Cayman Brac Under 13 soccer team

Having beaten EEFC already twice in the CIFA League competition last month, the Brac got a lucky draw and had to face them for the quarterfinals of the FA Cup.

“All was not well in the CBFC team over the last two weeks. The flu, virus, colds and chicken pox were taking their toll on half the team,” explained Brac Coach Mitchum Sanford.

Leading up to their match, it was not certain if the club could field most of its senior players against East End, or if it would have to send to Grand Cayman its younger, more inexperienced team.

On Saturday morning, two more of the team’s senior players arrived at the airport feeling ill, having come down with flu overnight, but they made the trip anyway.

“Courage, sacrifice and effort, that’s what my team gave in their FA Cup match,” said Coach Sanford.

Kodie Scott scored two goals

He noted that players Jamie Sanford and Kodie Scott traveled to the match, even though they became ill the night before and had a fever, sore throat and headache, and that Chase Miller was sick all week with a cold.

“Everybody came through in this game and gave their all. Even the younger, less experienced players stepped up their game to help the team, knowing that the more senior players were not feeling well,” said Coach Sanford.

Cayman Brac took the lead early in the first half when Jamie Sanford dribbled and danced his way coolly into East End’s penalty box and tapped the ball to the back of the net. This goal lifted the Brac team spirits quickly.

The Brac then went on to dominate the game, but not before getting a little too complacent and letting East End equalize the score to 1-1.

Quickly realizing their error in giving away the lead, the Brac pushed on even harder and were rewarded before halftime when Kodie Scott came up with a brilliant goal by squeezing the ball past the East End goalkeeper and the goal post.

The Brac led the game at halftime with a score of 2-1.

The second half continued where the first half left off, with the Brac continuing their dominance in the midfield and created good scoring chances again and again. All of the hard work paid off when Kodie Scott struck again for the Brac by scoring his second goal.

Having the score line at 3-1 in their favor, Coach Sanford then rested some of his star players, who were not feeling well, and gave his reserves the rest of the game.

Playing more defensive now, the game finished at 3-1, with the Brac heading to the semi-finals on Saturday 8 April.

The draw for the semi-finals will be conducted this week and the Brac will know then their opponents.

However, before the semifinal match, the Brac team will face its toughest challenge so far into the league competition when it takes on George Town Soccer Club (GTSC) on 1 and 2 April at the George Hicks High School field. GTSC presently sits in second place with no defeats.

Coach Sanford thanked James Myles and Dominic Ross for the use of showers at the Lions Pool, and Sister Islands MLA Julianna O’Connor Conolly for financing the refreshments for the team at their match.

He particularly praised the Cayman Brac team for giving all their effort and heart, even though most were not feeling well. “Congratulations to Kerry Antunez, whom I’ve named player of the match,” said Coach Sanford.