Stars Academy draw 2-2 with Honduras’ Boca Junior at UNCAF FIFA FORWARD Men’s Under-17 Interclubs Cup, to play for 5th place

Posted: Thursday, October 3, 2024. 7:37 pm CST.

Stars Academy to play for 5^th place

Stars Academy’s Zionnel Reid, 20, against Honduras Boca Junior on Thursday in Panama. – Photo Credit: UNCAF / Galeria de Fotos

By Rubén Morales Iglesias: Belize’s Stars Academy closed off group play with a 2-2 draw against Honduran club Boca Junior in their third game of the UNCAF FIFA FORWARD Men’s Under-17 Interclubs Cup on Thursday in Panama City.

Breyden Olivas scored the opening goal from 40 yards out on the right side. Olivas, who had received the ball after two insistent attacking plays by Stars Academy, surprised the Honduran goalkeeper with a left-foot floater in the 44^th minute.

Boca Junior rallied back and, with help from both Stars Academy’s defense and the referee, went ahead 2-1 by the 57^th minute.

In the 56^th minute, Stars Academy’s keeper Erick Rodriguez attempted to clear the ball after a teammate sent it back from a throw-in instead of sending it forward. Unfortunately for Stars Academy, a Honduran offensive player intercepted the ball and smacked it beyond Rodriguez’s reach.

Just a minute later, the referee gave Boca Junior the biggest gift a team can get. He awarded a penalty kick in favor of the Honduran side after a player went down. If a foul was committed, it was outside the penalty box, but with the player falling into the box, the referee signaled the penalty spot. The Honduran striker didn’t miss, and Stars Academy found themselves down 2-1.

But they rallied back and tied the match at 2-2 in the 70^th minute when Deifson Cartagena fonished a play he had started on the left flank. Running into the box, Cartagena faced the Honduran goalkeeper as he was coming out to clear, and with a first touch deftly floated the ball over the goalie’s head into the goal.

Stars Academy finished group play in third place with one point, edging Boca Junior on goal difference, and will play against Panama’s Academy Champions for fifth place.

Stars Academy’s Rajan McKenzie, 10, against Honduras Boca Junior on Thursday in Panama. – Photo Credit: UNCAF / Galeria de Fotos

In the other Group A match today, Panama’s Plaza Amador drew 2-2 with Nicaragua’s Real Estelí. Both finished with seven points, but Plaza Amador won the group on goal difference and will play the final on Saturday against Guatemala’s Comunicaciones.

Also on Thursday, Comunicaciones defeated Costa Rica’s Liga Deportiva Alajuelense 2-0 and topped Group B with seven points, one more than Alajuelense, who finished second.

Panama’s Academy Champions beat invited guests, Puerto Rico’s Academia Quintana, 5-0 and finished third with four points. The Puerto Rican side finished fourth without a point.

In the other ranking games on Saturday, Real Estelí will face Alajuelense for third place, while Boca Junior will take on Academia Quintana for sixth place.

Stars Academy roster, courtesy of the Football Federation of Belize

UNCAF FIFA FORWARD Men’s Under-17 Interclubs Cup schedule, courtesy of the Central American Football Union (UNCAF)

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