The San Pedro Veterans Football Club (FC) emerged victorious following a friendly match against the United States-based team RUM FC on Saturday, May 18th, at the Ambergris Stadium. The game saw the island’s veteran footballers show their skills on the field, resulting in a 4-1 victory.
The event started with both team players stepping on the field, and then the Belize and United States anthems were played. Afterward, the ball started rolling. In the game’s first minutes, both teams had equal ball control. But in the 6th minute, San Pedro’s Orlando Pinelo took advantage of a weak defense barrier and scored the first goal for the island team. RUM FC tried to even the score by going on the offensive but beating San Pedro’s defense was challenging. In another offensive charge at minute 20th, San Pedro Veterans’ Orlando Castro netted another goal after beating RUM’s goalkeeper. Six minutes later, Raul ‘Coco’ Gonzalez swept RUM’s defense and scored San Pedro Veteran’s third goal. San Pedro had a comfortable 3-0 lead over the visiting team at the end of the first half.
In the second half, RUM FC made several close attempts to score without success. The island’s veteran team also had several opportunities to widen the gap further, but RUM’s defense was more robust and difficult to penetrate. But during the 59th minute, Pinelo managed to capitalize on a play and scored the fourth goal for his team. With a 4-0 lead, the local squad changed their gameplay and went on the defensive, leading to tremendous pressure from the opponent. RUM’s Sean Watson started the charge, which resulted in a penalty kick called in their favor. Taking the responsibility and delivering RUM’s only goal was Nicholas’ Drogba’ Dillon. Some minutes later, the long whistle signaled the end of the game. San Pedro Veterans won over RUM 4-1.
The RUM FC technical team expressed their joy at the opportunity to play football in Belize and their appreciation for the local team. The Houston-based team also demonstrated their commitment to community engagement by partnering with the Community Umbrella Project and donating sporting gear. These items will be distributed among local children involved in football, further strengthening the bond between the teams and the community.
The San Pedro Veterans thanked all the football fans attending the game. They also thanked RUM FC for taking the challenge and traveling to the island for such an unforgettable sporting experience.
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