Bandits shock Police, 3-0, in Capital City – Part 2
PLB Finals Game 2 this Saturday at the Isidoro Beaton
Continuing our discussion of the Premier League Finals Game 1, as promised, there was quite a bit of strategy involved on Saturday last, with former national team coach Leroy Sherrier Lewis calling the shots for his Belmopan Bandits, while recently named Best Coach Hilberto “Hilly” Muschamp led the Police United brain trust, which included Best Manager Alford Grinage, asst. coach Amin August and former head coach Andres Makin. Indeed, it is acknowledged that the Police team is presently playing perhaps their best ball ever. But it seems in retrospect and analysis of Saturday’s results that much credit must be given to the brilliant coaching strategy of the Bandits’ Leroy Sherrier Lewis.
Against an admittedly superior attacking team, certainly on paper, the Bandits started the game, and played the whole of the first half, using 3 forwards, quite uncharacteristic of all the games we have seen in Premier League football for some time.
Police, on the other hand, started with the traditional two-forward stance, Danny Jimenez and Clifton West, and they created enough sparks in the Police attack, ably supported by Harrison “Cafu” Roches and Amin “Tacos” August, Jr. in central midfield, and the Makin brothers, Devon on the right and Andres on the left.
To the casual fan, it might seem inconsequential, the Bandits choosing to initially deploy 3 forwards, as opposed to Police, who had their two outside midfielders also performing the role of wingers to support their traditional 2-forward attack. Formations sometimes make little difference, if the personnel aren’t tutored and prepared to execute; but the little things – time and space and strategy do count for something in a tight contest.
The Bandits pushed their attack with young David Madrid and Brandon Peyrefitte on the wings, and the tall veteran Jerome “Jarro” James in the center of a 3-pronged offense that grabbed enough attention from the Police defense and midfield to keep their own attack from becoming too overwhelming for the Bandits’ defense. The veteran Elroy “Bibbs” Kuylen was outstanding on the left midfield and rookie Norman Anderson also played very well on the right side, but the inspired performance of central midfielder Denmark Casey, Jr., who covered a wide swath in defense and offense, was key to the success of the Bandits strategy, which worked brilliantly.
Anchoring the Bandits 4-back defense were Ian “Yellow” Gaynair on the right, Tyrone Pandy on the left, Erick Rodriguez playing stopper, and the veteran Dalton Eiley sweeping; while Police started with Kishane “Grill” Pech on right defense, Byron “Barrow” Usher on the left, Trevor “Burger” Lennen as stopper in front of sweeper Cristobal Gilharry. Woodrow West was in goal for the Bandits, while newly crowned Best Goalkeeper Keith Allen was between the sticks for Police.
But David, Brandon and the veteran Jarro in the Bandits offense were not considered equal to the recent scoring reputation of Clifton and Danny on the other side for Police.
Dissatisfied with the intensity of his attack, and with Brandon Peyrefitte coming to the sidelines with a torn boot sole, coach Sherrier Lewis wasted no time in making his first substitution at the 37th minute, bringing in veteran David Trapp for Peyrefitte.
At the 42nd minute, the Bandits’ Woodrow West had to make a diving save, cutting off a dangerous cross goal pass from the left goal line by Police’s Harrison “Cafu” Roches; and 3 minutes later on the other end, it was Police’s Keith Allen doing the same to deflect a low shot to the right corner by David Madrid off a feed from Casey.
Police made no half-time change, but were exhorted by coach Hilly to “go back out there and attack the ball;” “show no respect” for the Bandits, he said, indicating that his team was not being aggressive and hungry enough in attack.
For their part, the Bandits did a major reshuffling of their deck to start the second half. Forward David Madrid was replaced by veteran Ernest Wiltshire, who was deployed to midfield. David Trapp, who played wing/forward in first half dropped back to midfield, and the tall multi-skilled Elroy “Bibbs” Kuylen joined Jarro in the attack. The Bandits, who had thus made 2 substitutions before Police had gone to their bench, were therefore now showing a two-forward offense, with David Trapp, Ernest Wiltshire, Denmark Casey, Jr. and Norman Anderson manning the midfield. It was a different look from what Police faced in first half. And it paid off.
With more manpower in midfield, and more freedom to advance, the Bandits’ Denmark Casey, Jr. made an aggressive run forward and unleashed a long, powerful drive to the left corner that had Police’s Allen diving to deflect it to the left; but Bibbs Kuylen, coming on the left side, was there to tap it back across goal for the advancing Jarro James to finish in the open goal; 1-nil, Bandits, at the 53rd minute.
Barely a minute later, the score was almost equalized. A Police attack culminated in striker Clifton West beating Bandits goalie Woodrow West to the ball in the open field near the right edge of the penalty area; and Clifton carefully directed a right foot stroke into the center of the open goal, when, from seemingly nowhere, there was Bandits’ sweeper Dalton Eiley stretched out on the ground with a leaping header to clear the ball just before it reached the goal line.
Desperate to equalize, Police frustration led to some overly aggressive play, and a yellow card to Devon Makin allowed for a Bandits free kick just past the half-way line on the left side. A long high centering lob from David Trapp then saw the tall Jarro James going high inside the eighteen, to head the ball up and backwards, where an oncoming Keith Allen was beaten, as the ball sank into the right corner of the Police goal. 2-nil, Bandits, at the 60th minute; and Police was suddenly in trouble. A 2-goal margin is not healthy in the Finals series.
Police responded by bringing in the legendary Lennox “Criminal” Castillo to replace Cafu Roches at the 66th minute. Criminal is all about attack; the Police were now desperately looking for a goal to cut into the 2 goal margin. But barely a minute later, lightning struck again, as a long cross from the left side again found space in the Police defense, and the alert Denmark Casey, Jr. pounced on the opportunity to drive home the “killer blow”; 3-nil, Bandits, at the 67th minute. And now it was complete “shock and awe” on the Police bench and among their loyal fans.
Immediately, at the 68th minute, Police replaced midfielder Amin “Tacos” August, Jr. with Luis “Baca” Torres; but the Bandits defense was resilient and impregnable, coach Lewis shouting commands to his team to start playing with one forward only – Jarro.
Still taking no chances, the Bandits then brought in the veteran ball handler Deris “Columbia” Benavides to replace the cramping young Norman Anderson in midfield at the 79th minute.
“Game, set, match”; Belmopan Bandits, 3-nil, over Police United.
There will be a Game 2 this coming Saturday night; and it will be Police’s home game; and a champion will be crowned when it is all over. But, to many fans, it has already been decided. Police’s daunting task is to accomplish the nigh-impossible; but when eleven meet eleven, nothing is impossible. Any victory by Police on Saturday, even if they still lose the series, will salvage some measure of pride. Chances are Game 2 will be as interesting and exciting as Game 1. Police must attack hard and fast. The question is, will the Bandits take a defensive posture this time, or will they again “fight fire with fire”?
Belmopan Bandits FC – #01 Woodrow West (goalkeeper); #23 Tyrone Pandy; #6 Erick Rodriguez; #7 Ian Gaynair; #24 Dalton Eiley; #4 Elroy Kuylen; #12 Denmark Casey, Jr.; #51 Norman Anderson (#16 Deris Benavides at 79’); #10 David Madrid (#20 Ernest Wiltshire at halftime); #15 Jerome James; #17 Brandon Peyrefitte (#9 David Trapp at 37’).
Police United FC – #00 Keith Allen (goalkeeper); #19 Byron Usher; #22 Trevor Lennen; #24 Kishane Pech; #21 Cristobal Gilharry; #5 Andres Makin, Jr.; #13 Amin August, Jr. (Luis Torres at 68’); #10 Harrison Roches (#9 Lennox Castillo at 66’); #12 Devon Makin; #16 Clifton West; #14 Daniel Jimenez.
Referee – Amir Castillas; assistants – Ricardo Ake and Abner Alvarez; 4th official – Irfan Basdemir.