National footballers prepare for Canada
It has been a tumultuous and most likely crippling process, but Belize’s national football team has finally been selected… only a matter of days before its first all important World Cup qualifier against Canada. News 5’s James Adderley headed to Belmopan for a scouting report.
James Adderley, Reporting
The hopes and dreams of Belizean football took on a human face when we journeyed to capital city Belmopan on Wednesday to view the National Football Team that will represent Belize in the World Cup qualifying round at Canada.
Under the guidance of the Technical Director, Ian Mark, the players go through their practice routine at the football field with the two matches in Canada foremost in their minds.
Suddenly the rains come down, but the session continues as if Belizean football is saying nothing is going to stop this train. You see the long and bitter feud between the F.F.B. and the B.P.F.L. almost crushed this initiative in 2004. Of course, this internecine struggle did have its negative impact as relayed by Head Coach, Anthony ?Garrincha? Adderley.
Anthony Adderley, Head Coach
?Life is always unfair, but God will help those who help themselves and here we trying to help ourselves with what we have. We?ll be putting out the best players with the time available to us and the resources available to us. That?s what we?re taking to Canada.?
Folks, this national team features the highest level of players in the country, but has a pattern to be utilised on the field against Canada been established.
Anthony Adderley
?Prior to two weeks ago we were just doing physical training and trying to select our players since the dispute between the two bodies have been solved and the players are now in camp, we?re trying to establish a pattern. We?re also trying to improve some of the late-comers physical fitness.?
So Mr. Head Coach, what are our expectations as Belizean football fans?
Anthony Adderley
?What we can expect from our national team in Canada is winning back our respect. A lot has been said about how many goals have been scored against us, how we have played poorly. Well we have come together now and this is the time for us to show our pride, our loyalty to our country, and represent well. Let us play with effort and don?t give up and we play till the long whistle blows.?
?This is a very important outing for Belizean football. The world will be looking at us, our players will be presenting themselves to the world, other coaches, scouts will be there. This is the time for people to see where our football is at and what we need to move forward.?
But what is the view from the players? ranks?
Vallan Symns, Kulture Yabra
?The level of play is not the Canadian play, because some of them are from England, some are from America the Major Leagues; it?s some big players they are going to bring. But we can?t think about that, we just have to go our there and play our style of ball. And at the end of the day if we lose or win we can say we gave it our best shot.?
?I?m in the peak?the best years of my career, playing well. I just finished my season and never got hurt or anything, I?m going out there and want to do a good show, to try to get a scout to play outside, most of us have that passion to play outside for our country, become a profession. And at Canada there will be a lot of scouts our there and it will be a good opportunity for us.?
Amin Gonzalez, Boca Juniors
?The team I represent is Boca Juniors from Cayo and I got selected to play the National Team and I?m proud of that because it?s a long time I di wait for this opportunity to play on National Team of Belize.?
Certainly, you might know Robert Muschamp as the midfielder for Sagitun, but the National Team has chosen this Independence player as its captain.
Robert Muschamp, Captain Natl. Team
?I think we could do well. As long as we stay together, we listen to our coaching staff, we try to do exactly as we are told. I think we have a high expectation now, at least for my part. I am not afraid of Canada; in fact I am not afraid of any team out there; as long as we get together and know exactly what we want. It?s eleven players with one mind, and once we go with that, everything is going to be okay.?
Can we be sure everything be all right? Well if the unity, enthusiasm, optimism, and sense of opportunity that permeates in this particular environment continues to prevail Belizean football will have already won big time. As to the football match on the field, our expectations must be tempered by reality, and F.F.B. President Dr. Bertie Chimilio summed it up best.
Dr. Bertie Chimilio, President, F.F.B.
?We did a lot of hard work over the last three months, we call this team about February twenty-fifth of this year and we?ve have very good response. Towards the end now we had a greater response from the players. Nevertheless, it has always been mine, and the Federation?s thought that we must represent at any cost, we must be out there, the world must see us play. Even if our level is not there, the world must know that Belize exists and in Belize we play football. So despite the fact that it might sound too late, but we?ll go to Canada, we?ll represent, at any given time anything can happen, and I know these boys are motivated to go out there and do their best and after you?ve your best, not even the angels in heaven can ask for more.?
Our National Football Team leaves for Canada on Thursday, June tenth. They play game one on June thirteenth and game two on June sixteenth. Things have been far from perfect in our football world and there?s a whole lot left to be done to develop our football; let?s start here. Of course, win lose, or draw I?m a Belizeans and I know you are too. This is James Adderley reporting for News 5.
