Sagitun stays alive in Regent?s Cup play
Good evening, I?m James Adderley with this version of Sports Monday. Week five of the Regent?s Cup playoffs found the defending champion and host team Sagitun fighting for its championship life against worthy contender San Pedro Seahawks Saturday night at Independence.
With thoughts of repeat flashing, the 2004 BPFL champ looks for the early lead with this long distance punch, but all the problems its creates is momentary.
San Pedro responds with this set piece that?s well read by Sagitun keeper Darren Hinds.
At the other end, it?s Sagitun with a good look, but number five Arnold Torres simply can?t get the pill between the sticks.
Folks, it?s some half hour into the ballgame when Julio Valle fires this bullet that bursts through the wall to crash into the net as the visitors take a 1-zip lead.
Stung by the Valle goal, Sagitun looks for the equaliser from Robert Muschamp, and while it?s a great shot?it inches outside the target.
Meanwhile guys, when in doubt, push your foot, as this momentary defensive lapse gives Mark ?Kello? Leslie a freebie. And we?ve got a tied ballgame at 1 apiece going into intermission.
So we go to second half and it?s Sagitun with the first opportunity to break the tie, but Gabriel Ramos panics.
Off this spot-kick the Muschamp to Muschamp hook up almost takes effects, but Roberto fumbles the finish.
On this play Robert Muschamp gets the perfect set, but he simply can?t come up with the conversion. However, the referee determines he was physically hindered by the defensive player from San Pedro, which leads to the penalty call.
Sagitun sends for Elroy Kuylen who directs a wicked left foot into the far corner for the 2-1 Sagitun lead.
It?s getting late as San Pedro searches for the equaliser, when John Trapp squanders this very important opportunity.
Folks we can only conclude when it?s not to be, it?s not to be because on this press the Sagitun defence comes up with multiple saves to keep the 2-1 score intact.
By that same token we can also conclude that it?s not a day on which Robert Muschamp of Sagitun will shake the net.
Now this should be the icing on the cake for Sagitun. However, Richard Jimenez?s offering sails to the sky.
When the long whistle blows it brings the defending champion a much needed big W.
Mark Leslie, Midfielder, Sagitun
?First of all, we are the champion. And you know the champ doesn?t go down easily and we know that we had to come out today and win the game, so we come out with all we got and got the victory. That was what we need, the three points, so that we and San Pedro could tie at nine, and we got the three points.?
Ava Diaz, Love FM
?Now looking at ahead to next week, you guys have what is on paper the easier match because you?ve got Calcutta, and of course Juventus will team up against San Pedro. Are you looking ahead yet??
Mark Leslie
?Yeah well now that we?re over San Pedro, we are looking at the Calcutta game because we need to win that game also to qualify because we don?t know what will happen tomorrow in Orange Walk with Orange Walk and Calcutta, so we gotta stay focus and go to Corozal next week and get a victory.?
Elroy Kuylen, Striker, Sagitun
?Our back was against the wall, we had to come up and step up and play the way we usually play. My team is depending on me. From I got my red card I was in a real bad luck situation and my team confidence me to take the penalty and I scored, and it?s a wonderful feeling. Next week we?ll go to Calcutta and do it and make it to the finals.
Hilberto Caliz, Goalkeeper, San Pedro Seahawks
?It hurts a lot because winning this game could have taken them out of the finals and now it will be us next week against Juventus. It hurts very much. We?ll work out hard in the island and we?ll see what we can do about that team and we?ll try our best. I?ll give it all.?
In the other playoff match over the weekend, Juventus of O.W continued to roll with a 3-1 win over the Calcutta Bulls.
Thus going into the final playoff date, Sagitun travels to Calcutta Bulls, while Juventus will sail to San Pedro.
Should Sagitun and San Pedro win on Sunday, then we?ll have a three-way tie at the top of Belize?s highest football competition. After five weeks, Juventus shows twelve points; both Sagitun and San Pedro show nine apiece, while the Calcutta Bulls remain winless.
In other football news, Cosmos routed Jah Roots 4-2 yesterday at Toledo Union Field to get into the TIDE Freshwater Football Championships against Mavericks already waiting in the wings. Game time is set for Sunday, June twenty-sixth.
Turning to the cycling scene, Kevin?s Barber Shop and Mike?s Club combined to present a non-elite race for B riders yesterday on the Western Highway–and yes, they?re off to mile twenty-one and back.
This three-man breakaway of Michael Henry, Charles Heusner, and George Henry would rock the turn around point first. But the chase pack wasn?t too far back at this point.
Nevertheless, the lead trio would never be caught and here is Michael Henry grabbing the big W, Charles Heusner settles for second, and George Henry pulls up third. Jerome Moya then steps out of the pelothon for fourth place, while Andrew ?Papa? Brown out-sprints the remainder of the field to round out the top five finishers.
Hey folks, we won?t mention our colleagues who had a bit of disappointing performances in yesterday?s outing, but c?est la vie, c?est la vie.
That?s it for now, we invite you back same time, same place next week. Jah over all, I?m James Adderley.
