Guatemala tops Belize in Olympic football qualifier
Good evening I’m James Adderley and we’re back at you with a hefty slice of Sports Monday. So we’ll kick off things with international football match at the Norman Broaster Stadium where our National Under twenty-three football selection played host to their Guatemalan counterpart in a bid for the Sydney Olympics. First things first though, we’d like to thank the fan for brandishing the Sub Umbra Floreo in the face of the Guatemalan invasion which came to San Ignacio in full force.
It’s the visitors off to a quick start pushing the action off this corner kick but the header inches outside the far upright. Six minutes later a corner kick from the opposite side produces a trick header but goalkeeper Shane Moody handles. We’d like you to get a feel for the superiority of the visitors who should have had a better look at goal than this. The Guatemalan offensive nevertheless continues unabated and again it’s the heroic of Shane Moody that prevents the scoreboard from opening.
Belize finally looks dangerous when number nine surprises the Guatemalan keeper with a left foot bomb that bounces to the defense for the immediate clearance. At the thirty-fifth minute of the first half number eleven Guellermo Ramirez of Guatemala calmly lifts the ball from outside the eighteen into the net over Moody who was too far out of his goal for a one-zip Guatemala lead which holds up through intermission. Would the drums of our fathers renew and re-invigorate our team for the second half? Let’s find out.
Immediately into play Belize gets a look at the Guatemalan goal but fails to find the equalizer. But the karma doesn’t last long as the Guatemalans resume this offensive and we’ve got to give Shane Moody a medal. When you snooze you lose and a defensive error gives the Guatemalans possession which frustrates into the second goal of the match for Guellermo Ramirez.
Okay will someone please put a permanent mark on Mr. Ramirez. Five minutes later he makes it a hat trick as Guatemala goes up three-zip. The homeland finally gets on the scoreboard fourteen minutes to the long whistle on a magnificent spot kick from Shamir Pacheco that found the “V” but Belize falls three-one at home to Guatemala.
Shane Moody, Goalkeeper, Belize
“My objective was to do what I had to do to defend the Belizean people. I have nothing to say after the game; I played everything in the field and let God do the rest. It’ll be very hard to beat Guatemala in Guatemala City at least two to nothing. It’ll be very difficult. So we’ll go to Guatemala. On my behalf I’ll say the team will play our best there.”
It’ll only get more difficult going to Guatemala next week September nineteenth for game two of this series.
Turning to the boxing scene, the fight card yesterday at big Bird’s Isle sponsored by Building Blocks Promotions packed a powerful punch.
The card opened to a ninety-pound amateur fight between Steve McFoy of Belize City and Howell Longsworth of Cayo but McFoy is simply too much in this one and he gets the unanimous win.
The second fight for the Cayo team brought even more disastrous results when Jose Chavarria forced a quick end at one forty-seven in round two with a vicious right-upper to silence Jermaine Young at one hundred and eight pounds.
Cayo struck back at one hundred and thirty-five pounds when Darwin Moody simply proved too much for Raymond Flowers causing the swift intervention of Referee Roberto Ordonez.
The match-up between Eugene Martinez of Cayo and Moses Sulph of the city provided the most parity of the outing but Sulph gets the split decision “W” from the judges amidst loud protest from the fans.
Now let’s peek in on Horace Cadle’s pro-debut against Hildebrandt Lynch who had a fifteen pound advantage that never did show. Referee Henkis had to step in, in the second round as Lynch may be on the road to retirement.
Meanwhile the main event finds “Pappi Poti” Orosco in action against Ewart Lynch of Guyana and “Poti” makes his man bleed over the right eye in the first round. Unfortunately in the second round a miss by “Poti” damages his arms. Lynch gets the victory as “Poti” is unable to return. Look out for the next ticket which will feature the two pro winners.
Finally folks the world of track and field in Belize is a strange and uncertain place. Last week there were only runners and no officials. This week there were more officials than runners for the biathlon which could field only five athletes, none from last week. Maybe it’s because the course features two laps of running, twelve laps of biking and finishes with a two-lap run. Of course it’s LA based Eugene Muslar, a runner of long distance fame and Quinton Hamilton a renown cyclist in the jewel.
Marco Castellanos wins the first stage beating Muslar to the bike but on the bicycle Quinton Hamilton has no match in this one and he finishes with such a big lead that he has enough of a start in the final two-lap run to pick up the “W”. Yes today Quinton Hamilton is the baddest. Again Marco Castellanos finishes second, Wilhelm Bailey third, Eugene Muslar, who cramped up, finishes fourth and Sebastian “Shabby” Nuñez pulls up fifth.
Hey folks. That’s our show. Jah over all. I’m James Adderley.
