BELIZE CITY, Mon. Oct. 8, 2012
7 weeks have gone, and 7 weeks remain, including 2 more out-of-zone weekends, in the Premier League of Belize (PLB) Opening Season 2012-2013. And, with F.C. Belize suffering their first loss on Saturday, there is no longer any undefeated team in this very tough competition; and only 1 team, San Ignacio United is still without a win. It will be a war down the stretch in the weeks ahead to determine which 2 teams from the North (N) and the South (S) will make it to the 4-team semifinal playoffs.
On Saturday night at the Michael Ashcroft Stadium in Independence, (S) Paradise/Freedom Fighters defended home turf with a 3-1 win against (N) San Pedro Seadogs. Shaking the net for the Freedom Fighters were Alexander “Pleck” Peters (41 min), Victor Franco (43 min) and Onest Martinez (87 min); while San Pedro got a late goal from Mario Chimal (90+ min). Also on Saturday, the Isidoro Beaton Stadium in Belmopan saw (S) Police United deliver the first loss to previously undefeated (N) F.C. Belize, who fell 3-0 to the law men, courtesy of goals from Daniel “Danny” Jimenez (14 & 77 min) and Evan Mariano (43 min). After losing their first 2 outings, Police are now sporting a 5-game winning streak.
In action on Sunday at the Norman Broaster Stadium, home standing (S) San Ignacio United failed again to produce their first victory of the tournament, as (N) FC San Felipe Barcelona got 2 late goals from Oscar Accevedo (75 & 78 min) to clinch the 2-1 win, after Carlos Vasquez (15 min) had given San Ignacio the lead in first half. It was San Felipe’s first victory in the tournament. Meanwhile, farther west at the Marshalleck Stadium, the home fans were again disappointed, as, after a scoreless first half, the visiting (N) Belmopan Bandits FC got 2 late goals, from Jacinto Bermudez (85 min) and Edmund Pandy, Jr. (87 min), to secure the 2-0 win over (S) Verdes FC. The victory also pushed the Bandits to the top of the standings in the North Zone. Down south at the Placencia Football Field, it went down to the “wire” before defending champs Placencia Assassins FC managed to pull out the 1-0 victory over Belize Defence Force FC with an Ashley Torres goal in injury time (90+ min). With the win, Placencia Assassins are once more at the top of the standings in the South Zone.
And at the MCC Grounds in Belize City, it was (S) R.G. City Boys United silencing critics, after their disappointing loss the previous week to F.C. Belize, with a hard earned 2-0 win over a game (N) Juventus FC, featuring veteran legends Norman “Tilliman” Nunez (Pipersburg) and Freddy Tun in midfield. But, while Tilliman and Freddy appeared to defy age with their outstanding play for the full ninety, without a doubt the man of the match had to be City Boys’ Deon McCaulay, who timed his leap perfectly and struck like a dragon on a header from a center by Gilroy “Bredda” Thurton at the 19th minute, and then sealed the victory with a spectacular right footed free kick from 35 yards out at the 62nd minute that cleared the wall and curved down in the left corner past a bewildered Howard West in goal for Juventus. The game was high intensity from the opening whistle, and bedazzled Juventus defenders now surely know who Bredda Thurton is; but the lighting at the MCC was poor, and may have been a factor in a number of serious injuries from colliding heads and knees. Juventus suffered an early setback, when their leading striker, Michael Whittaker had to leave the game at the 35th minute of first half with a knee injury. And with about 10 minutes left in regulation, a Bredda Thurton center from the left side in the southern goal, where the lighting was poorest, resulted in a melee of colliding heads and knees; and when it was done, Juventus goalkeeper Howard West had to be carried off the field and to the hospital, and his teammate, defender Ritchel Dominguez also had to leave the game with a badly bruised left knee, which had apparently crashed into West’s head on the play. Thankfully, our latest reports yesterday were that Howard was recovering well and talking. FIX THE MCC LIGHTS, PLEASE!!
Week 8 out-of-zone schedule:
Saturday, October 13
7:30 p.m. – San Ignacio United FC vs Belmopan Bandits FC – Norman Broaster Stadium
7:30 p.m. – Paradise/Freedom Fighters vs BDF – Michael Ashcroft Stadium
7:30 p.m. – Verdes FC vs F.C. Belize – Marshalleck Stadium
7:30 p.m. – Police United FC vs FC San Felipe Barcelona – Isidoro Beaton Stadium
Sunday, October 14
4:00 p.m. – Placencia Assassins vs Juventus FC – Placencia Football Field
4:00 p.m. – R.G. City Boys United vs San Pedro Seadogs – MCC Grounds