Sagitun is national football champ
Good evening, I’m James Adderley and you’ve just logged on to this fresh delivery of Sports Monday. After some eight months and a starting total of eight teams, the B.P.F.L. football season reached an abrupt ending Saturday night inside the Isidoro Beaton Stadium when the host Builder’s Hardware Bandits of Belmopan were hoping to force a decisive game three against big bad Sagitun of Independence.
In fact people, this cheque of twenty thousand dollars goes to the 2003 champion, and of course the usual spoils of victory and excellence are on display today. However, tonight finds the Bandits trying to hold on to their championship dream after losing game one on penalty kicks last weekend.
Folks, we’re only five minutes in when Dion Frazer beats Hilberto Muschamp with the toe push and smokes Giovanni Rodriguez as the home fans erupt to the Bandits 1-zip lead.
A few minutes later, Dion Frazer gets set with this spotkick from Julio Valle, but fails to make the connection for his second of the match. We’re some ten minutes in when Mark Leslie centres into the danger zone. Bent Burgess connects with the header, and just like that we’ve got a tied ballgame at one apiece.
So both teams settle down for the long haul and Sagitun tries to forge ahead with this centre from Carral Cadle, but Charlie Slusher intervenes. Sagitun keeps the pressure on, but Bent Burgess misplays at the very end. At the other end, Dion Frazer fires this left foot, but Rodriguez comes up with the proper response, and at the half we’re got a 1-1 score.
So we go to the second half and Wilmer Garcia tries to deliver this centre, but again the goalkeeper intervenes. Downfield, Sagitun gets an open look at goal, but Wilhem Coe cannot deliver the lead. How about this header from Bent Burgess–only Slusher’s skill keep Sagitun at Bay.
Nevertheless folks, it’s Julio Valle with the best look of the second half, but instead, he makes Geovanny Rodriguez look good. Now tell us folks, did this ball break the goal line boundary? Well referee Ruperto Vicente, who was on top of the play, decides no despite a howl of protest from Belmopan.
In heavy traffic Derys Benavides fires this missile at Rodriguez who reads in time. It’s late into regulation when Jair Pereira gets an opportunity to be the hero, but he heads the pill too close to Rodriguez, who saves.
Off this corner kick, Benavides gets another shot at goal–this time the ball inches outside the target. And after ninety minutes of play we’ve still got a 1-1 ballgame.
In overtime, both Julio Valle and Jair Pereira get back-to-back opportunities to come up with the golden goal, both fall short. For sure though folks, Derys Benavides should have done better with this Julio Valle feed, but after double overtime, we go to the decision from the penalty spot for a second week in this three game championship series.
Wilmer Garcia steps up first for the Bandits and his conversion looks perfect. Bent Burgess comes up and he ties it up for Sagitun. Julio Valle makes sure he puts Belmopan back up by going to the near post. Here comes Peter Mariano and he gets the job done. So Dennis Alvarez attempts to break the tie, but Geovanny Rodriguez reads him right and the kicker for Belmopan is distraught.
Now Sagitun has the inside track, but Francis Arzu must execute, and he does. For its third penalty the Bandits send the Brazilian Carlos de Lima and he makes it good. Gabriel Ramos keeps the Sagitun team alive with this conversion. Now it’s up to Jair Pereira to do his thing and he helps Belmopan to hang on. However, Hilberto Muschamp comes right back for Sagitun who remain perfect. Charlie Slusher then comes up with perfection as Belmopan tries to hang on. However, Roberto Muschamp comes up with a beauty, as Sagitun remains four for five. Derys Benavides keeps the capital city’s hopes alive with this penalty goal.
David Torres certainly does his bid for Sagitun from the penalty spot, but this miss by Wilhelm Coye sails the ball over the crossbar and all the hearts of the capital city football fans stop for a moment because all it will take now is a conversion from Mark Leslie to give Sagitun the 2003 football title of Belize. And bam si deh! Sagitun is the daddy of them all.
Hilberto Muschamp, Sagitun
“We wasn’t playing the best ball Sagitun came to play, but I came out to defend, I made a mistake earlier and we capitalise and just hold out.”
Janelle Chanona
“You came from the bottom and worked your way through the season, how do you feel now that you all are the kings once again?”
Hilberto Muschamp
“Well definitely I feels great, because as you know, Sagitun had rest for a whole season. And for Mr. Tony to put together a championship team within a year, that says a lot for our management.”
Tony Zabaneh, Owner, Sagitun
“They tried their utmost best for a third game the referees…Sagitun beat everybody out here tonight, referees…I don’t have to tell you, because you all saw it, we beat everybody out here tonight. It was a game where we had to capture the crown with heart and soul, and we will do it and do it again and again and again if comes be.”
Charlie Slusher, Builder’s Hardware Bandits
“I think the feeling hasn’t set in yet. I think we will probably feel it for the rest of the off-season and probably into the season. When we lose a championship like this, it something where a pain is there in your heart that takes a long time to get out. This is my second championship that I have lost while I have been going into the finals and the lost time I lost I quit my job and a lot of stuff, but it’s very painful to have the type of team that can win a championship and we fell short of achieving that goal. It’s very painful for myself and especially for my team mates.”
Hey folks, that’s our show for today, we certainly invite you back same time, same place next week. Jah over all! I’m James Adderley.
