James Adderley has the latest in sporting news
Good evening, I’m James Adderley and here’s your weekly dish of Sport’s Monday.
It was a big weekend out at Independence Saturday night as Texmar United hosted San Felipe Barcelona in a must win situation after losing game one of the Belize Bank Super League Championship three game series in a scorching 3-2 affair that had seen San Felipe come up with two telling goals in injury time to upset the number one seed. At stake of course is twenty-seven thousand five hundred dollars for the winner of this three game series that pays second place twelve thousand five hundred and of course some really impressive hardware are also available to be had beside bragging rights. For the visitors, expectations run high on the promise of a first major football championship with a win today. While in the Texmar huddle, the mood is one of rugged determination that today will not produce the definitive championship for 2009. However, emotions must give way to action and the visitors get the first real look at goal only to see Kenny Witzil fail to translate this chance into goal. Meanwhile, folks we’re not certain that Coach Candido Garcia could be happy with this attempt to finish by his striker Kenny Witzil whose header veers wide of the target from close range. Of course, at the other Ashley Torres gets this very good chance to score for his team that he misses with the left foot swing. San Felipe is dominating play when Wilmer Garcia of Texmar centers this ball which is mishandled by goalkeeper Darrell Novelo and the Barcelona team gets away with it and at the half we do have a scoreless stalemate.
We’re eight minutes into second half when Christopher Hendricks tries to keep his team defend this corner kick but hands the ball inside the eighteen and the referee rules penalty. Wilmer Garcia steps up to face Darrel Novelo and wins this and wins this one on one battle easily as Texmar takes a 1-zip lead at the fifty-third minute. Folks, it’s two minutes later when Christopher Hendricks mounts this foray into the Texmar goal area and is bodied off the ball by Bernard Linares and again the referee rules penalty. Christopher Hendricks steps up for Barcelona against Charlie Slusher and at the fifty-fifth minute we have a 1-1 tie the tension rises especially for Texmar who need a win today to force a decisive game three so Torres picks out Deon Burgess whose swing at goal almost beats Darrel Novelo who looks very unconvincing on this save. The all out assault by the host team continues off this corner kick that finds Deon Burgess whose powerful header is off target. On the very next offensive press by Texmar, Ashley Torres finds Deon burgess and the third time is a charm as the left foot launch thunders into the net for the 2-1 lead at the sixty-ninth minute. San Felipe tries to respond when Harvey Cruz tries to lead Kenny Witzil but Charlie Slusher reads the play. Still, the visitors continue to press for the equalizer as Damion Ku fires this left foot, which is thwarted by tough Texmar defense. And the peal of the long whistle confirms the 2-1 big W for the home team in game two to tie the series at 1-apiece.
Charles Slusher, Goalkeeper, Texmar United
“We were doing a splendid job up until in the second half when we started to give the San Felipe guys space. We found out that if you give them space they will hurt you. So tonight I stress to my team don’t give them any space. That goes for Christopher and all the guys. Don’t give them space because if we give them space then the game will become difficult for us. So I’m glad that the team listened tonight and we didn’t give them the space and I think that was the biggest factor in wining this game tonight. We didn’t give them space to do what they normally would do. The message I would give to San Felipe is they had their break tonight and they won the first game. Normally the favour is in the team that won the first game and now the table has turned to our favor. So I just gotta say sorry for San Felipe; that’s my message to them.”
Christopher Hendricks, San Felipe Barcelona
“We have to accept the loss. However, we are not out of the competition. We have one more game and we have to stay positive or else we can just forget all the celebration and just work hard and make sure that wi mind wiself so dat come Sunday we can reclaim back what we want and win the championship.”
So now the 2009 Super League title will be settled in an all or nothing match this Sunday at the M.C.C. Grounds and it’s a biggie you won’t want to miss.
In cycling news, the Belize Cycling Association race staged on Saturday saw Junior rider Austin Armstrong of Vega Crystal, write his name into the history books by grabbing the W. Armstrong beat out Mateo Cruz, Roger Troyer, Byron Pope and Jairo Campos in that order respectively on Saturday to be number one and we say congrats. In the meantime, the next event on the cycling calendar is the New Years Day Classic sponsored by Krem.
Hey folks, that’s our show for today. We invite you back same time, same place, next week. Jah over all, I’m James Adderley.
