Belize loses to auto-goal

In Sports Monday, James Adderley looks at Saturday’s game against Costa Rica blow by blow. And by now you may know that Costa Rica’s only goal was scored by Co-captain of the Belize Jaguars, Dalton Eiley. The auto goal came in the first forty-five minutes of play and even though in the last minutes of play there was another heartbreaking when Belize narrowly missed tying the ballgame, the team is preparing to take on Cuba, their last opponent in the first round of competition. Eiley and other team members spoke to William Neal about their emotions following the game.

Dalton Eiley

Dalton Eiley, Co-Captain, Belize Jaguars

“I got mixed emotions. I already missed the first game, I wanna do well in this game. But I never thought I would have slipped one in on my keeper, but that’s the way the game goes. My teammates tell me keep my head high and get ready for the next game. We still could qualify once we beat Cuba. So we are looking forward to the next game. I really wanted to do good. I really wanted to win that game or draw that game because they don’t deserve to win that game. We played our hearts out, we held our own with them and to suffer a loss like that on an auto goal; it’s tough. No player wants to score an auto goal on a big tournament like this and unfortunately I was that player. I gotta put that behind me and move on.”

Ian Gaynair

Ian Gaynair, Midfielder

“I noh really feel too bad like the U.S. game because we gone down fighting. We made an error, but at the end of the day, football dah bout who make mistake. But my team played good. My team played excellent so I feel much better than the last game like I said.”

William Neal

“In the final minutes of the game, with the header. I notice you kinda ducked out of the way too. I don’t know what was happening.”

Ian Gaynair

“I noh duck outta the way. I feel like dah me the ball di come to, I said what? Ian Gaynair on this again? But Berger beat me to it and bally made an excellent save so at least we gone down fighting though.”

Belize Jaguar

Member, Team Jaguars

“I mean, I kinda depress for the last, but we can’t keep we head down. We have to lift up we head and get ready for the next game. Going into the game, one thing mi deh pan mi mind was to win and play my heart out fi my country because then we mi need fi put Belize on the map. This is the first time we deh yah and we need to show people what Belizean players can do. Fi me I work hard because then my country mi depend pan it; dah noh only me and my whole team. Me and my whole team I think we did great. So we have to focus on the next game because we neva could know weh could happen with the next teams. We still got wah chance to qualify for the next round.”