Jaguars Dominate Turks and Caicos, Move Closer to Gold Cup Qualification

For the second time in history, Jaguars football is well on the way to the Gold Cup. The Jaguars, Belize’s national senior men’s football team, closed out the CONCACAF Nation’s League tournament last night with a decisive victory against the Turks and Caicos Islands. The team dominated the match, winning three-nil in the tournament’s final game, held at the FFB stadium in Belmopan. Jordy Polanco scored the first goal in the 28th minute of the game, securing his fourth goal in this year’s Nation’s League. Moises Hernandez hit the second goal in the 40th minute of the game, with a shot from outside the penalty box while Krisean Lopez scored the third goal in the 57th minute. Head Coach of the Jaguars Carlos “Charlie” Slusher, says that the opposing team was formidable and that the players deserve the credit for representing the country so well in the tournament. 

Carlos “Charlie” Slusher, Head Coach, Belize Jaguars:…. “Most importantly I have to be happy especially when I see how happy my players were after the game. It seems that you know they really enjoyed it and they really loved the results I think and I think they deserve every bit of it and I hope that the Belizean people continue to share the love for them, for their sacrifice, for their dedication because again as much as I’m the coach it is all about them. You know it would never happen I will always give all the credit to my players. Yes I play a role but without them we would never be in this position so I ask the Belizean people to please send them some love, show them appreciation. I know people might say oh the team is this or the team is that but listen those guys there is no easy team on the football field. Anybody play any sport in the world knows that no game is easy until it’s over and you’re victorious. It’s all human beings on that field and those guys from Turks and Caicos were fighting to stay in that game and to win. So it wasn’t an easy game regardless of what people might think. So don’t take that away from the players who sacrificed and gave their all for the country. Give them their props. I don’t need any but give my players the props they deserve every bit of it.”

Coach Slusher says that he was strategic in the use of his players because the team needed to do more than just win last night’s game. He explained that the victory secured a match for Belize in the CONCACAF Gold Cup Play-In, against French Guiana next month. 

Carlos “Charlie” Slusher, Head Coach, Belize Jaguars: “Last night’s game a lot of people did not really understand why maybe people thought that I could have used my bench or could have used this or could have used that but we were really working and not just winning the game but we wanted to rank one or two, first or second so we could play one of the sixth place teams from League A. League A is the highest level in CONCACAF in this region so you imagine you had to play a first or a second team from League A you would have been as you go up that ladder it becomes more difficult. So we believe that if we at least rank first or second and we play the sixth place team there is a possibility for us to accomplish our mission and get past them without underestimating them. Any team in the League A is a tough team but I am confident like I said. So last night like I said when you saw I put out my best players, you saw I didn’t give some of the other players because we were focusing on achieving a mission which was to try to qualify first or second and again I have to thank God, the players that we accomplished that mission and now we’re going to face against French Guyana which is from the League A. It’s a play in. It’s called the play in. We qualified to the play in which is the next step and I believe this can get us to the cold cup or closer.”

The Jaguars finished off the tournament at the top of the group with 12 points and did not concede any goals. The team has also been promoted to play in League B next year.