El Salvador wins Under-16 football championship
James Adderley, Reporting
Good evening, I’m James Adderley and we welcome you to this delivery of Sports Monday. The 2007 Central American Football Tournament saw Belize for the first time in the role of host to four countries, but this session will mostly be remembered for Team Belize’s dismal performance.
Let’s take you to Belize’s exit game against El Salvador at the M.C.C. Grounds yesterday with the local talent still looking for its first win of the tournament. Very quickly it becomes obvious that it wouldn’t happen today as we’re only ten minutes into the action when number 9 Ricardo Guevara tracks down this pass and smokes the left foot into the far corner for the 1-zip lead at the 11th minute. Five minutes later this push from the right side allows Guevara to score his second goal of the match for the 2-zip lead. 29 minutes in Edwin Gonzalez of El Salvador looks like a magician as he beats the defence to displace the keeper, and the visitors are up 3-nil. On this press, Team Belize escapes when the Salvadorians striker simply misses the target from point-blank range. And at the half Belize is down by three goals and has yet to get a shot at goal in this outing. In the meantime, second half brings the same pressure on the Belizean unit and it’s the far upright that keeps the lead from immediately increasing. I’ll just have to go on record saying people, ‘this looks much too easy’ as Jose Rodriguez gives Salvador a 4-zip lead four minutes into 2nd half. Our team finally displays some potency when this shot from out of the midfield forces the Salvadorian keeper into a flying save. Make it 5-zip when Jose Portillo handles this pass to unleash a right away bomb that finds the back of the net. A minute later the Belizean keeper mishandles this shot, the rebound reaches Ricardo Guevara who scores his third goal of the match as Salvador hands Belize a nil trashing. This win gives El Salvador the points it needs to capture the 2007 Under 16 Central American Football title, especially after Panama and Costa Rica battle to a scoreless tail way on the under card last night.
El Salvador won 2 and drew 2 for a tournament winning eight points. Both Costa Rica and Panama finished with one win and three draws for six points a piece, but Costa Rica who beat Belize 10—zip takes second place on goal average. Guatemala won 1 drew 1 and lost 2 for 4 points with their only win coming against Belize in a ballgame that saw Belize boast a 2-nil lead at the half but ended up losing 3-2 in regulation. As for Team Belize, the host team, they finished without a win in their tournament, absorbing 24 goals while scoring only 3. To say the least people, this is most disappointing.
Changing gears, let’s check in on the body building scene that saw the Mr.Belize Tournament presented at the Princess Hotel and Casino Saturday night. The Junior B Division finds a head on clash. Jermaine Sheppard gets the nod of the judges over Robert Haulze, making his debut on the big stage of body building. The field is a little more crowded in the Junior class and it certainly brings a lot more competition, but the judges decide that Deon Banner is the winner, forcing Elsworth Tillet into second. Jermaine Sheppard steps up to third place in this class. Now meet the elder statesmen of Belizean Bodybuilding, Rene Gordon and Joseph Obispo. And the big W goes to Rene Gordon. Former star Joseph Obispo reluctantly settles for second place.
Meanwhile folks, three athletes take aim at the Miss Body Figure and give it up for Cristal Mendez who wins it in her very first try. Kayla Myvette was a bit disappointed as she has to settle for second this time around, while Jospehine Gault, she comes in third. So we come to the big event with six contenders looking to grab the Mr. Belize title 2007 edition and there’s no doubt this muscular six is a most competitive bunch. Nevertheless, Deon Danderson makes it 3 straight years atop the body building mountain after being declared Mr. Belize 2007 and we say congratulations.
Roger Sutherland mounted a big challenge against Danderson but has to take the runner spot. And Michael Buckley, he served notice to the big boys that he’s coming by grabbing third place. We say good show to the Belizean bodybuilding community and let’s do it again in a hurry. That’s our show for today, we invite you back same time, same place next week. Jah overall, I’m James Adderley.
