Tonight, the Belize National Football team, the Jaguars is preparing for its final game of group play – when they face Cuba, which also lost its first two games. Both teams are looking at the slim possibility of advancing to the quarterfinals. That's because the top two teams from each group advances as do the two bets third place teams. Belize is vying to be just that. Here's how Belize can do it: If Trinidad and Salvador lose or draw tonight, then – if Belize can beat Cuba, it's possible. But because of the goal differential, we'd have to be them handily. Like we said the possibility is slim, but it is there. And it is with that knowledge that the team had its first practice at Rentschler field in East Hartford, Connecticut about two hours ago. They are preparing to play the first game tomorrow at 3:30 Belize time.
But before we go there, we first take a look back to Saturday for an in-depth breakdown of the game and an analysis by the former assistant coach Charlie Slusher. Daniel Ortiz studied the game in –depth:..
Daniel Ortiz reporting
The Belize team established itself very early on the game, making better passes, and maintaining possession more than it did in the game against the US.
Even the announcers on Fox News recognized that the Jaguars were playing with better focused strategies:
But small cracks in the defence would start to show up under Costa Rican pressure, and at times goal keeper Woodrow West would have to get the situation under control.
But Belize allowed one to escape coming up to the ninth minute when Cunningham slipped past a defender and connected with a header.
But, the referees called him off-side, so the goal was reversed.
Immediately after, the defence stepped its game up, and started to cut off those precision passes from Costa Rica.
Nevertheless, Costa Rica kept pressuring Belize at every opportunity they got.
And while Costa Rica had the best looks at goal, Belize also had great moments where it pressured the defenders from the other side. However, as in this play, they couldn't convert.
And so with that look by Belize, the first half ends with a score of nil-nil.
Belize played a very effective defence in the first half, holding the Ticos off, but the first and only goal of the match came from Belize's defender, Dalton Eiley, in an own-goal mistake 3 minutes in.
The devastation on Eiley's face was visible as the ball went in.
They played through the disappointment, but no matter how many times they tried to get back that goal, Costa Rica denied them.
The match continued back and forth but Belize got into trouble late in the match. Fortunately, Woodrow West saved Belize twice from a 2-nil game.
And in injury time, Costa Rica got dangerously close once again, but the attacker put it just a bit too wide.
And, later on, Belize had a very impressive look at an open goal, but Costa Rica barely kept them out.
The game ended with a final score of 1-0, an impressive rebound from that beating in Portland. Their former assistant coach was very proud of the way the team performed.
Charlie Slusher - Former Assistant Coach
"I think a lot of the adjustments were made - the proper adjustments, the players were put in their proper positions and a system was played that the guys were familiar with but I was really proud. I think that's one of the best games I've ever seen my team play because that's not a B Costa Rica Team - that's one of Costa Rica's best team and for the guys to stand up for 90 minutes and almost draw the game to the end and the auto-goal as score, I have to take my hats off for those guys. I'm very proud that they kind of restored a lot of respect back - to rebound after a 6-1 loss and facing a Costa Rica team and played a game like that - I have to be proud of them."
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