Juventus takes Regent’s Cup in muddy final
Good evening, I?m James Adderley with this week?s serving of Sports Monday. Game two of the Regent?s Cup three-game championship series between Juventus of Orange Walk and defending champion Sagitun moved to Independence Saturday night.
As you look at your picture we must inform you that this is not a weather update, but the actual conditions prevailing before kick off time. Big question people, would you allow your team to play under these conditions?
We must give referee Williams some respect for testing the pitch before game time, but his decision to play a championship match under these particular conditions might be questionable. Of course, we must inform you that there was a consultative process and both camps agreed to go ahead.
The very first offensive press of this ballgame demonstrates the very adverse conditions inside the Michael Ashcroft Stadium.
For certain folks, Juventus looks threatening right here, but the degree of difficulty today are causing major problems for the players.
Check this sequence out: Juventus gets two half a chance and a chance at the Sagitun goal and we?re certain Derys Benavides with the last touch should have moved the scoreboard.
Folks, our most humble apologies. We went to wipe our lens so we have no picture of Christopher Hendricks? twenty-eighth minute goal. But we do catch the big celebration.
Sagitun now finds themselves in deep water, having lost game one and they mount this offence, which is eventually drowned out by the H20 content.
Meanwhile, at the other end Derys Benavides gets another look at goal, but his launch is smothered by the diving Darren Hinds.
On the very next play, Darren Hinds misplays the ball but gets an unconditional pardon from Oliver Hendricks. At the half Sugar City is up 1-zip.
So we go back to the soggy saga of this soccer showdown in second half and now there?s a sense of urgency on the Sagitun ball club as they launch an all out offensive.
Folks, Elroy Kuylen should have come up with the equalizer on this press, but might have tarried a millisecond too long.
In the meantime, when this centre is launched into the danger zone, Hilberto Muschamp gets taken down inside the eighteen and Referee Williams rules penalty. It draws a howl of protest from the O.W. team, but the referee stands firm, issuing out a couple yellow cards to make his point. Sagitun sends for Peter ?Metro? Mariano and guess what? He fails miserably at the conversion.
Juventus then almost doubles its lead when this header from Oliver Hendricks surprises the keeper, but the Sagitun defence hangs tough.
Juventus of Orange Walk goes on to post the 1-zip big W to sweep the defending champion Sagitun of Independence in two straight outing, capturing the 2005 semi-pro football title and we got to say maximum congratulations to Juventus.
Of course, to the victor goes the spoils.
Charlie Slusher, Goalkeeper, Juventus
?This is a big game, so I just had to ask God to open my eyes a little better so the fans don?t say it?s because of the night. But the problem is when I win a game I don?t get any credit in the night, but when I lose there?s all kinds of talking. But I just have to thank God and at the same time thank my team. We played with a lot of heart and we showed that we really wanted to win this championship this year. And again, I just gotta thank my team. Two of our best players have red-carded, so I definitely didn?t want to look at a game three because we would definitely be handicapped, so I tried to talk to my guys and tell them we gotta keep in this game, we?re ahead let us win this game and get it all over because we can?t afford to go to a game three. And so I gotta give the guys credit for the way we played with two man less. We showed a lot of heart.?
In other football news, action over the weekend in the B.P.F.L. B League saw Libertadores make the championship series by holding Belize Bank Hattieville to a scoreless stalemate, while San Pedro Neiri?s blew out the New Site Erei 4-1, but the New Site team had already qualifies to move on.
Thus the championship series gets off at the Carl Ramos Stadium this Sunday where New Site will host Libertadores of Corozal.
Checking in on the TIDE Freshwater Football Cup Championship being staged at the Toledo Union Field, Mavericks F.C. edged Cosmos 2-1 to take the title yesterday, while Silver Creek trampled Jah Roots 5-3 to finish in third place. Again we say congratulations.
Turning to the cycling scene, the Santino Road Championship for non-elite riders reigned supreme on the Western Highway yesterday in a journey that left Belize City and headed west to the finish line sixty miles later at La Loma Luz Hospital.
Of course at the start you can get an idea of the support this event has attracted?and they?re off.
Fast forward to the finish and here?s the solitary figure of Gilroy ?Cable Guy? Robinson, who left them all to come home alone, seizing the big title.
Leroy Trapp, who encounters equipment problems going to the tape, walks in with his bike for second place. He had been enduring such a big lead. Now here comes the bunch–it?s Leon Hemsley taking third, Roque Matus pulls up fourth, while Palas Fitzgerald Joseph rounds out the top five finishers.
Finally folks, the American Airlines Ruff Riders basketball team from New York City was in town for two outings against the national basketball team, but not all the players had arrived by game time Friday night inside the City Centre.
At the tip off, it?s Ernest Broaster jumping against Leroy Jones, while Paul Swasey has to desert the Belize team and help the visitor.
It?s certainly a fast start for the home team as Keith Acosta sinks the baseline jumper?he would strike for seventeen points.
But the story of this match has to be all about Darwin ?Puppy? Leslie who strikes for two right here and would convert the three-point play.
Kevin Seroki then threads the needle to Puppy Leslie who finishes with a mama-jammer. He would lead the national team of Belize with a magnificent twenty-nine points.
Okay, so it?s show time. Will Keith Acosta please stand up? And the alley-oop is spectacular. On the other side of the equation, number forty-four Larry Jones of New York City works his thing down low for two of his ten game points. But he had to contend with Claude ?Too Tall? Jones who deals him a rejection slip on this effort. At the half Belize is up 45-26.
Out of intermission, Acosta wants three… Acosta gets three.
Number twenty-three, Chris Daley goes to the left hand, goes glass for two of his ten points.
But it was just too much Belize down the stretch as exemplified when Darren Bovell abuses the Ruff Riders defence. The national team wins in a 78-67 final score.
Of course the rest of the American Airlines team arrived for Saturday night?s showdown inside the City Centre, but they still got clobbered in a 70-62 final score.
Hey folks, that?s our show for today. We invite you back same time, same place next week. Jah over all, I?m James Adderley.
