The 2013 Annual SMART 13 & Under Football Tournament lit up the MCC Grounds again with Week 3 games on Saturday, October 19; and with wider goalposts. After complaints that at 10 feet wide, the advantage was too much in favor of goalkeepers versus strikers, the goalposts were widened to 14 feet for the Week 3 games. The height remains at 6 feet. And already it has resulted in the most goals scored in this young competition. Seven (7) goals were scored on Saturday, after 6 in Week 1 and 5 in Week 2.
When the 5 games involving all 10 teams in the competition were over on Saturday, 3 teams remained undefeated – Brown Bombers, City Boys and Ladyville Jaguars. The Jaguars have drawn all 3 of their games so far, so they are not high in the standings, but Brown Bombers have registered 3 straight victories, and now enjoy the top spot in the standings. After the single round-robin regular competition, the top 4 teams will play in knockout semifinals, with the 2 winners squaring off in 1 game for the championship.
In game 1 on Saturday, City Boys shut out Survivors, 3-0, with 2 goals from Akeem Sutherland and the other from Jaylen Babb.
Game 2 was a 1-0 affair, as Tyrell Estrada scored the only goal of the game, to give Collet Strikers the victory over Hattieville United.
Brown Bombers then extended their winning streak to 3 games when they stopped Young Stars, 2-0, with a goal apiece from Jovann Ramos and Sherwin Requena.
In game 4, Third World clipped Rising Stars, 1-nil, with a goal from Christian Busch.
And in the last game of the day, Belize Elementary, which had as many as 5 female players on the field at one time, played to a 0-0 draw with Ladyville Jaguars, who feature the smallest set of players in the tournament.
According to coordinator Stanley “Jordan” Reneau, although it is a male tournament, the teams are allowed to use as many female players as they wish. All 16 players on a team’s roster must see action in every game.
Upcoming Week 4 games:
Saturday, October 26
10:00 a.m. – Third World vs Ladyville Jaguars
10:50 a.m. – Collet Strikers vs Brown Bombers
11:40 a.m. – Belize Elementary vs Hattieville United
12:30 p.m. – Survivors vs Young Stars
1:20 p.m. – City Boys vs Rising Stars