Placencia Pirates vs F.C. Belize

Last night at the Michael Ashcroft Stadium in Mango Creek, F.C. Belize defeated the home team Placencia Pirates by the score of 4-3. Placencia got the lead early in the game when Elias Donaire scored in the 3rd minute of play. Daniel Thomas equalized for F.C. in the 24th minute, but Ashley Torres answered some 4 minutes later as Placencia regained the lead. The score was once again leveled when Jeromy James scored in the 44th minute of play. It was almost midway through the second half when F.C. got their first lead in the game. The goal came in the 64th minute of play courtesy of Jeromy James, his second of the game. In the 77th minute of play, Rudolph Flowers scored to give F.C. a 4-2 advantage. Steven Lopez converted a penalty in the 88th minute of play to bring Placencia within a goal. But F.C. held on for the victory. Having done their part, F.C. Belize were then tied with Hankook Verdes for the second spot with 7 points. Since they had the better goal average, all they needed was a New Site victory over Verdes for a ticket to the Big Dance.

Hankook Verdes vs New Site Erei

Just as the kickoff time (7:30 p.m.) approached in the Norman Broaster Stadium, there was the sound of drumming from a distance as the bus crossed the wooden bridge. New Site Erei had finally made it to San Ignacio. There had been talk that New Site had some problems getting enough players and would have been a no-show. That would have been disappointing, because I have not seen so many fans at the Norman Broaster Stadium in a long time.

The game was action packed from beginning to end as both sides had many opportunities at the goal. In the first 10 minutes of the game, Verdes had two golden opportunities to score in which New Site?s substitute goalkeeper, Eloy Swazo, was scrambling inside the 18-yard box to make the unorthodox saves.

In the 29th minute of play, New Site got the lead in the most unlikely fashion. Norman ?Tilliman? Pipersburgh fired a long range shot on target that Verdes? goalkeeper, Jamie Brooks, could not stop. The ball was deflected, but not away from danger. Verdes? defender Earl Peters made a valiant effort but could not stop the ball from crossing the goal line. Norman Pipersburgh was credited with the goal as New Site took the lead.

Verdes went into the second half with a sense of desperation because their chance of making it to the championship game was in jeopardy. And Verdes got the equalizer in the same unlikely fashion. It was just two minutes into the second half when Anthony Gonzalez attacked the right side of Erei?s defense. His cross was an intended pass to Marlon ?El Matador? Mesa who was inside the 6-yard box. New Site?s Vallan Symns read the play like a book and intercepted the pass. But he was facing his own goal when he intercepted the pass and that was where the ball went ? into his goal. This brought new life to Hankook Verdes, because all they needed was a draw for them to make it to the finals.

New Site had nothing to lose, of course, but their immense pride alone would not let them settle for a draw. But Hankook Verdes was destined to play in the finals. That is because in the 27^th minute of play, Ryan Simpson sent a beautiful pass to Lennox ?Criminal? Castillo deep inside the 18-yard box. Castillo sent a well executed header that Jamie Brooks had no chance of stopping. Verdes was mercifully spared by the crossbar as the ball hit the under portion and deflected just in front of the goal line. With just two minutes to go in regulation, Lennox Castillo attacked the left side of the defense and took a shot from an acute angle that went inches wide at the far post. The game eventually ended in a draw.

It was a moment for Hankook Verdes to savor. They finally made it to the finals. They will face their nemesis, the defending champ New Site Erei who defeated Verdes in their first 3 meetings prior to the game last night.