Quarterfinals began at the venues and we personally spoke with and collectively wished Caribbean neighbours San Juan Jabloteh of Trinidad and zone winners Buhos de Hermosillo FC of Mexico, all the best. SJJ lost 0-2 against Guatemala’s Comunicaciones FC and Hermosillo drew their game 0-0 with Liga Deportiva Alajuelense of Costa Rica but were then knocked out 4-5 on penalties.
On a university campus, we contested our friends, the English-speaking Whitecaps, about midday. There were many twists and turns by both squads traveling in our respective black and white 22-seater Benz Minibuses to find the new location. On reaching the location, surprise, surprise, we observed the Whitecaps were heavily supported by a legion of about 16 parents who had flown to Mexico, stayed in a nearby hotel, and were already briefed how ‘good friends’ both groups were. More relaxed in its format, the game kicked off with one of Whitecaps’ coaching staff filling in as the only official, the referee; No assistants needed.
Kellijah Morgan, again showed why he must be regarded as one of the best forwards at this age group as he darted by opponents to slide the ball into the far corner three minutes in to have us lead 1-0. The Whitecaps were motivated to play, after watching, cheering, fraternizing, and hungry for another victory. They equalized about 10 minutes later from a fierce free kick just at the top of the penalty area; An unstoppable bullet, 1-1. Seven minutes passed when the Whitecaps, notched a second inside the box to lead 2-1. Free kick classes were in session, as Delroy ‘Tardo’ Jones answered with a chipped beauty of his own, leveling the score 2-2 going into the break.
Our playing discipline declined in the second half through players not knowing exactly when to apply or respond to some tactical and technical plays, despite multiple top-draw saves from custodian Anthony Bennett. The Whitecaps rose to snatch victory by two more goals, one being a penalty.
4-2 it ended but the large groups’ fondness for each other exuded as they linked up inside the goal for a photo as parents clambered for a memory shot. Game over, we packed back into both mini-buses to watch two quarterfinals.
Notes were taken and analyses were made. The youngsters betted on their choices of teams and players, while studying the current trends in the sport of regional football. USA Major League Soccer (MLS) Franchise, Sporting Kansas City (SKC), won 1-0 against CS Herediano (Costa Rica), while their compatriots from Canada Montreal Impact (MI) lost 0-1 to a late goal by CD Santa Ana (El Salvador).
It was now time to go back to the hotel for dinner and rest as we closed the day quietly.