Football stalemate in Orange Walk
Good evening I?m James Adderly and welcome to this fresh serving of Sports Monday. If ever there was a backmatch to threaten the stability of the Belize Football League, the long awaited 1st round showdown between Juventus of Orange Walk and Acros of Belize City absolutely fits that bill. Mercifully it was finally concluded yesterday at the People?s Stadium despite tantrums from the severe weather systems and the players on the field.
Anyway it’s only a minute into the heated confrontation when David McCauly runs down the pass from Jones and – bingo! the defending champion takes an early 1-zip lead. The Acros team tries to respond with this nice feed to Joe West who gets a clear shot from pointblank range and he should have equal the score, but he didn?t and say it?s not so Joe.
It?s Acros still in search of the equalizer with Clifford Usher attacking off the left wing — his launch is potent but bangs off the crossbar. Meanwhile a long distance blast from Freddy Tun excites the crowd, but misses the target.
Of course there must be some controversy and it shows up when Marcelino Tun is taken down inside the eighteenth. Referee David Jones rules the play an indirect free kick and the Juventus team is a bit upset. Still folks this is very poor defense from Acros on the spot kick from Estevan Hall starting with the wall and finishing with a goal past the diving Lunes giving Juventus the two – nil lead.
Some three minutes into intermission, Acros cuts the deficit in half from a two – nil score to two -one on a nice push from David Rodriguez to Joe West, and this time, he says it?s so. But at the half it?s Juventus who takes the lead to the locker room.
Now we go to the second half and with the rain coming down Acros look for offensive playing from Rodriguez but the rain gets in his eyes, at least we think so. The Acros team then get a launch from its Mexican defensive player, Juan Hasso, but goalkeeper Charlie Slusher pushes it over the top.
Keep your eyes on the play as David Rodriguez is taken down by Marcelino Tun and brother Freddie then comes from behind and knees Rodriguez causing near pandemonium to break loose on the field.
Juventus goes up again by two when Estevan Hall centers from off the right wing. Muschamp tries to intercept but he commits the dreaded auto-goal, kicking the ball into his own goal giving Juventus the three to one lead.
Now here comes real problem as Muschamp gets taken down by Freddie Tun inside the eighteenth. Referee Jones rules penalty but Tun questions the decision, with a bump to back up his dissatisfaction with the ruling, which gets him a red card. Teammate Raul Celiz must have said something ugly because he too gets chased off the field and Juventus is down to 9 men and of course referee Jones is thankful for the presence of the law.
Acros? Juan Hasso steps up to the charity box and scores despite the heroics of Charlie Slusher. It?s Acros now pressing for the equalizer but Slusher handles the header from Clifford Usher. Folks Estevan Hall gets the game win here for Juventus but somehow Edmundo Lunes makes an unbelievable stop.
As the rain pelts down on fans and players, Acros? Roberto Alamilla punches a bullet pass that winds up in the net and gives Acros of Belize City a three to three regulation tie
James Adderley
Q:Certainly, Juventus had the upper hand scoring in the very first minute of the ballgame, you showed a two nil lead and you allowed this team from Belize City, Acros to get back.
Charlie Slusher, Juventus Goalkeeper
The thing weh happen our team kinda celebrated before the game was finished and you know, I think the referee had a bad day today, you know everybody has a bad day sometimes in their life, and I think the referee choose this day, and I think it paid against us. But we played a hard game, and battled despite the guys who got red cards. You know we wanted to win, but at least we didn?t loose.
Q: If you wanted to win certainly you didn?t get help from that very bad decision by two of your player, Raul Solis and Freddie Tun of course who were red carded today, leaving you to a nine man roster?
Charlie Slusher
Yeah, I think although you know we were up I think it was three to one, you know and the penalty would have made it three to two and we are still in the ball game leading. You know we didn?t have to get the cards, but I think that it?s just you know, the players overacting about it.
Q: This three, three draw certainly leaves you in the second place behind Acros, coming out of the weekend, do you feel you played the right ball game today?
Charlie Slusher
Well, I think our team in the other part of the game showed that we are a champion team and we can reach the finals and repeat again. But we just have to work upon holding our leads and work harder on the defensive part, because our defense is giving up a lot of goals.
In the other playoff match on yesterdays schedule Juventud Benquena dashed Real Verdes? title hopes in a three to one ballgame.
I?m James Adderley. Jah over all.
