Juventus tops Sagitun in B.P.F.L. playoffs
Good evening, I?m James Adderley and this is Sports Monday. Week four of the Regent?s Cup playoffs found two of the pre-season favourites locked in bitter combat inside the People?s Stadium yesterday as Juventus of Orange Walk hosted the defending champions Sagitun of Independence.
The home team looks to establish the lead six minutes in, but the launch from Derys Benavides has not the power to overcome Darren Hinds.
On the change of possession, Hilberto Muschamp tries to hook up with Mark ?Kello? Leslie who mistimes his run by a hair.
Sagitun keeps this pressure on with this monster long-distance screamer from Peter Mariano, but the pill sails over the crossbar.
On this press, Kevin Pelayo finds Derys Benavides and again Benavides does not put enough on the ball to get past Hinds.
For certain folks, the Sagitun coach cannot be impressed with this effort from Kuylen and Haylock in front of the goal.
In the meantime, Marcus Soto must be wondering what?s going on today after this minor embarrassment on the field of play. Off this spot-kick, Orlando Jimenez shows off his expert timing with this bomb that could have exploded inside the goal. But at the half we nevertheless have a scoreless stalemate.
In second half, Derys Benavides opens the action with this left foot launch that certainly had bad intentions.
Folks, this image tells the story of how tough it is on the field today, and we?re glad there is no escalation at this time.
Nevertheless, the beat goes on as Oliver Hendricks deals this floater into the danger zone, but Darren Hinds snatches it out of the air before it gets too dangerous. And at the end of regulation play we still have no goal to show.
We?re some four minutes into overtime when this delightful first touch from Dean Flowers allows him to fire the left foot that beats Hinds to give O.W. a 1-zip lead.
That goal would hold up for the remaining twenty-six minutes of overtime play. Juventus grabs the big W with the 1-zip score.
Dean Flowers, Striker, Juventus
?Big goal. Finally I was able to building back my confidence, come into this game, and do what I am here to do. My job is to come, spark offence, and play defensive when it is needed. And I?m very grateful and thankful to God that I was able to do that today.?
?I tell Charlie that if they were going to sign me up they have to understand that I work in Belmopan. I am committed to putting in the work, but my job is basically to come into the game. I don?t want to start in the game because I don?t have the legs. It?s difficult to condition yourself mentally to put in serious work alone, so basically the kind of work that I?m putting in is basically to give the team forty-five minutes, and I?m very happy with my role coming off the bench. I made my name with Juventus doing that under Raul Pelayo, so I?m just back to square one where I started, off the bench coming in, playing big for the team.?
Charlie Slusher, Goalkeeper, Juventus
?It was a hard game for both teams. Luckily for us we got the victory since we are the home team. The same thing happened to us last week, we wanted to get back from that 1-nil, we got a lot of opportunity and we couldn?t do it. And it?s good that the home court advantage came into play today. We had two back-to-back home games, this one today and next week, and like I said earlier, if you cannot win your home games you cannot make it to the finals. And so definitely we need to concentrate on Sunday?s game and try to qualify to the finals.?
In the other playoff match up, which was staged at San Pedro yesterday, the Seahawks used the home field advantage to burn Calcutta Bulls 1-zip to keep them winless in the playoffs.
After four weeks Juventus leads with nine points, San Pedro also has nine, Sagitun is stalled at six, while the Bulls continue winless.
Looking ahead to Week five, Sagitun the defending champion will host the Seahawks in a pivotal showdown Saturday night; while on Sunday, Juventus will see action against the Calcutta Bulls.
In other football news, Mavericks made the TIDE Freshwater Football finals yesterday with a 2-1 win over Silver Creek. The other semi-final match in this Toledo football competition between Jah Roots and Cosmos F.C. is scheduled for this Sunday June fifth.
