James Adderley has weekend sports
Good evening, I’m James Adderley and we’re glad you could join us for this portion of Sports Monday.
The B.P.F.L. rolled out its opening schedule in the 2008 RF&G playoffs over the weekend and despite inclement weather nationwide, all eight teams in the post season saw action. We’re inside the M.C.C. Grounds for yesterday’s clash between the number one seed F.C. Belize and Benque D.C. United who comes in bursting with ambition today. Nevertheless, it’s the host team probing early with this ground ball delivery that forces Jeromy James to foul goalkeeper Luna. James then displays this nice first touch in traffic to launch a left foot successfully smothered by the keeper William Luna. At the other end Elias Donaire gets a look at goal only to be victimized by an inadequate first touch. On the next F.C. offensive push Cristobal Gilharry launches this power shot that he certainly would have wanted to reset. When Gilharry serves up this beauty to Byron Usher, it sets F.C. Belize up for the 1-zip lead but the Benque defense hangs on tight. We’re twenty-nine minutes in when Donaire finds Habib Cano who picks out Miguel Aguilar and Alden Augustine is beaten as Benque takes a 1-zip lead. Stunned, F.C. Belize tries to recover immediately on this play but Benque defense man Allan Ponce slams the door shut. Off the ensuing corner kick, Benque again displays determined defense to keep the scoreboard unchanged. In the meantime, this effort that culminates with this dangerous back to the goal shot from Miguel Aguilar forces Augustine to come up big and he does. At the forty-second minute of the ballgame this quick left foot splice from Jeromy James is misplaced by Luna. The attempted clearance rebounds off Smart Omoruyi and we have a tied ballgame at one apiece.
In second half play Benque uses this set piece for offense but good goalkeeping from Augustine keeps the score tied. Downfield, Byron Usher of F.C. Belize launches this individual effort but Luna would not allow him to break the tie on this trip. Meanwhile, folks it’s only desperate defending that prevents F.C. from breaking the tie on this press. Edon Rawley then fires this bouncer that is collected by William Luna. F.C. Belize keeps the pressure on with this corner kick but again Luna handles the situation. Folks, it’s F.C. Belize in the ascendency at this juncture but both Usher and James fail to impress the scoreboard on this push for goal. F.C. Belize keeps searching when Vallan Symms tries to pick out James as Luna intervenes nicely. Vallan Symms then decides to hook up with John Smith at the eightieth minute and this header breaks the tie. It’s a thing of beauty. F.C. Belize would hand on to the 2-1 big W in the first of this home and away series with Benque D.C.
In other results from week one of the RF&G playoffs Nizhee Corozal jerked Georgetown Ibayani 2-zip, Suga Boys Juventus ambushed the Belize Defence Force 4-2 and Llagulei sank San Pedro 2-1. Thus, in week two of the playoffs F.C. Belize travels to Benque D.C. in a bid to close out the series this Sunday, nineteenth October. Nizhee Corozal travels to Georgetown Ibayani and they’re in the driver’s seat. Suga Boys Juventus looks poised to eliminate the B.D.F. at the People’s Stadium this Sunday while Llagulei sails to San Pedro with a one goal lead. Of course, by Sunday only four teams will remain standing.
Over in the Super League, this weekend Texmar Boys blew out Tsunami 4-1, Lake-Collet Survivors clubbed Cayo South 5-2, Lucky Strike beat Western Rebels 2-1, Barrio Fino and Kraal Road settled for a scoreless draw, while San Felipe Barcelona and Valley Renaissance battled to a 1-1 stalemate. The standings after week seven finds Texmar Boys atop the standings with fifteen points, San Felipe has thirteen, so does Barrio Fino, Valley Renaissance twelve, Kraal Road ten, Cayo South eight, Lake Collet six, while both Western Rebels and Lucky Strike show three apiece at this time. Week eight brings us to the half way mark of regular season play in the Super League. On Saturday Valley Renaissance will host Lucky Strike, Lake-Collet gets a visit from Tsunami, Cayo South will hold fort inside Belmopan against Barrio Fino and Western Rebels journey to Texmar Boys inside the Michael Ashcroft Stadium. On Sunday Kraal Road takes on San Felipe Barcelona at the People’s Stadium.
In karate news, the Belize Shotokan Karate Federation did well in the World Shotocup at Toronto, Canada which concluded after five days on thirteenth October. Rhiki Alegria grabbed gold and silver in Kata and Kumite for eight to nine year olds. Hanna Diskin took home silver and bronze in the ten to eleven year old class while Luwani Nunez captured bronze in Kumite. The team arrives at eleven-fifteen a.m. tomorrow on American airlines. If you want to go meet them, you certainly have that opportunity.
In cycling news, under twenty-three year old Marlon Castillo, riding unattached, took the elite class of the fourth Annual Bypass Criterium staged yesterday at O.W. winning the sixty mile ride in two hours, twenty-three minutes and fourteen seconds beating out Gregory Lovell of Santino’s by over a minute while teammate Darnell Barrow pulled up third. Nissan Arana of Team Typhoon was the first Orange Walk rider in a time of two hours, twenty-four minutes and thirty-five seconds. Big Mike Lewis took the masters class in that same time. Jairo Campos of Team Typhoon took the forty mile junior ride in one hour, thirty-eight minutes while Riis Cattouse won the five mile tinymites ride.
Finally folks, on the cycling calendar Sunday, nineteenth October brings up the second annual Dr. Rosado Classic at Ranchito Village, Corozal. You certainly won’t want to miss it.
That’s it for now though. We invite you back same time, same place, next week. Jah over all, I’m James Adderley.
