WEEKEND SPORTS WITH JAMES ADDERLEY

Good Evening?I?m James Adderley and welcome to this serving of Sports Monday. National defending BFL champion Juventus of Orange Walk took its undefeated record into the Norman Broaster Stadium against a struggling Real Verdes ball club.

Let?s pick up the action. Right off the bat we?re not sure if Carlos Rodriguez wants to shake Fred Tun?s hand – but in the end the Verdes Captain relents. Immediately the Juventus team goes to work – Dean Flowers to McCauley and then the push to Mercelino Tun . Tun has too much pace so Darren Hinds intercedes.

Folks, maybe the rain was just the omen the struggling Verdes team hoped for because its only 5 minutes deep when this rebound off the Juventus goalkeeper finds Earl Peters and he finds the hole with a right foot punch..

Talk about showers of blessings – at the 9 minute mark this center from Peters finds Russell Tate

and just like that Real Verdes takes a 2 zip lead.

Can the defending champion come back from a two goal deficit 9 minutes into the showdown.? Well its still Verdes on the attack, so 10 minutes later and how Russell Tate misses this shot all alone in the front of the goal may remain a thing of mystery.

The Orange Walk Team finally mount something serious when this right foot grass head burner inches outside the sticks. Another move the defending champion makes is replacing Ferguson with No. 1 goalkeeper Charlie Slusher and he adds some calm to the hard pressed Juventus Ball Club. At the half the home team, Verdes, is up 2 – nil.

So we go to the 2nd half and Estevan Hall sets table for David McCauley but Darren Hinds comes up with a big time save.

It?s Juventus with the pressure now and Freddie Tun looks for a goal off this spotkick – but it?s a well planted Verdes defense that makes the clearance. Pablo Medina then comes up with this crushing header but misses the target.

The Juventus goal finally comes some 23 minutes after intermission when Freddie Tun finds himself at the right place at the right time and he puts Juventus on the scoreboard. A minute later Estevan Hall fire for the equalizer from off the right wing but Hinds has things covered.

In the closing minute its Estevan Hall firing, but feebly at Hinds as Real Verdes pulls off the 2 -1 upset.

In other playoff action over the weekend Acros of Belize City came up with a lackluster performance against JUBE at the MCC Grounds but it was enough to give them the 1 – zip

win and push them to the top of the standings. At capital city, Belmopan, the Builders Bandits remain winless falling in a 3 – zip blast to the San Pedro Dolphins.