7 News Belize

FFB Presents New, Younger Team Says It is Rebuilding
posted (March 20, 2015)
The Football Federation of Belize is preparing for the first round of the World Cup 2018 qualifiers. Game one is on Wednesday night at the FFB stadium against the Cayman Islands. Belize is ranked about fifty places higher than their national team - so betting types might be tempted to ride with the home team. But those betters don't know for sure what they are going to get form this new team - because half of it has been reconstituted. 13 of the players who went to the gold cup in 2013 are not on this new squad. They new lineup and the new look were introduced today at FFB headquarters in Belmopan and 7News was there:..

Jules Vasquez reporting
This is the logo you'll be cheering for this weekend: And this is the team:

Ruperto Vicente, President - FFB
"Belize has never gone to war with a gun, but we are preparing these young men to go into war for Belize and they will defend our national flag. They will defend the name Belize."

But amongst these football warriors you'll see lots of new faces, and many young ones - in fact 7 of them under 23.

The team managers say it is a deliberate strategy of rebuilding:

Charlie Slusher, Asst, Coach
"This team is 80% more or less young players. We are going through a transformation. So, a lot of the faces that you use to see in the past are not here. We are thinking about the future Jules and there is no way we can develop going to the future if we do not rebuild."

Ruperto Vicente, President - FFB
"Our goal here at the federation is rebuilding and we continue to rebuild. I want to emphasize on the fact that some of the changes we are making is that being on the National Team, is no longer automatic. Whether you be good or bad, or good player or bad player - it's no longer automatic."

Hon. John Saldivar, National Team Coordinator
"This last effort which started in November, we have been deliberate to ensure that the younger players get a fair opportunity and by a fair opportunity, we mean that the coaches get a good opportunity to look at the skill-set of these younger players and I have been assured by the coaching staff that they have indeed looked at these young players and do believe that they are at this current time the best that Belize has to offer."

Ruperto Vicente, President - FFB
"The reason we have a lot of young players on this team is because we are also looking forward to the next gold cup. This team should be a giant team in the next gold cup qualifiers and that's what we are preparing for."

Jules Vasquez
"How do you feel about this team which is a combination of youth and experience?"

Ian Gaynair, Veteran Defender - 32caps
"I feel good about it and I think it is good for a change and I think it is really good for Belize National Team, because at the end of the day, we need to start grow up and while we are growing we have good, quality young players on our team."

But even though it is a rebuilding year - management is confident that the team can advance:

Ruperto Vicente, President - FFB
"We are going to pass this hurdle. I am sure that we can get over Cayman, get over Dominica and get to the third round and play against Guatemala or El Salvador."

And so with that kind of confidence - what's the prediction for Wednesday night?

Ruperto Vicente, President - FFB
"We are looking at 6 nil. That's right. We are going for 6 - nil and that's what I want."

Ian Gaynair, Veteran Defender - 32caps
"I don't want to put any pressure on my country, but definitely we will win 2 - nil, because like how I am playing defense, I don't think we will give up any goal, me and Woodrow West, Dalton Eiley and Elroy Smith - the whole defense. I just want the whole country to come out and come watch a nice football game Wednesday night."

Woodrow West, Goalkeeper - 17 Caps
"Our National Team will be playing the first time together since all those hype-ness from gold cup. We are here now in front of our fans and I think they are going to appreciate it and I want to ask them to come out and support us and we will try to pull off the win for them to start on the right foot for this qualifier."

The team as you might have noticed had no logo's on their jersey's as sponsorship is still an issue. There are rumours that BTL would pull out as a main sponsor but the FFB says they have not gotten that in writing. The team has been in camp since November of last year and the budget so far is 220 thousand dollars.

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