Belize Defeats DR to Take Game One of Home and Away Series
The Belize Jaguars did us proud today as they edged out the Dominican Republic’s national football team in a match aired exclusively on this station. Super striker Deon McCauley continues to solidify his legend by adding two more international goals to his growing number of athletic achievements. But, football is a team sport and our boys performed well this afternoon by maintaining their composure throughout the game. News Five’s Isani Cayetano has a brief recap of game one of the home and away series.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
The Belize Jaguars have taken game one of a home and away series being played against Los Quisqueyanos in the Dominican Republic. The second stage of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers kicked off at Estadio Panamericano de San Cristobal at two o’clock this afternoon. Before an otherwise lackluster audience of local fans, the Jaguars would defeat DR’s national team by a score of two to one. The first of two goals scored by star striker Deon McCauley would come twelve minutes and thirty seconds in regulation time, after forward Danny Jimenez was fouled during possession. McCauley would unleash a mean right footer that flew dangerously close to the right corner of the goalpost and when Miguel Baez deflected that penalty kick, McCauley would counter with another deadly right that went screaming into the other corner of the net. Despite Baez’s second attempt at saving the ball, his agility was no match for the lighting speed of McCauley’s attack.
Elsewhere in the ballgame, the Dominican Republic would make its debut on the scoreboard well into the second half of the match with a vicious header that went undefended by seasoned goalkeeper Shane Orio. The one-one draw at seventy minutes would boost the morale of the home team but failed to demoralize team Belize as a bloodthirsty Deon McCauley would strike again before the end of regulation time. The beautiful game was all the more attractive with this handsome play by McCauley edging out Baez and another of his teammates to send this one whistling home for goal number two. Going into this series as the underdogs, the Jaguars have proven themselves a formidable opponent, as they pulled off a major upset on Dominican soil.
Deon McCauley
On the Phone: Deon McCauley, Striker, Belize Jaguars
“Well we are very happy. We knew that if we came out and played as a team, we knew that we can overcome this team. I mean the vibe right now, everybody is very happy, but we are also focus that we have another game on Sunday and it is not over yet. When we reach back to Belize we have to still keep the mentality that we have another game.”
Duane Moody
“Now you scored two goals for Belize—at the twelfth minute and then at the eighty-seventh minute—talk to us about the strategy going into the game.”
On the Phone: Deon McCauley
“We’ll I mean it is always good to score goals, especially late in the game. You know I mean especially late in the game, scoring a goal in that minute and sealing the deal. I’m just happy that I was able to help the team to win this game and my mentality right about now is about the game on Sunday.”
Sunday’s game will be played at the F.F.B. Stadium in Belmopan where Belize will be hosting the visiting team for the decisive match in the qualifying series. That game will also be carried live on Channel Five with up-to-the-minute coverage of the second round playoff. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.
