The British Virgin Islands men’s senior football team suffered a 3-0 defeat against Guatemala in their first game of the second round of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers on Saturday.
Playing at the A. O. Shirley Recreation Ground, the BVI team was outclassed by the highly ranked Guatemalan side. From the onset, Guatemala dominated the match, recording 28 shots compared to the BVI’s 5, with 10 of those on target.
The first breakthrough for the visitors came in the 23rd minute when Oscar Castellanos, who plays for Liga Nacional club Antigua, fired a powerful strike past BVI goalkeeper Frankie Beckles.Despite being 1-0 down, the BVI side managed to create a few opportunities, but none were converted into goals.
The situation worsened for the hosts just before halftime. In the 4th minute of added time, Rubio Mendez, a Major League Soccer (MLS) professional footballer, extended Guatemala’s lead, leaving the BVI trailing 2-0 at the break.
In the second half, Guatemala continued to press their advantage. A yellow card issued to Jaden Abrams for foul play in the 18-yard box granted the visitors a penalty. Guatemalan captain Jose Pinto, another professional player, made no mistake from the spot, sealing the 3-0 victory for his team.
The victory is Guatemala’s second in the round, after they defeated Dominica 6-0. At present Guatemala leads the group with 6 points from 2 wins, followed by Jamaica in second on 3 points from 1 win. The BVI sits at fourth only by goal difference, with the Dominican Republic in third following a 1-0 loss against Jamaica.
The BVI team, looking to rebound from their defeat, will face the Dominican Republic in their next Group E match of the World Cup Qualifiers on Tuesday, June 11.