The biggest money-prize championship in Belize is now 3 weeks away, as yesterday saw two games played in Week 3 of the playoffs in the 2011 Belize Bank Super League Tournament. Going into yesterday’s games, all 4 teams were deadlocked at 3 points apiece from a win and a loss each; but defending champions Raymond Gentle-City Boys United and Paradise/Freedom Fighters posted big wins on Sunday and now lead with 6 points each. At the end of playoffs Week 6, the top two teams will clash in a best-of-3 finals series, where the winner’s championship trophy will be accompanied by a Belize Bank check for $25,000.00.
Down south at the Toledo Union Field yesterday afternoon, it was scoreless at the intermission between home standing Paradise/Freedom Fighters and visiting Placencia Assassin. But early in second half, at the 55th minute, Toledo’s Alexander “Pleck” Peters converted from the penalty spot to put the Freedom Fighters in front, and that’s how it remained “till” the long whistle. Paradise/Freedom Fighters, 1-0, over Placencia Assassin.
Meanwhile, here at the MCC Grounds in Belize City, the game was not as one-sided as the score indicates, as R.G. City Boys United shelled Orange Walk United, 4-0, with 2 goals from Deon McCaulay (22 & 79 min) and 1 each from Tyrone “T-Bone” Muschamp (29 min) and Ryan Simpson (72 min). Deon’s first strike into the northern goal was a beauty – a free kick just outside the top left corner of the eighteen, and he used his right foot to direct a high hard swerve that dived under the crossbar just where it joined with the right upright, beating Orange Walk’s desperately lunging veteran keeper Charlie Slusher for the 1-nil lead. For his goal, T-Bone on the run found himself loosely marked around the penalty spot, and received a centering ground pass from Ryan Simpson on the right wing; T-bone beat his defender to the ball, and used his right foot to slap a hard grounder past Charlie for the second goal of the game. Another Orange Walk defensive lapse saw Ryan Simpson getting a breakaway down the middle, and finding himself all alone to easily beat the Charlie for City Boys’ third goal of the game. Deon’s second goal, to make it 4-nil, was another gift from a defensive breakdown just inside the eighteen on the left side of the southern goal area; this time Deon sent a left footed rocket past a bewildered Charlie high into the right corner.
Orange Walk played well in spurts, but the team seemed to lack the usual cohesiveness. The Hendricks brothers, Christopher and Oliver were in fine form, but opportunities were still scarce for veteran Dean Flowers who started, rather than coming off the bench as he normally does. And Jarret Davis, who also was in O.W.’s starting line-up, had few good looks at City Boys’ goal, where veteran Stanley “Jordan” Reneau took care of business.
For City Boys, the duo of David “Dav” McCaulay, Jr. and Ryan Simpson in their middle seems to make the rest of the team “gel” better. The team seems to be “set”, with T-Bone and Deon up front, “Paxon” (Jason Young) on the left midfield and “Lem” (Leon Jones) on the right, “Chuckie” (Shawn Thurton) sweeping behind Mark Grant, and “Jordan” (Stanley Reneau) in goal, that’s R.G. City Boys United at their best right now.
After the game, Orange Walk coach Jorge Nunez, himself a veteran of the Juventus championship teams of the ‘90s, said he is having difficulty getting the whole O.W. United team together to work out, as job schedules often interfere with workout plans. “It’s no comparison to the Juventus days,” said Jorge, “because then all the players were paid and could concentrate on football.” Because of the slump in attendance at football games these past few years, few clubs can afford to pay all their players on a regular basis.
But one thing is for sure, some individual players today are performing at a level comparable to some of the best days in Belizean football. And City Boys striker Deon McCaulay is one such player. Coach John Pollard asserts, “Deon is without a doubt the best football player in the country of Belize right now.” Judging from the “oohs” and “aaahs” from fans in the “ragamuffin” bleachers when Deon makes an attempt at goal, John is likely not the only one who feels that way. Deon is boss!
Week 4 playoff schedule:
Saturday, June 25
7:30 p.m. – Placencia Assassin vs Paradise/Freedom Fighters – Placencia Football Field
7:30 p.m. – Orange Walk United vs Raymond Gentle-City Boys United – People’s Stadium