Llagulei takes Regent Cup Championship 2008
Good evening, I’m James Adderley and you’re playing catch up on Sports Monday.
The flags of FIFA and this beautiful Belize gave testimony to the high circumstances yesterday as the Belize League presented final championship match for the 2008 Regent Cup title, inside the Ricalde Stadium as Nizhee Corozal hosted Llagulei of Dangriga who came in with a one goal lead in this two game series. Pumped up by the roar of adoring fans, Corozal looks to strike first blood as Clifton West dances his way through traffic to unleash this left foot that demands a spectacular save from goalkeeper Kevin Dawson. It’s another moment of danger for the Griga keeper when Sergio Villanueva grinds this pill into the danger zone only to create excitement. In the meantime, this set piece provides the perfect opportunity for Kenny Canul to open the scoreboard; instead he fouls the keeper. Now keep your eyes to the right of your screen as Allan Flores prepares to trigger the spot kick when an actual stone is hurled at him by a fan in the stands. Tell me; is this total disrespect for the sport or just another hate crime? The Corozal Football Association should be held accountable. But there’s no stopping the show and indeed it’s the host team on the move as Victor Morales picks out Sergio Villanueva who gives Nizhee the lead with a bouncing header twenty-nine minutes in, tying the series at one goal apiece. The response of the visitors is quick and effective, poor defense gives an easy possession to Lisbey Castillo whose half turn unleashes a left that lands in the goal and Llagulei takes a 3-1 lead because of the away goal rule in effect. As we go to the break here’s what a late whistle will do for you—it causes unnecessary heat—because there’s no doubt the keeper had been fouled.
Hey folks, in the early moment of the second half Sergio Villanueva thinks he has earned a penalty kick against Everal Trapp but the referee rules Trapp reached the ball first. Meanwhile, this drop into the danger zone gives Corozal another chance at goal but it doesn’t happen. Corozal needs goals now, so Sergio Villanueva launches this acrobatic header that is only foiled by proper defensive positioning from the opposition. People the Nizhee team needed just little better communication between Villanueva and Kenny Canul and they would have gotten one back. Corozal gets a break when Gilbert Swaso takes down Canul inside the eighteen. The call is easy to make and the referee rules penalty. Antonio Castillo steps up, Dawson is beaten and the aggregate score is now 3-2, still in favor of the team from Dangriga. For sure Corozal needs another goal to force overtime and could have gotten it here except the ball is launched into orbit. In fact the equalizer should have come from this look late in the ballgame. Again, it’s just another high riser. On this press by the home team, Kevin Dawson is asked to give up his body for the good of the team and he does so willingly. And of course, the long whistle brings the 2008 Regent Cup title to Llagulei of Dangriga and we say congratulations.
Player, Llagulei
“I’m pretty well and really fine because all the things that I went through and all the process and all the things that they tried to do me, we got it done man because we’re showing the country that we are the best and we always will be the best. We want mek dehn know dat once yoh play gainst Griga yoh have to come good. We are di number one all di time.”
We also want to say kudos to Oliver Hendricks of Juventus who came up with the most goals this season, regular season MVP honours went to Vallan Simms of FC Belize, Best Forward Dean Flowers of Juventus and Kareem Haylock of Llagulei proved to be the best midfield in 2008, best defense went to Vallan Simms, Best Goalkeeper Stanley Reneau of FC Belize, Best Rookie Raphael Rivero of Nizhee, Lionel Welch of FC Belize has been voted best manager, best coach Anthony Bernard of FC Belize and MVP of the playoffs Lisbey Castillo of Llagulei. So lets do it again next year boys.
Checking in on the Super League over the weekend, Texmar Boys crushed Cayo South 3-zip, Barrio Fino and Lucky Strike settled for a 2-2 stalemate, San Felipe Barcelona doubled Lake-Collet Survivors 2-1 and Valley Renaissance stopped Tsunami 6-nothing.
In other football news, results from the Yabra Development Tournament shows that in under thirteen play over the weekend Brown Bombers blanked Vianney Primary School 5-zip, St. Johns Primary edged Jah Love 1-nil and then Brown Bombers pelted Jah Love 10-1.
Turning to the basketball scene, in Maxi Basketball play yesterday at the City Center Old Technical Rebels blasted O.W. Running Rebels 61-52, Belmopan beat Maria Chang 50-41, Classic Purex routed Old Cemetery 79-65 and the Defending Champion Alberts continued its unbeaten run with a 66-45 big W over B.W.S. Bulls. Alberts and Old Technical are on top of this league with perfect six and O records. Old Cemetery has won three and lost three, Classic Purex is three and two, both Bulls and O.W. Eagles have won two and lost four apiece, Belmopan has one win in five tries while Maria Chang is winless at O and six. In action this Sunday December fourteenth, B.W.S. takes on Belmopan, Maria Chang takes aim at Classic Purex, Old Cemetery hooks up with O.W. Running Rebels and in the nightcap it’s a battle of the undefeated when Alberts confronts Old Technical Rebels and if you are a fan of Belizean basketball you won’t want to miss this clash.
In cycling news, we’re at the start of the twelfth annual Alpheus Williams Classic inside the capital city Belmopan where some fifty riders have suited up for the fifty mile run. Some twenty miles into the event this six man unit that includes Gregg Lovell, Byron Pope, Hernan Ochaeta and Darnell Barrow, has established a respectable lead. At Hattieville the lead crew is reduced to five as they streak to the big finish in front of Leslie’s Imports. Folks, can you believe we missed the finish due to technical problems? But at the post-race awards we find Gregory Lovell of Santino’s in the winning circle for winning the Elite Class in a time of one hour, fifty minutes and nine seconds, Darnell Barrow took second, Byron Pope third, Mateo Cruz fourth, while Marlon Castillo rounds out the top five.
On the female side, Telemedia’s Alicia Thompson took top honours in that event while in the junior class Austin Armstrong of Vega Crystal Cycling Team emerged the winner, Michael Jones second, while Daniel Choto rounds out the top three.
In other cycling news, Colonel George Lovell took Saturday’s Santino race through the Boom circuit as Steve Bisset finished second while Omar Guerra rounds out the top three. More Santino’s races are scheduled for the thirteenth and twentieth of December so stay tuned as these old boys get their grove back.
Finally folks, in chess news, the newly formed Chess Association invites the general public to its first district family Chess Day scheduled for Sunday fourteenth December at the Memorial Park. It begins at nine p.m. and goes all the way until four p.m. Hey it’s the place to be if you want to learn to play chess.
That’s it for us now though. We invite you back same time, same place. Jah over all, I’m James Adderley.
