The Turks and Caicos Islands suffered another setback in their Concacaf Nations League campaign after being hammered 0-4 by Belize at the Turks and Caicos Islands Football Association’s (TCIFA) Field on Saturday.
The loss was a result of a double strike by Jordy Polanco, who scored in the 43rd and 73rd minute, and Orlando Alexander Valezquez in the 12th and Michael Joseph Palacio in the 66th minute.
Belize rattled the woodwork on three occasions – twice in the first and once in the second half.
From the get-go Belize controlled marshalling of the exchange, stringing accurate passes together, forcing the TCI to chase the play. The Turks and Caicos, when in possession of the ball showed grit and determination.
However, it was Belize who snatched the go-ahead goal when Valezquez found himself on the end of freekick taken from just outside the box. He made no mistake in slotting it past the TCI 14-year-old Samuel Harvey.
The TCI could count themselves unluck not equalize in the 28th minute when Raymond Burey, who latched onto a through-pass from captain Billy Forbes, saw his shot in the 6-years box saved by the Belize custodian C Tillett.
Polanco sent Belize up 2-0 when dispatched a clinical freekick which eluded Harvey into left hand corner of the goal.
Burey was once again denied by the Belize goalkeeper, his close range shot in 45th +1 minute was saved.
Palacio registered sent his up 3-0, when in the 66th minute the TCI goalkeeper was adjudged to have brought down a striker in the box.
The TCI came close to scoring yet again, when in the 68th minute, Forbes’ ferocious shot was parried by the Belize goalkeeper, and was eventually cleared from danger.
Belize made in 4-0 in the 73rd collected a pass, which he hammered home after skipping past a couple TCI defenders.
The TCI got the opportunity to trouble scorers, when Forbes saw his penalty saved by the Belize goalkeeper after fellow striker Junior Paul was brought down in the box by a defender.
The TCI, on Wednesday, September 4, went down 0-2 to Anguilla. Anguilla and Belize will now battle for leadership of zone when both meet on Tuesday, September 10.
Belize controlled 68 percent of possession in the game to Turks and Caicos 32 percent. They made 13 attempts on goal to TCI six. Nine of those shots are on target for Belize, while four shots from the TCI were target. Belize committed 20 fouls to Turks and Caicos16. There were three yellow cards in the – one was issued to Belize, while three were issued to TCI players. Belize forced corners to TCI zero.
The TCI will now be looking towards the next international break in October in that competition, where they hope to give a better account of themselves.
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