Football fans, the competition is getting hotter, the games are getting better, and come 2008 you don’t want to miss too many more of these real life football dramas on the home turf.
This afternoon at the MCC in Belize City, it was not the best officiated game, but football fans enjoyed a real thriller as, though in a losing effort, visiting Suga Boys Juventus pressed the action all the way with exceptional passing and teamwork, while home standing Belize Defence Force, whose early 2-nil lead gave them a false sense of security, were glad for a splendid surprise go-ahead goal late in the second half, and were indeed grateful for the final whistle and a hard earned 3-2 victory.
BDF got two early goals in the first half by Erwin “Bird” Flores, both headers, at the 17th and 32nd minute, as he took advantage of his aerial superiority over Suga Boys defence, led by sweeper Dean Flowers, who most fans are used to seeing in the forward line. Dean handled the position well, but he is still a “converted sweeper”, and had to make a few adjustments to counter the Bird’s airborne attack
The first goal came after a free kick from 40 yards out by Deon McCaulay was desperately deflected onto the cross bar by Suga Boys goalie, Jeffrey Waight, only to have BDF’s striker Erwin “Bird” Flores rising high in the air above the Suga Boys defence around the penalty spot, to head the rebounding ball hard and high into the right (eastern) corner of the northern goal at the MCC, just out of reach of the diving keeper, and about a foot inside the goal post near the “pigeon hole”. The second goal came off a center from the right wing by Isidro Lara, with Bird again going up and directing the header, this time to the ground near the goal post in the same right corner, too “mean” and hard for a diving Jeffrey Waight to make the save.
Interestingly, during the halftime break, with BDF enjoying a 2-nil lead, Suga Boys’ sweeper, Dean Flowers, who himself is normally a striker, was heard cajoling his teammates to put more pressure on BDF’s sweeper, Jerome “JeJe” Serano, who he assessed as also not being a true sweeper (JeJe played center midfield earlier in the season), and therefore having some weaknesses in the position which they should capitalize on.
Despite the early 2-nil score, on two outstanding plays by an outstanding player, “Bird” Flores, who was probably not adequately challenged by Suga Boys own “converted” sweeper, the game was not in the least bit one sided. If anything, Suga Boys were having the better of the action, led by their experienced and outstanding midfield general Freddy Tun. They just couldn’t get anything past Charlie Slusher in goal for BDF in the first half, despite some very good efforts.
But at the start of the second half, Suga Boys knew they had to go more offensive, and that they did, and it immediately paid off. Donnie Tun, from midfield, began the 2nd half playing more like a right wing, allowing right side striker Christopher Hendericks to stay inside along with left side striker Dennis Serano when Tun drove the line, which he did repeatedly as the 2nd half got under way.
Suga Boys’ first goal came a mere 3 minutes into the 2nd half, when Donnie Tun’s entry pass in front of goal resulted in a Hendricks’ shot from point blank range that rebounded off the chest of goalkeeper Charlie Slusher and back out to the waiting Dennis Serano, who picked his spot and sent the right foot shot through the opening on the right side of the goal. For the second goal five minutes later, Serano drove down the left side, broke back to his right, and lifted a lob pass across to the right side and over the heads of the BDF defenders who had ventured out around the quarter field position. While the BDF players were appealing for an offside call, possibly on Hendricks, Suga Boys’ Donnie Tun was streaking from his right wing/midfield position to reach the ball ahead of the defence, and expertly flipping the ball with one touch over the head of the oncoming keeper, Charlie Slusher, for the 2-2 tie.
It was a brand new ball game, and the game was “playing”, with Suga Boys showing more poise in their attack. But it was BDF that got back the lead at the 79th minute on a play started by Deon McCaulay, weaving his way through midfield, then drawing the defence and laying a right side pass to an open space on the right side at the top of the eighteen facing the “Seaview” goal, where second half substitute Evan Mariano had time to settle it and unleash a right-foot blast to the far left side of goal, just over the outstretched finger tips of a diving Suga Boys goalie. 3 – 2, BDF.
Late in the 2nd half, with time winding down, and Suga Boys pressing for the equalizer, their talented left midfielder Clifton West drove all the way down the left side to the northern goal line inside the eighteen, beating two defenders along the way and then, approaching the six-yard box, sent a perfect center across and back from the goal toward an on-coming Serano inside of the penalty spot; but Charlie was on top of his game, reading the play and leaping out from his goal to intercept and caress the ball out of danger. In another play, the Juventus bench was up in arms for a penalty when a hard tackle brought down Hendricks inside the eighteen, but the referee said “play on”. In the last fifteen minutes of the game, Suga Boys switched their sweeper, Dean Flowers, with their main striker, Christopher Hendricks, who handled the sweeper position well enough, but Dean’s efforts on the front line were also to no avail, as the score remained the same until the long whistle. Belize Defence Force, 3; Suga Boys Juventus, 2.
Analysis/assessment:
It was a great and enjoyable ball game. BDF have some talented players, but Juventus has more experience and finesse as a team, and move the ball beautifully and purposefully, creating constant problems for opposing defenders. The Tun brothers, Donnie and Freddy, along with the very talented Clifton West in midfield make up a formidable force. Striker Dennis Serano is playing the best ball of his career, and seems to communicate well with his counterpart, Christopher Hendricks, one of the most talented and witty strikers in the game today. Juventus is a joy to watch; their shortcoming, that has them low in the standings, seems to be in defence, as their goal differential indicates.
BDF’s midfield, with young David “Dav” McCaulay, Jr. and brother Deon McCaulay, flanked by Azizi Swaso and Kaleem Velasquez, is fairly talented, but lacks the experience and cohesiveness of their Suga Boys opponents. On one noticeable play on the left side in Suga Boys’ half of the field, Azizi hesistated with the ball while confronted by two defenders, as Dav drove by towards the line, out of his position and obviously calling for and expecting an easy feed. Azizi, inexplicably, completely ignored him and chose instead to make a right cross to the center of the field, where the ball was promptly intercepted, and a Suga Boys counter-attack began. It took a lot of self control for Dav, trecking back to his midfield position, to try and conceal his displeasure with Azizi, who may not be comfortable yet in the midfield position, having been replaced up front by Dion “Pussy” Flowers. One gets the impression that that play would have been better executed by their opponents.
All in all, it was a very good ball game. As they say, when eleven meets eleven, anything can happen. And the name of the game is “goal”. Suga Boys played better ball today, but BDF pulled out the victory with a few outstanding individual plays, and some exceptional goalkeeping by veteran all star, Charlie Slusher.
Come on football fans! Tell the league what you need to give our boys a bigger audience in ’08! A Happy New Year to all!