For the first time in history, Belize will play in the third round of a world cup qualifier. That's the bottom line after the Jaguars won in style yesterday at the FFB Stadium in Belmopan - thrashing the Dominican Republic three to nil. The game was a tour de force performance and a joy to behold for the thousands of Belizeans in the stadium and the tens of thousands who got to watch it live on TV. Channel 7 had live coverage - and we got reaction from the goal scorers and the assistant coach after the game:..
Mose Hyde
"Fairly you had some risk. Tell me about the decision making to not be defensive today?"
Charlie Slusher, Coach
"Well it was touch for not being defensive, because in the locker room I told the guys as much as we want to score goals, we got to realize that these guys have to come and score first. So we had a certain comfort there, but we have to be cautious. But I told the guys you guys can go all out offence, but what I need from you is when I lose the ball - all out defense also."
Harrison "Cafu" Roches
"Thanks to the coaches and the team mates, the way how we play a systematic kind of football and then I was in the right position at the right time and I just managed to get it in."
Deon McCauley
"Our job and the midfield job is to support the striker and we just do what the coaches tell us to do and when we are in the locker room and doing the blackboard work and we just stick to the system and the role we have to play on the field."
Elroy Kuylen
"In the past one coach come in and another coach come in and if you listen to the guys when they are talking about working on a system. From the day they start, we work and a system and master and practice how we would play against this team and today what you saw from these guys were basically what they have been practicing for the past couple of months."
Mose Hyde
"How does it feel to be in the third round?"
Deon McCauley
"It feels good. This is history for Belize and we are looking to play better football going forward, because Belizean people are looking for this kind of football that we are playing right now and we are grateful that we can let the fans go home with a win."
Elroy Kuylen
"Everybody supposed to know their role and if everybody know their role and play their role, we will beat like one heart and we get the job and that's why we came out victorious."
Goals were scored by Harrison Roches in the 17th minute, Elroy Kuylen in the 17th minute and Deon McCauley in the 76th minute. Belize won by an aggregate score of five to one.
So, next for the Jaguars is the third round of the World Cup Qualifiers which will feature 12 teams. It starts in September but the matchups aren't set yet - but Jamaica and Haiti are already waiting because they got a bye to go through to those rounds. The draw for pairings in the third round will be held at the end of July in Russia.
There's more coming up later on - as we speak with the forgotten man in all this - Brazilian head coach Jorge Nunez.
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