F.C. and Verdes share lead in RFG Cup competition
James Adderley
Good evening, I’m James Adderley and here’s your Christmas dish of Sports Monday. Week thirteen of the RFG Cup Tournament brought the San Pedro Dolphins to the M.C.C. Grounds yesterday for its scheduled match with F.C. Belize.
The Belize City team looks to strike first off this right foot lift by Jeremy James that is easily handled by the keeper. It’s a little more effort needed by the Dolphins keeper when this set piece presents a momentary opening for F.C. Belize.
Now keep your eyes to the right of your screen – Leon Cadle takes down Derys Benavides inside the eighteen. Referee, Henry, awards a penalty kick to the islanders. Felix Alvarez steps up for the conversion at thirty minutes in the San Pedro Dolphins are up 1-up.
The visitors look for more of this spotlight from Benavides, but Elroy Rowley is up to the task. F.C. Belize then looks for the equaliser, but the left foot of Jeremy James fuels to hit the intended target.
Folks we’re into injury time in the first half play when Paul Nunez sets things up for Thomas Castro whose wicked left foot burns up the grasshead to force the equaliser. It’s now a pumped up F.C. Belize looking to take the lead in early second half when Tyrone Muschamp almost gets this trick shot past the near upright. On the very next press, Germaine Zuniga catches up with this loose ball and fires this right foot bomb that gives F.C. Belize a 2-1 lead.
A few minutes later lady luck smiles again on Zuniga when poor a defensive play provides him with the perfect assist as he gives the home team a 3-1 lead. It’s all F.C. Belize now, so Zuniga and Jeremy James work the give and go and just like that it’s now a 4-1 F.C. Belize lead seventy-one minutes in.
When you’re hot, you’re hot folks and again the two man game works for the home team and again Jeremy James moves the scoreboard, this time at the seventy-fourth minute. It’s now a 5-1 score and that’s the way it would end as F.C. Belize grabs a piece of first place in the standings after week thirteen.
In other action around the league, Georgetown Ibayani came up big with a 3-2 bombing of Santels; Wagiya whipped Suga Boys Juventus in a 5-2 rout; while Revolutionary Conquerors and Belize Defence Force settled for a 2-2 stalemate.
Thus the standings after week thirteen finds both Hankook Verdes and F.C. Belize with eighteen points apiece, Verdes leads on goal average. Wagiya is next with seventeen points, the B.D.F shows fifteen, San Pedro fourteen, both Juventus and Santels are stalled at thirteen points each, while Revolutionary Conquerors and Georgetown Ibayani both show 10 points a piece at the bottom of the standings.
Week fourteen finds four matches all slated for Sunday. Georgetown travels to San Pedro, Revolutionary Conquerors travel to Hankook Verdes, Wagiya plays host to F.C. Belize, and the Belize Defence Force will make its stand at the M.C.C. Grounds against Suga Boys Juventus.
In other football news, Benque D.C. United of the Super League who lost 1-nil to Kraal Road last weekend have filed a very strong worded protest with the Super League of Belize on grounds of lack of security and absence of two game officials at this particular confrontation. They have also threatened to withdraw from the league if their concerns are not taken care of. Of course, we will keep you posted as this very precarious situation develops.
The closing folks, the recent brouhaha in Belizean cycling has given the sport a de facto black eye. The charges of E.P.O. importation by the Santino team was never substantiated, which left the association President and a prominent team owner will egg on their faces. Worst of all, the current wave of retraction and apologies by both men might have been brought on by the suit filed by Santino Castillo for possibly some six digit figure. Now what would drive anyone to put themselves in such an uncomfortable position? We can only say this is beyond cycling competition, it’s beyond explanation, and it’s unacceptable. May the New Year bring a new spirit to the cycling community.
Finally folks, the eighteenth New Years Day Cycle Classic sponsored by Krem Radio is all set and geared for first January, 2008. You won’t want to miss it.
Of course, that’s our show for today. We take this opportunity to wish all a merry Christmas. May all Belizeans get the gift of peace and prosperity. That’s it for now though. Jah over all, I’m James Adderley.
