In a thrilling match held before thousands of cheering fans at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium in Belmopan, the Belize national soccer team defeated the Puerto Rico national team by one goal in the Nations League qualification round of the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
The Belize team, nicknamed the Jaguars, initially struggled to find their footing against a tough Puerto Rico team, nicknamed the Blue Hurricane (El Huracán Azul). However, with 30 minutes left to go before the end of the match, Belizean midfielder Denmark Casey, Jr. landed a long shot from just outside the penalty box. Despite several close calls, Belize managed to hold on for the rest of the game and eke out a 1-0 victory.
Belize’s record in the 2019 CONCACAF Nations League qualification round is two wins, one loss, and zero draws for a total of six points, leaving them well positioned to qualify for next year’s Gold Cup championship. After defeating Puerto Rico, Belize has moved up to seventh place from 18th place in the Nations League qualifying table. Belize will next face off against Guyana with an away game on March 23, 2019.
The CONCACAF Gold Cup is held every two years, the next one being in 2019. To qualify, teams play off in what’s called a National League round with the top 10 teams (after playing four games) advancing to the final round that also includes the six teams which qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The Gold Cup championship will be held in the United States between June 15 and July 7, 2019.
Belize’s national team has never qualified for a FIFA World Cup, but the team did make it to the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2013. Unfortunately, they were eliminated early in the group stage after losing three straight matches.
Chabil Mar congratulates the Belize national football team and wishes them all the best in their upcoming games.
