James Adderley’s electrifying and non-regulated Sports Monday

Good evening, I’m James Adderley and this is Sports Monday.

Week three of the Belize Bank Super League proved to be pivotal for all four teams under the double elimination format as they all come in with three points each and identical records of one win, one loss apiece. Here in Belize City the defending champion hosted Orange Walk United inside the MCC Grounds, teams that had split the regular season match-ups. The first real threat at goal comes from the city team when Ryan Simpson launches this set piece that forces Kenny Canul to head the ball over his own goal post and it works. In the early going it’s all City Boys and this spot kick launched by Ryan Simpson forces Charlie Slusher to come up with yet another save. We’re some twenty-two minutes in when Ryan Simpson mounts this individual attack when he is bushwhacked by Kenny Canul who concedes the spot kick just outside the eighteen. It proved to be a bad move because goleador Deon McCauley comes up with a magnificent spot kick that he bends into the goal to give City Boys the 1-zip lead. Orange Walk united looks to reply immediately when Jarret Davis beats out Leon Jones at midfield and then unleashes this screamer that inches outside the far corner of the City Boys’ goal. Nevertheless, it’s more City Boys when David McCauley triggers this corner kick that bounces to Leon Jones whose header is dangerously directed by Jarret  Davis but the ball bounces off the far upright. At the twenty-nine minute, Ryan Simpson sends this ball into the box finding Tyrone Muschamp and the left touch gives RG City Boys a 2-zip lead.

Meanwhile, at intermission we took the opportunity to speak to the newly appointed head of the National Football Association of Belize, Michael Blease, set to replace Dr. Bertie Chimilio and the Football Federation of Belize.

Michael Blease

Michael Blease, National Football Association of Belize

“For a long time now many people have been crying out for the removal of Dr. Chimilio from the power of football. We know that for FIFA when they put a president in place, that is for a long period of time, but if that president does not develop, does not build a sport, then why must a country do? It is the people of Belize, our youths, that have been suffering over the years. So there will be a transition period where this new national association has to start to work immediately between the time where the federation is suspended.”

James Adderley

“We have been suspended already, but we have not been expelled which means there is still room for negotiation and for some sort of compromise. Do you see that in the offing?”

Michael Blease

“From my vantage point, yes there is room, but I don’t see why there should be room for the remaining executive of the football federation of Belize to remain in power. I think if the people of Belize want to see a change, want to see development and want to see something brand new for Belizean football then I think this is the time for it.”

James Adderley

“I was telling my co-host just a while ago that maybe it would have been better for the powers that be to allow the national team—because it’s the same team that played Trinidad, it’s the same team that played Mexico—to have gone as far as they could then take the drastic action they did.”

Michael Blease

“From our vantage point as well, we believe that if Dr. Chimilio had given that opportunity to play that game, he has been using the players for a number of years as his scapegoat. While he has been locking all the development areas of football, he has been using national team to his advantage. When you don’t feed a national team for FIFA, that’s a big blow for any federation and that’s what Dr. Chimilio wanted to do. And I think those in the area that is dealing with Dr. Chimilio know exactly that he would have used that to his advantage. Many of our players now that are selected on the national team have not made the sacrifices that we have made over the years. When you are selected and paid to go and play on a national team, then that is not pride. When you are selected from among many young Belizeans that have the talent—yes they are a few talented players on the national team—but there are many, many young Belizeans that have been neglected that have the quality and talent that could have been on that national team.”

James Adderley

“I differ with you in the sense that these guys in the sense that these guys certainly were amongst the highest level of players. We had Elroy Kuylen, we had Kafu Roches, Deon McCauley, Elroy Smith—that’s the cream of our crop.”

Michael Blease

“That’s the cream that we have been seeing for a number of years. And that’s because Belizeans have not seen a lot of what we have seen at the super league level. A lot of people have not seen some of our players. Yes I can agree with you on that aspect that those guys are some of our cream players, but there are many more and I don’t think that we should have sacrificed nineteen players for what has been lacking over a number of years.”

But back to the game people, and we’re in early second half play when Leon Jones finds David McCauley whose right away effort did not have enough – to beat Charlie Slusher. In the meantime, Deon McCauley gets another opportunity to display his shooting technique on this spot kick but Lorenzo Diaz digs it out of the goal to deny Deon his second goal of the match. Christopher Hendricks then tries to pull one back for OW with this long distance attempt but it’s not good enough to beat Stanley Reneau. At the seventy-second minute, Ryan Simpson has possession on a three on one break; he opts to keep the ball and he validates that decision with a left foot finish that give City Boys a 3-zip lead. Orvin Wade then gets this chance to get OW on to the scoreboard but Stanley Reneau was having none of that.

John Pollard

Folks, we’re at the seventy-ninth minute when Muschamp deals to Deon McCauley, the first Belizean to score a hat trick in international play, and this powerful left foot launch shows us why as he gives RG City Boys a 4-zip lead. This score held up to the end of regulation as City Boys post the 4-nil big W.

John Pollard, Manager/Coach, City Boys

“I think it’s a very good team. As the coach, I feel very comfortable because I have a bunch of guys who listen and go out and play what you practice. Well some of the players like Muschamp and Leon Jones, they were too anxious most of the time today. Our game is simply: bring the ball in from the flanks, put it inside to the middle and from there the strikers should create and make what they need to score.”

In the other playoff match at the Toledo Union Field a penalty conversion at the forty-fifth minute by Alexander Peters gave Paradise Freedom Fighters a 1-zip victory over Placencia Assassin. Thus after three outings, City Boys shows 6 points, so does Paradise Freedom Fighters while Placencia Assassin and OW United show three points each. This Sunday, June twenty-fifth the Freedom Fighters travel to Placencia while City Boys head to Orange Walk for week four of the playoffs.

Turning to the boxing scene, Leopold Smart Boxing Gym took five fighters to San Pedro for Friday night’s big fight against a Mexican contingent on a Capo Canul Card. The Mexican won the three fights as Javier Rodriguez TKO’d Franco Erwin at one hundred and twenty-four pounds, Marco Gonzalez dispatched Rayford Smith in the second round at one hundred and thirty-five pounds and Anderson Portillo lost a four round decisive to Jesus Pichalles.  Things change drastically Max Pain Williams knocked out Jairo Villamil one minute, one second into the fight at one hundred and forty-eight pounds. Mohamed Harmouch of San Pedro then won a four round split decision over Rogel Flores in a savage affair at one hundred fifty-five pounds and then Sherman Galvez won a classy four round decision over a slick Vicente Perez at one hundred and forty-eight pounds. We’ll take the 3-3 final folks.