BELMOPAN, Mon. Sept. 25, 2023
Captain Sabrina Eiley’s right-away right-foot strike in injury time last Thursday afternoon at the Football Federation of Belize stadium sealed a late victory for Belize’s Lady Jaguars in their opener in the Concacaf Women’s Gold Cup qualifying tournament dubbed the “2023 Concacaf W Road To Gold Cup Games”.
The victory over Aruba put Belize in the unaccustomed position of first place in League C Group A which is comprised of the 13 lowest ranked of Concacaf’s 34 teams divided into one group of four teams and three groups of three teams. Belize competes with Aruba, Turks and Caicos Islands, and Bonaire in League C in a series of home and away matches over the next 3 months.
The Lady Jaguars face Bonaire today at the FFB Stadium. Bonaire and the Turks and Caicos Islands played to a scoreless 0-0 draw also on September 21.
Eiley’s strike came after young Khalydia Velasquez, 17 years old, despite being knocked down while receiving a pass, was able to pass the ball on to Mikhaila Bodden, who made a great heads-up pass to Eiley for the right away from near the penalty spot that beat Aruba’s goalkeeper, 14-year-old Richdienne Croes.
Bodden had scored Belize’s 1st goal at the 65th minute, a header off a corner kick served into the box in which both she and Eiley out-leapt 4 defenders and beat the goalkeeper.
The victory is testament to a rapidly maturing Belize team that lost to El Salvador (0-6) and Panama (0-8) last year, before tying with Aruba (1–1), and beating Barbados (3-0).
They are probably the most experienced squad in their group, and after today’s game against a youthful Bonaire, they play the Turks and Caicos Islands there on October 25, before a return match here at home on October 29.
They finish off their Group C assignments with away games at Bonaire on November 29, and at Aruba on December 3.
News Flash: Belize defeated Bonaire, 3-0!