Hankook Verdes and B.D.F. fight to draw
Good evening I’m James Adderley and you’re locked into this first post-election issue of Sports Monday. We take you back to last week’s historic 3-1 win by the National Football Team of Belize over their St. Kitts and Nevis counterpart inside the Mateo Flores Stadium, Guatemala City. We must mention it because it is the first win ever by Belize in a FIFA World Cup Qualifying match and all football fans will appreciate how massive that is. At the same time the indignation felt nationwide because of playing this home match at Guatemala is real and must be addressed. The return match in this home and away series is slated for March twenty-sixth at St. Kitts.
We now take you to the M.C.C. Grounds where two teams, already into the four team post season, are matched up on the concluding fixture for the B.P.F.L. regular season as the Belize Defence Force plays host to Hankook Verdes of Cayo. People it takes some twenty-two minutes before we get a highlight when Richard Jimenez launches this right foot from close range that turns out to be a high riser. The B.D.F. fires back off the boots of Deon Flowers but Shandi Wagner makes the initial stop and tough defending bails him out. We’re forty-two minutes in when Verdes defender Wilhelm Locho Coyi hands this ball. The referee rules penalty and it’s his call to make after all. The military sends for the gunner Deon McCauley who gave us two goals in the win against St. Kitts and Nevis and he makes no mistake to give his ball club a 1-zip lead to take into intermission.
Ten minutes into second half Daniel Jimenez fresh off the bench almost gives his team the equalizer with this wicked right foot splice that inches outside the far upright. A few minutes later Jimenez gets another chance at goal but this time he is foiled by the skills of Charlie Slusher in goal. Verdes continues the push for the equalizer when Richard Jimenez comes up with this nice turn but the shot sails high. In second half the military displays a defensive posture for the most part, still this set piece triggered by Marco Souto almost provides them with their second goal of the match. It’s more B.D.F. when Deon Flowers fires from off the right side but he does miss the target. We’re at the eighty-eight minute of the ballgame when Daniel Jimenez beats his man and projects to Richard Jimenez who taps it in for the equalizer and both teams seem satisfied with the 1-1 regulation tie.
In other action around the league F.C. Belize cemented its playoff appearance with a 2-zip bashing of Santels. Wagiya of Dangriga also made the post-season with a 3-2 squeaker over Georgetown Ibayani while Revolutionary Conquerors gave San Pedro Dolphins the three points by not showing up at game time of course it didn’t really matter. Thus at the end of regular season Hankook Verdes finished with 27 points and remain the number one seed on goal differential since F.C. Belize also totaled 27 points. Wagiya is seeded third with 26 points also on goal differential as the B.D.F. also finished the season with 26 points. These are the four teams making the playoffs. In the also rant category San Pedro recorded 24 points, Georgetown Ibayani 19, Juventus 17, Revolutionary Conquerors 15, and Santels finishes in the cellar of this years semi-pro league with 14 points.
The R.F.G. playoffs kicks off this Sunday with Hankook Verdes hosting the B.D.F. inside the Norman Broaster Stadium and in the other match-up Wagiya visits F.C. Belize at M.C.C. to kick off this double round robin series.
In news from the Super League of Belize, on Sunday, Estrellas F.C. bombed Belmopan Bandits 6-1, Texmar Boys blanked Barrio Fino 4-zip while Benque D.C. United and Forever Strong Kraal Road battled to a 1-1 draw.
In basketball news, Under-26 Basketball action at the Civic Center over the weekend saw U.B. Jaguars edge Complex Bombers 63-62. Belmopan Young Gunz beat Buttonwood Bay 69-58 and Jr. Bulldogs ran over Mesop Guardian Bombers 83-64. On tonight’s ticket The Future faces Junior Bulldogs in a battle of the undefeated Belmopan Young Gunz take on Complex Bombers and Lake I Boys go up against Guardian Bombers. On the billboards scene, the Belize Billiards Sports Federation presents the open nine ball Team Tournament in Punta Gorda on the first and second of March. To get in the contact number is 669-9796.
Meanwhile folks, table tennis in Belize might just be on its way back because of the establishment of the Belize Table Tennis Association which took place at the Belize Elementary School Auditorium on Saturday February second. Elected to serve this August body: Arturo Vasquez, President; Luigi Heredia, Vice President; Petie Usher0Matus, Secretary; Marion Usher is treasurer; Director Rodwell Williams; Director David Jones; Director Jorge Espat. And hey, we congratulate this move to revive this particular sport.
Finally folks, the M&M Tour 2008 is set to blast off on Wednesday February thirteenth but things get underway tomorrow at three p.m. with opening ceremonies at the San Cas Plaza here in Belize City. We got more details from tour Public Relations Officer Kwame Scott.
Kwame Scott, Public Relations Officer, M&M Tour
“Just about ready to go, we take Wednesday morning at nine o’clock. Stage one starts at the San Cas Plaza. It’s a five day, six stage event. As most would know, this is the sixth running of the M&M Engineering Cycling Tour. Worthy of mentioning are two stand out facts. One: this is first ever U.C.I. sanctioned race that will ever be ran in Belize. It simply means that basically we are under the umbrella of the world governing body of cycling. Like FIFA is to football, U.C.I. is to cycling. Secondly, this M&M Tour of Belize is the only race on Belize’s entire cycling calendar that boasts zero restriction as far as classification of riders go. it means that we will be seeing probably one of the deepest fields of foreigners including professionals for the very first time in Belize.
James Adderley
“Tell us what to expect at the pre-race rally scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday.”
Kwame Scott
“The official launch takes place tomorrow at three o’clock in the afternoon at the San Cas Plaza near to the Belcan Bridge. This is basically a small formal ceremony in which we present the teams to the media and to the public; a kind of “match the face with the name” kind of thing. So if wanna see the riders that will be participating, come on out three o’clock to the San Cas Plaza tomorrow.”
James Adderley
“Could you tell us if you believe the Belizean Marlon Castillo has the ability to or capability to repeat as defending champion?”
Kwame Scott
“I will answer by saying this: he is one of Belize’s brightest hopes if we are to get a win as a country. In terms of nationality, we have Argentineans, Columbians, Salvadoranians, Mexicans, actually we have a Mexican by the name of Team Tecos and they are actually dubbed one of the best teams in the Americas from Alaska to the tip of South America. Also we have, of course, Guatemalans, Belizeans and we have quite a few teams from the U.S.A. including the national U.S.A. team—the National under twenty-three U.S.A. team.”
In closing folks, we do want to inform you that you can join us every night in the news here at Channel Five for your daily reports on this M&M Tour and you know it is going to be a monster. That’s it for now though. We invite you back same time, same place next week. Jah over all. I’m James Adderley.
