Belize loses football match with Guatemala

The dream for a seed in the upcoming World Cup 2014 has ended for Team Belize following a major loss in an away game played in Guatemala City on Tuesday night.  It was a valiant effort to the bitter end but Guatemala would prevail over our national team to advance in the Class E division.  Belize now faces St. Vincent in its next outing.  News Five’s Isani Cayetano has a wrap up of last night’s game.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

The Belize National Football Selection in its third consecutive bid as a World Cup 2014 qualifier has been on the losing end of its home and away games.  What began as a glimmer of hope after defeating Montserrat in a pre-qualifying series back in July has quickly become a distant dream as Belize has fallen once again to Guatemala in a best of two series.  Team Belize, led by captain Shane Orio, was dealt another crushing loss in Guatemala City on Tuesday night where it was beaten by a score of three goals to one.  Game two which has increased Guatemala’s regional rankings by a current total of nine goals over Belize’s three is expected to advance while the fate of our national boys now hangs in the balance.  Last night’s loss comes on the heels of another at the hands of Grenada during Belize’s home game played in Belmopan last week.  After defeating Grenada at home in the first of two match ups the visiting team rebounded impressively going on to dominate the second game leading to a four/one victory.

In the ninth minute of play Guatemala converted a penalty kick into its first point goal when player number five, sent the ball screaming into the right corner of the net.  And then in the thirty-first minute Belize would equalize the score with a deadly left from Deon McCauley.  While Belize was able to hold its own in the first half, the remainder of the game was completely Guatemala’s as the subsequent goals were scored in the second half.  Team Belize having lost to both Guatemala and Grenada is expected to face St. Vincent in an upcoming home and away series.

In the series Belize won two games against Montserrat and one against Grenada. The team lost twice to Guatemala and once to Grenada.