Belize Senior Men’s Football Team nets two victories in CONCACAF Nations League

The Belize Senior Men’s National Football Team (the Jaguars) returned home on Thursday, September 12th, victorious against Turks and Caicos and Anguilla in the CONCACAF Nations League. With these wins, Belize now leads in Group B of the tournament’s League C.
The first home-away match took place on September 7th in Turks and Caicos. The Jaguars faced Turks and Caicos at 1PM Belize time. The home team fought against Team Belize but could not prevent the Jaguars from stealing the victory. In the 12th minute of the first half, Orlando Velasquez scored the first goal with a clean header for Belize. Then, in the 43rd minute, Jordy Polanco scored the second goal for the Jaguars via a free kick.
In the second half, Michael Palacio scored a third goal via a penalty kick in the 66th minute. In the 73rd minute, Polanco beat Turks and Caicos’s defense and scored a fourth goal for Belize with a powerful left kick. The home team made a couple of attempts near the end of the game but could not close the gap, and at the end of the long whistle, the match ended 4-0 in favor of Belize.
The second match took place on Tuesday, September 10th, against Anguilla. In the game’s first minutes, Anguilla almost opened the score, but the Jaguars’ goalkeeper made an excellent save. Anguilla continued pressing, but Team Belize did not give in. The Jaguars instead started going on the offensive. In the 26th minute, they broke through Anguilla’s defense, and Polanco defeated the goalkeeper, scoring the game’s only goal. The Belizean national team continued dominating, with several opportunities to widen the gap, but the score remained 1- 0 for the rest of the match.
These two victories have propelled Team Belize to the top spot in their league’s Group B, a position that fills fans with excitement and hope. As the national team returns home, they will prepare for two upcoming home games in October. The first home game of CONCACAF Nations League is set for October 9th against Anguilla at the Football Federation of Belize Stadium in the Capital City of Belmopan. A date for the second game is yet to be announced.