a 3-1 score. Five minutes later, Sampson catches up with this center off the right ring, he scores the hat trick and the Valley extends to a 4-1 lead. The rout is on when Harrison Tasher beats Zetina and scores into an empty net for his second of the match to make it 5-1 at the sixtieth minute. And then Kenroy Arthurs finally comes in from the cold in his third attempt to get on the scoreboard with this nice individual effort and his previous miscues are all forgotten as he pushes the score to 6-1. Allen McLaughlin then comes off the bench and hooks up with Tasher to make it a 7-1 blow out as Valley Renaissance captures the final in the four team playoffs, forcing Cayo South United to become mere spectators.
Thus the post-season kicks off this Saturday night at the Michael Ashcroft Stadium with the number one seed Texmar Boys hosting Valley Renaissance, the number four seed. That’s Saturday at seven-thirty p.m. On Sunday four p.m. it’s the number two seed, San Felipe Barcelona takes on Kraal Road F.C. at San Felipe Field up north. The playoffs features a double round robin format so look out for the six week schedule. The best two teams move on to the three game championship series.
On the international football scene, Belize is yet to win a match at the Nation’s Cup being hosted by Honduras. On Thursday Honduras, the host team, beat Belize 2-1 and on Saturday we fell to El Salvador 4-1 with the sole goal coming form Jeromy James. This evening at five p.m. Belize goes up against Nicaragua and we must beat Nicaragua to get a pass to the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup since the number five team is allowed to go through this year. In previous time, we could have counted on Belize beating Nicaragua but this time it’s a different story. But win, lose, or draw I’m a Belizean and I know you are too.
In basketball news, the Inter-Office League invites all interested teams to an all important meeting on Wednesday March twenty-seventh at six-thirty p.m. at the Belize City Center.
In other basketball news, the Belize City Council Community Basketball Marathon for under seventeen and under fifteen players is set for Sunday, first February, ten a.m. at the Yabra Basketball Court. Bring your team out to participate and help the youth to develop.
Gregory Lovell of Santino’s took Saturday’s fifty mile Association race on the Northern Highway in two hours, four minutes, fifty-nine seconds forcing teammate Darnell Barrow in second and Byron Pope of Megabytes rounds out the top three. Checking the Santino’s race for the elder statesmen of the sport shows that Leroy Cassasola of Santino’s took the ride in two hours, thirty-five minutes beating out Sherwin Latchman and Glen O’Brien in that order.
Finally, in cricket news, the Belize Rural Cricket Association concluded its semi-final round on Saturday. Double Head Excellence easily sent Wicked Eleven packing with 118 runs to 65 on twenty-seven runs from Sidney Martinez who also struck for five wickets.
In the other match up Crooked Tree Brilliant outlasted Lemonal Surprise 198-111 as S. Westby and R Tillett combine for forty-nine runs. Folks, we gotta tell you that as a result Double Head Excellence goes up against Crooked Tree Brilliant in a three game series for the 2009 Belize Rural Cricket Association title. Hey, it’s gonna be big so stay tuned.
That’s it for now though. We invite you back same time, same place, next week. Jah over all, I’m James Adderley.
And word from Honduras is that the game between Belize and Nicaragua at the Estadio Nacional Tiburcio Carias Andino ended with Belize’s Byron Usher having scored the first and only goal for Belize in the game. This is the third and best game so far for Belize in the UNCAF football tournament, having lost to El Salvador and Honduras. And as we close the game has concluded one-one and Belize did not qualify to continue to the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
