James Adderley with the Weekly Sports Update
James Adderley
Good Evening, I’m James Adderley and this is Sports Monday.
As the semifinal round of the FFB’s Inter-District Football Tournament reaches its natural conclusion, over the weekend, we headed West, yesterday where World FC hosted Club Athletico inside the Norman Forrester Stadium to close out the home and series after last week’s 1-1 draw at Belmopan. Immediately into the ballgame, the home team looks for the early goal when Cesar Villeda frees up Joel Guzman whose right foot grass head burner rolls outside the upright. We’re some 12 minutes in when Carlos Vasquez triggers this spotlight at goal—goalkeeper, Orlando Galdamez makes the initial stop—Elliott Bermudez send it back into the danger zone and connects with Vasquez who gives World FC the 1-zip lead. Just 2 minutes later, Joel Guzman gets another chance to aim at the far post and this time the ball dangles in the net to make it a 2-zip World FC lead.
It’s all World FC when Carlos Vasquez looks for his 2nd goal of the match but this time is denied by Galdamez. In the next press, Vasquez gets a foot on this ball that should have been handled by Galdamez but the mud and water in front of the goalmouth, prevents it from scoring—Mike Chavez is the first to react—he complicates the situation and gets away with it. Folks it looks like a rout when Elliott Bermudez outruns the Athletico defense and finds the rear corner to make it a 3-zip score in favor of World FC. In the meantime, goalkeeper Galdamez continues to live dangerously when he fails to come up with ball and somehow gets away with two legit scoring attempts that bounce off the rear post. So Club Athletico gets busy as David Madrid mounts this foray into the box. He beats the keeper but gets taken down inside the eighteen for the which the referee rules penalty. Melvin Barrientos steps up for the Belmopan Team and pulls one back with a nice looking penalty conversion and at the half World FC leads 3-1.
We’re in early 2nd half action when Julian Maldonado picks up this loose ball that niche outside the stick. Some 7 minutes later, Club Athletico goes for goal off the set piece and indeed this left foot launch is a beautiful spot kick you’ll want to see as it bounces off both uprights to make it a 3-2 score, thanks to the delivery by Edel Diaz fresh off the bench. Diaz then gets this chance to the ballgame at 3 apiece but the left foot fails to get past the keeper. This wakes up the home team so Vasquez launches this long distance floater that bounces off the crossbar—the ball rebounds to Miguel Aguilar and World FC takes a 4-2 lead. Meanwhile, Sean Mas has an open look from pointblank range to make it 4-3, but is let down by a feeble left foot. The visitors then seal their demise when Joseph Waight is taken down inside the goal by Mike Chavez and the penalty call is automatic. It’s Miguel Aguilar who steps up and calmly pushes the pill past Galdamez for his 2nd goal of the match as World FC goes on to post the 5-2 big W.
They win 6-3 an aggregate and are into the 2nd game championship series. They’ll be facing Libertadores of Corozal who held mavericks to a 2-2 draw at Punta Gorda on Sunday to win the series with a 4-2 aggregate. Thus game 1 of the FFB Inter-District finals between World FC and Libertadores is set for December 5th at the Ricalde Stadium in Corozal.
In other football news, Sports Monday mourns the passing of Thomas Suazo—a Dangriga footballer who was recently called up to the National A-team of Belize. He had played on the Under-17 and Under-20 National Team and condolences goes out to his family and friends.
Turning to the Cycling Scene, former Cross Coutnry Champion, Collet Maheia presented a cycle race to celebrate his birthday over the weekend. At the Elite Class, Glen O’Brien of Zamia took the win in 1 hour 51 minutes 19 seconds with Mike Lewis 2nd and Brandon Cattouse 3rd in a race that saw 32 start and 13 finish. While in the Master Class, Ernest Meighan of Santino’s took the 44 Mile ride in 1 hour 56 minutes 48 seconds from a 3 man sprint with Warren Coye and Robert Stewart finishing 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
Finally folks, the 14th Alpheus Williams HIV/AIDS Cycling Classic is set for Sunday December 5th and will run Capital City Belmopan to Leslie Imports outside Belize City on the Western Highway. It is gonna be a monster so don’t miss it. Gregg Lovell goes in as defending champion on the Elite Class. Daniel Choto the Junior Champ and Shalini Zabaneh, the defending female champ.
Jah Overall, I’m James Adderley.
