Defending back-to-back champions Belize Defence Force (BDF), despite being short-staffed following red cards in their previous outing, defended their home turf against visiting F.C. Belize at the Norman Broaster Stadium yesterday, coming away with an injury time 2-1 win, to become the only undefeated team in the first round of the 2010 Caribbean Motors Cup tournament.
Only 3 games were played over the weekend, as the Griga United vs Toledo Ambassadors game, scheduled for the Carl Ramos Stadium, had to be cancelled due to stadium repairs. And the BDF vs F.C. Belize match, first scheduled for the MCC Grounds in Belize City, was transferred to San Ignacio, as the MCC was also closed for repairs by the National Sports Council. According to F.C. Belize coach Anthony “Willie Bo” Bernard in a post game interview yesterday, his team was forced to move their practice to the old Technical (now ITVET) field last week.
In the game played on Saturday night at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium in Belmopan, it was home standing Belmopan Blaze making a stern statement against once mighty Hankook Verdes. Leon “Lem” Jones, a former star striker for the Super League’s Kraal Road (now City Boys United) team, struck twice in the first half for Belmopan, at the 26th and 32nd minutes, to give the home squad the 2-nil victory over the struggling Verdes.
The People’s Stadium in Orange Walk was the venue on Sunday afternoon where home standing San Felipe Barcelona saw their former star striker Kenny Witzil try to challenge his old teammates, as he led the San Pedro Sea Dogs attack. Erick Rodriguez gave San Felipe an early 1-nil lead at the 2nd minute of play. An own goal by Hipolito Andrade of San Felipe evened the score at the 18th minute, but Andrade quickly compensated for his error with a successful strike on San Pedro’s goal at the 38th minute, to return the lead to San Felipe, 2-1. Luis Acevedo then made it 3-1, San Felipe, with his tally at the 49th minute. Their former teammate Kenny Witzil tried to bring back the game for the Sea Dogs with his 67th minute strike, but it wasn’t enough, as the home team held on for the 3-2 San Felipe win.
Meanwhile, at the Norman Broaster Stadium in San Ignacio, two short-handed squads made a game of it to the bitter end; and again the home squad was victorious, as defending champs Belize Defence Force got a last minute injury time goal, to hand visiting F.C. Belize their first loss of the tournament. Both teams appeared out of sync, as key players were absent – including defenders Vallan Symms and Khalil Velasquez from BDF, and defenders Albert “Allie” Thurton and Leon Cadle from F.C. Belize. Midfielder David Trapp gave the army the 1-nil lead with his shot at the 31st minute, but F.C. Belize’s Nigerian striker Christian Okonkwo took advantage of an errant back pass from BDF midfielder Richard Jimenez toward his own goal, and Okonkwo drilled it past a surprised Woodrow West in goal for BDF to tie the game 1-1 at the 80th minute. But the army continued to press the attack, and it what seemed their last opportunity deep into injury time, a free kick from the left side gave F.C. Belize goalie Elden Linarez difficulty in the fading light, and the ever alert BDF striker Daniel “Danny” Jimenez beat everybody to the loose ball and drove it into the net at the 93rd minute. The long whistle from referee Gerald Henry came only seconds later; 2-1, BDF, now the only undefeated team, over F.C. Belize.
Weekend Games, Round 8
Saturday, November 6
8:00 p.m. – Hankook Verdes vs Toledo Ambassadors – Marshalleck Stadium
Sunday, November 7
3:00 p.m. – San Pedro Sea Dogs vs F.C. Belize – Ambergris Stadium
4:00 p.m. – San Felipe Barcelona vs Belmopan Blaze – People’s Stadium
4:00 p.m. – Belize Defence Force vs Griga United – Norman Broaster Stadium