Both front runners, league leading BDF and 2nd place F.C. Belize, lost yesterday in Week 13 of the BPFL Opening Season 2010 Caribbean Motors Cup Tournament; and that also means that defending champion Belize Defence Force (BDF) is no longer undefeated.
Deris “Columbia” Benavides struck twice, at the 2nd minute, and in injury time (91 min) from the penalty spot, to clinch the 2-1 win for San Felipe Barcelona at the People’s Stadium in Orange Walk on Saturday night over visiting Belize Defence Force. Orlando “Leechy” Jimenez had tied the score for the army at the 84th minute, before Columbia closed the show, to hand BDF their first loss of the tournament.
Yesterday, at the FFB Field in Belmopan, Lisbey Castillo’s late goal (80 min) gave visiting Griga United the 1-nil win over Belmopan Blaze.
Meanwhile, here at the MCC Grounds in Belize City, it was a see-saw game with the visiting Toledo Ambassadors coming out on top, 4-3, over F.C. Belize. The difference of the ball game had to be the almost telegraphic communication in midfield of Ambassador veterans Robert Muschamp and Wilmer Garcia, who have played together for perhaps a decade, back to the Sagitun days and later with Texmar Boys in the Super League. Rising star Elio Ramirez opened the scoring for Toledo at the 1st minute on a through pass from Wilmer Garcia, but David “Dav” McCaulay, Jr. equalized for F.C. Belize with his header off a perfect center from Byron Usher. A hand ball on a cross-goal pass resulted in a penalty at the 25th minute, and Delroy “Tin Man” Andrews put it in the pigeon hole, to give F.C. the 2-1 lead. But referee Wellington “Spooners” Hall was dealing tough on both sides, and five minutes later, it was Wilmer Garcia converting from the penalty spot for the Ambassadors to tie things up at 2-2 to end the half.
Rookie sensation Gilroy “Bredda” Thurton entered the game about fifteen minutes into second half and immediately created problems for the Toledo defence. He was taken down near the north-east corner flag, and Allie Thurton’s free kick found the leaping head of tall F.C. midfielder Kristian Perez who again gave F.C. Belize the lead, 3-2, at the 74th minute. But it wasn’t over yet, and young Toledo midfielder Devon Makin went to work on the right wing, causing a hand-ball penalty from his centering pass; and again it was Wilmer Garcia perfect from the penalty spot, to knot things up at 3-3 at the 84th minute. Just over a minute later, and it was Toledo’s Makin again reaching the south-west goal line and centering across goal to Ashley Torres coming in on the far left side, and Ashley made no mistake with the header. 4-3 ball game at the 85th minute, and that’s how it ended.
For 2nd place F.C. Belize, who were without their leading striker, Nigerian Christian Okonkwo, it was their second loss. F.C.’s first loss back on October 31 was to BDF, and those two teams meet this coming Sunday; and Okonkwo will be back. It should be a dandy at the MCC.
Weekend schedule for Round 14:
Saturday, December 11
8:00 p.m. – Hankook Verdes vs Belmopan Blaze – Marshalleck Stadium
Sunday, December 12
4:00 p.m. – Toledo Ambassadors vs Griga United – Toledo Union Field
4:00 p.m. – F.C. Belize vs Belize Defence Force – MCC Grounds
(San Felipe Barcelona is resting this week.)