American takes Krem New Year?s Cycling Classic
Good evening, I?m James Adderley and we feel privileged to have you aboard for this New Year?s issue of the ride we call Sports Monday. Of course we?ve got to start by wishing all Belizean the very best in the year 2006 and our hope remains that good will overcome evil.
In the meantime, let?s head out to M.C.C. Grounds where Kremandala is making its final stand yesterday evening against the red hot New Site Erei of Dangriga. It?s a ballgame the Krem team must win to remain alive in the hunt for this year?s B.P.F.L. semi-pro football title after having lost game one of the series in a 1-zip affair down south in Dangriga.
However, it?s the visitors who immediately jump into the role of protagonist with this wicked left foot from Ryan Simpson that forces Geovany Rodriguez in Krem goal to work real hard for the money.
The visitors back it up with this professional delivery from Lennox Castillo, and maybe Harrison Roaches should have made the assist an accomplishment.
Now, will the Dangriga keeper please wake up! Woodrow West does, but he certainly didn?t rise looking very full of confidence. Gentlemen please, the fans paid for football not fisticuffs, for which Deon Flowers gets yellow.
Kremandala then gets this look at goal, but the McCauley to McCauley combination produces a high riser.
At the other end, Deon Frazier feeds Harrison ?Kafu? Roaches whose brilliant bicycle kick is negated by the sternness of the crossbar.
Nevertheless, Kremandala can steal the lead on trip; Mark Leslie sets it up for David ?Manu? McCauley only to see West of Dangriga play big in goal.
Oh, you?re asking about Norman ?Tilliman? Nunez ? today he is playmaker in the middle and Ryan Simpson might have been too nonchalant to move the scoreboard.
Geovany Rodriguez, meet Norman ?Tilliman? Nunez from long distance and the keeper does stand his ground, but allows the ball to get away, Kafu controls, he finds the streaking Ryan Simpson and New Site Erei of Dangriga leads 1-zip twenty-seven minutes into this ballgame at the M.C.C. Grounds.
Now keep your eyes on this play people. Jacinto Bermudez goes extremely physical in defending his keeper, so much so on Deon Frazier that the referee rules penalty.
New Site sends for Mr. Smith with Michael Jordan?s number, but he misses the freebie unlike Michael Jordan.
Meanwhile folks, the playoff pressure is fully displayed in this clash between Deon Flowers and Aaron Nolberto and as we always say, boys will be boys will be boys.
So it?s a 1-zip score we take into second half and David McCauley Junior tries to equalise from long distance, but West passes the test.
Krem keeps on the pressure with this left foot launch from Deon Flowers, but West keeps it out of the goal.
On this possession, Dangriga goes for the long distance missile, but Darwin Castillo?s launch sizzles outside the goal mouth.
People, we must give maximum respect to Deon Flowers? performance in the particular ballgame, but on this effort, he?s again denied by a big time save from West.
New Site Erei goes on to post the 1-zip big W and Kremandala now exits the playoffs. I guess it?s time for golf.
In other matches around the league, BOCA bombed Wagiya 2-zip on Saturday sending Wagiya into an early vacation. Mango Creek beat F.C. Belize 1-zip, but lose the two games 3-1 on goal aggregate, so it?s the city team that moves on. And while Hankook Verdes pummelled San Pedro Seahawks 3-zip on Sunday, the islanders nevertheless move on with a 6-4 goal aggregate.
Thus on January eighth the semi-final round of the RFG Cup begins. BOCA will host the Seahawks Sunday at one p.m. inside the Michael Ashcroft Stadium, while F.C. Belize travels to the Carl Ramos Stadium in Dangriga for a 4:30 p.m. date Sunday with New Site Erei.
Turning to the cycling scene, we were privy to capture the finish of the Krem Cycle race on New Year?s Day. Coming to the finish, the elite division features a two man duel. American Scotty Weiss riding for Guinness Seahawks apparently recovering enough to edge Santino?s Marlon Castillo at the tape. He gets big W in four hours, nineteen minutes, fourteen seconds. We are repeating in slow-motion so you can arrive at your own conclusion in this particular confrontation.
Two-time cross country champion Chris Harkey rolls in uncontested for third place. Jeffrey Zelaya of Megabytes takes fourth, and then Jose Choto beats out Roger Troyer, Hugo Rostrain, and David Colangi in that order to round the top five finishers.
On the ladies side, Alicia Thompson steps up big to win a seven-woman sprint in this fifty-five mile female race in a time of three hours, thirty-eight minutes, fifty-one seconds. She beats out Marinet Flowers who has to settle for second, Gabrielle Lovell takes third, Gina Lovell fourth, while Shalini Zabaneh rounds out the top five.
Alicia Thompson, Winner, Female Division
?I feel good. I did this for Stans Bowman, okay. He made our schedule and he picked the race that we were supposed to win and I did it. I didn?t see Marinet cross that tape before me like last year, so I said, good, and I wanted to raise my hand. Mr. Bowman always says, at the end of the race once you have won, you throw yourself on the ground and just wait for the ambulance, so I did that.?
In the junior ranks, it was Peter Choto rolling in unchallenged for top honours in two hours, forty-seven minutes, forty-six seconds for fifty-five miles. Elston Coleman picks up second. Now here?s the sprint for third place. Holly Vasquez prevails over Geovany Choto and Byron Pope who finish fourth and fifth respectively.
Meanwhile, the next major cycling event is the M and M Nine Stage Tour set for February fourth to the twelfth. Of course Channel 5 and Sports Monday will keep you posted. Again Belize, we wish you the very best in the year 2006. That?s it for now. Jah over all, I?m James Adderley.
