Defensive frailties cost Jaguars

A disappointing defensive display saw Belize well-beaten by classy El Salvador in their second Central American Cup game, the final score, 2-5. Belizean coach Jose de la Paz Herrera made only one change from the opening match defeat against Panama, Ian Gaynair coming in for Orlando Jimenez.
As against the hosts, Belize started well with Deon McCaulay wasting two good chances to score in the opening fifteen minutes. However, El Salvador took control of the game soon after, a clinical finish from Osael Romero rounding off a fine move. The Jaguars now came under constant pressure, Victor Morales clearing off the line from Arturo Alvarez, Shane Orio tipping a Romero free-kick wide and Rafael Burgos missing an incredible open goal in quick succession.
Burgos made amends in the twenty-fourth minute, finishing in style after the highly impressive Jaime Alas had caused confusion in the Belizean defence. Belize were offered an unlikely route back into the game when Denis Umanzor was very harshly penalised for pulling Evral Trapp’s shirt, Elroy Smith coolly converting the resulting penalty to reduce the half-time arrears.
Any hope of a Belizean comeback was extinguished within fifteen crazy minutes at the start of the second-half during which Los Cuscatlecos scored three times. Just sixteen seconds after the re-start, Burgos raced clear of the tired-looking Belize defence to make it three and then Alas, who gave Victor Morales a torrid time down the Salvadoran left, twice escaped from his marker, firstly to volley in a fine Gilberto Baires cross and then to set up Umanzar for the fifth.
Belize got a goal back in the seventy-sixth minute when substitute Orlando Jimenez deftly headed in a free-kick from Smith, and were unlucky not to score a third before the end, having a shot cleared off the line and a blatant penalty for handball denied.
With Panama defeating Nicaragua 2-0 in the later Group A game, Belize now need to beat the Nicaraguans in their final match to make the fifth-place play-off and have the opportunity to qualify for June’s Gold Cup. Herrera must be considering making some changes to the starting line-up in order to freshen up his weary team. Their likely opponents in that game are Guatemala who are currently third in Group B after losing 0-2 to Costa Rica in their opening match Los Ticos, Panama and El Salvador have all now secured their places at the summer tournament.

Belize (1) 2 (Smith 45'+ 1 pen, O.Jimenez 76')
El Salvador (2) 5 (Romero 16', Burgos 24', 46', Alas 54', Umanzor 59')

Belize team: Shane Moody-Orio (captain), Evral Trapp (sub: Deris Benavides 83') Ian Gaynair, Dalton Eiley, Victor Morales, Karieem Haylock (sub: Luis Mendez 59'), Elroy Smith, Elroy Kuylen, Ryan Simpson (sub: Orlando Jimenez 46’) Daniel Jimenez, Deon McCaulay.

Booking: Ian Gaynair 64'