The Golden Jaguars, led by a second-half brace from Deon Moore, kept their hopes alive of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a commanding 3-1 victory over Belize last evening at the Wildey Astro Turf Stadium in Barbados.
The score-line is a pale reflection of the Guyanese dominance, as they rebounded from their hard-fought 0-2 loss to Panama in their opening group stage encounter.
The numbers don’t lie. Guyana, with an initial starting XI that comprised Quillan Roberts, Leo Lovell, Terrence Vancooten, Liam Gordon, Jalen James, Omari Glasgow, Nathan Moriah-Welsh, Stephen Dyke-McKenna, Elliot Bonds, Daniel Wilson, and Deon Moore, amassed 25 attempts, eight of which found their mark compared to their opponent’s five.
They also recorded 520 passes, which was 220 more than their foe, as they tallied an impressive 64% possession, which also led to 10 corner-kicks in comparison to the two conceded.
In what was the third meeting of the nations, the gulf in quality was palpable. Belize was a clear representation of a side ranked 182nd globally and was dominated from the opening whistle.
The only criticism other than the concession in the dying embers of the contest that can be laid at the feet of the Guyanese was their inability to convert in the first half despite monopolising 70% of the possession and effectively reducing the Belizeans to brief counterattacking forays, one of which struck the right upright in the 19th minute from Horace Avila.
MLS Next Pro standout Glasgow forced a smart save from the Belizean shot-stopper in the 30th minute with a strike from outside the left of the penalty box that was tipped around the right post.
The Guyanese thought they had taken the lead in the 50th minute as Glasgow blasted the ball into the roof of the net, only for the official to raise an offside flag on Moore during the initial phase of the attack.
Moore would make amends for the aforesaid error, as he inspired a three-goal blitz in the space of five minutes. He broke the deadlock in the 66th minute with a first-time strike into the roof of the net after latching onto a flat right-sided cross from Glasgow.
Gordon then registered the second conversion seconds later with a sublime individual effort. Racing onto a through pass down the left side following an interception, Gordon, upon cutting into the penalty area, skipped past two defenders before blasting the ball into the lower right corner.
Not to be outdone, Moore completed his conversion with a brilliant back-heeled flicked-on effort after receiving a flat right-sided cross from Moriah-Welsh. The aforesaid conversion completed the ruthless attacking five-minute window for the Guyanese.
Substitute forward Osaze De Rosario should have made it 4-0 in the 80th minute, as he lobbed the ball wide of the right corner during a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper.
Belize eventually recorded a consolation under fortuitous circumstances in the 89th minute, as Carlos Bernardez Garcia scored with a header from the centre of the penalty area following a cross from the right side, which struck the leg of defender Jones, wrong-footing the goalkeeper and settling into the right corner.
With the win, Guyana moved into third place in the group on three points. On the other hand, Belize occupy the cellar position and are yet to come off the mark following consecutive defeats.
Guyana will resume their campaign on June 6th, 2025, away to Nicaragua, before concluding the group round at home against Montserrat five days later.
