Kremandala and Hankook Verdes draw in week 1 football
Good evening, I’m James Adderley with this week’s portion of Sports Monday. The RFG Insurance Cup Tournament kicked off the 2005 season over the weekend with a whopping seven ball games spread out across the nation. Here in Belize City, football fans got to see Kremandala open against Hankook Verdes at the M.C.C. Grounds, so let’s find out if this particular match-up lived up to the hype.
The first real attempt at goal comes some fourteen minutes in when Krem’s Peter Mariano tries to hook up with Deon Flowers, but they only come close to scoring. It’s another good looking Krem attack when this centre from off the left side beats the goalkeeper, but the scoreboard remains unimpressed.
The city team continues in its role as protagonist when Emory Nunez sets table for Mark “Kello” Leslie who fails to get the pill past Jaime Brooks.
Hankook Verdes finally gets some offence going when Richard Jimenez serves up this wicked splice to Daniel Jimenez. Unfortunately his brother’s decision remains questionable.
For Krem, Deon Flowers remains on the prowl, but Brooks remains alert.
On the next press, Nunez attacks from the left side, but again Brooks successfully intervenes.
At the other end, Daniel Jimenez mounts this individual effort that culminates with this left foot bomb, but Kevin Dawson is well positioned. At the half it’s a scoreless match.
Folks in second half, Krem attacks immediately off this kick-off when Dennis Serrano centre reaches Trevor Lennan who heads it home. Kill the celebration, unfortunately the linesmen voids the goal and naturally the Krem team is upset.
Emory Nunez then launches this screamer that inches over the crossbar. That certainly would have put Krem on to scoreboard.
The city team insists, so Flowers sets table for Emory Nunez whose left foot shot certainly turns out to be embarrassing. Folks this centre should have produced a goal for the host team, but instead the opportunity is squandered.
There’s no doubt Kremandala dominated this M.C.C. opener, but the visitors, Hankook Verdes, will be happy to go home with the point they earned.
In other results from around the league: Benque Viejo United bombed Cayo Avengers 5-1, Wagiya won over Placencia Pirates 1-zip, Boca edged the San Pedro Seahawks 3-2, Belmopan jolted the defending champion Juventus 1-zip, New Site Erei got the win over Mango Creek in a 3-1 finish, while F.C. Belize and the Calcutta Bulls struggled to a 2-2 stalemate up north.
This weekend’s scheduled finds Kremandala travelling to Benque Viejo United on Saturday. On Sunday, Wagiya will host Cayo Avengers, Hankook Verdes will be at the Norman Broaster against Juventus, and F.C. Belize will host Placencia Pirates at the M.C.C. Grounds. This is all in Group A play.
In Group B, Mango Creek will battle Boca, Belmopan United gets a visit from Calcutta Bulls?these are both Saturday games, while New Site Erei sails to San Pedro on Sunday for a date with the Seahawks.
Turning to the cycling scene, the Tour de Santino for non-elite riders got off on September ninth with a forty-two mile ride from Acroz to Burrell Boom and back.
And we must give you cycling fans a view of what a spill on the unyielding asphalt looks like – fortunately there would be no major injuries to the riders involved.
It’s a beautiful field sprint at the tape when Roque Matus struts his stuff and streaks in to grab the maximum twenty points for the win, forcing Andrew Ordoñez into second and Warren Coye into third.
So we go to stage two, which features a forty-eight mile ride from Belmopan, capital city, to Belize City and here are the riders coming out at capital city. Again it’s a crowded sprint and again Roque Matus looks to seize the moment, only this time he can’t shake Andrew Ordoñez, so they share the sum total of first and second place because of the dead heat. It’s good enough for eighteen points apiece, while Adrian Faux pulls up third.
Meanwhile, the riders are all lined up for the Sunday afternoon start of the final stage, which brought a criterium ride of twenty-five miles. One hour and four minutes later we’re at the finish line, Ricky Waight steps up for the W, Santino “The Chief” hangs on for second place, Leroy “Lyrics” Trapp pulls up third, while Roque Matus’ fourth place finish is certainly good enough for ten points, which puts him over the top to claim the overall win with forty-eight points. Andrew Ordoñez total of forty-one points gives him second place, while Adrian Faux finishes third overall with twenty-four points. We say congratulations guys.
Meanwhile folks, the elite riders did have something to do over the weekend with the presentation of a fifteen-lap criterium ride yesterday. And here is Mateo Cruz fixing himself up to win in uncontested fashion. Ernest Meighan sprints in for second, while Darnell Barrow claims third place.
Hey folks, that’s our show for today. We certainly invite you back same place, same time, next week. Jah over all, I’m James Adderley.
And in one more bit of sports news, this weekend the National Female Basketball Team will be hosting an international competition at the Belize City Centre, facing off with squads out of Merida and Cancun. The action at centre court starts at eight on Friday night with additional games scheduled for Saturday morning at ten and again at eight that night. On Sunday, games start at ten a.m. All are encouraged to go out and support our female athletes.
