Evelt Julmis scored two goals in three seconds at the end of the game, cementing a 6-2 victory for The Bahamas over Belize to book a spot in the knockout stage of the CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football) Beach Soccer Championships last night. The Bahamas never trailed in the game.
Playing at the Malcom Park Beach Soccer Stadium in Nassau, The Bahamas, the host nation scored three goals in the final third, including Julmis' two goals, to beat Belize for a second time in a little over a month. The Bahamas won the previous fixture, 7-3, in El Salvador in April at the ANOC World Beach Games Bali 2023 Qualifiers.
The Bahamas remains in second place in Group B with four points. Mexico leads the group with six points. The two teams face each other today in a key showdown. The Bahamas' opponent in the knockout stage will be known after that match.
Coming off a win on penalty kicks, sudden death, in the previous game against Guatemala on Monday night, The Bahamas responded in a big way on Tuesday. Head Coach for The Bahamas, Brazilian Alexandre Soares said he spoke to the team before the game about how dangerous the Belize team is.
"We played better tonight than yesterday (Monday) because we were maybe a little nervous as the host for the tournament. The third period is crucial in beach soccer and that is where we won the game tonight," Soares said.
Julmis was one of two Bahamian players to get a double. Forward James Thompson was the other. Kyle Williams and Jean 'Sunny' Francois score a goal each to round out the scoring for The Bahamas.
Julmis, who did not play a minute against Guatemala, attempted a bicycle kick in Belize's box and was fouled with 4.5 seconds left in the game to receive a penalty shot. He stepped up and put the past the Belize goalkeeper to put The Bahamas up 5-2 with 3.6 seconds left in the game. With .5 seconds left in the game, Belize got a kickoff and targeted The Bahamas' goal, but Julmis turned his back and got a deflection and the ball went over the head of Belizean goalkeeper Jahym McKenzie and into the back of the net. It was the second goal of the game for Julmis and the sixth for The Bahamas.
"The penalty was not my best, but a goal is a goal," Julmis said. "On the second one, I did not know what happened. I just turned around and blocked the shot and I saw everyone celebrating. When I turned around, I saw it was a goal. It was awesome ... it's an accomplishment that I am proud of."
Earlier in the final third, Belize was looking for an equalizer and The Bahamas was looking to separate themselves from the competition. It was the veteran Williams who got the separation goal with 3:29 left in the game on an assist from Francois to put The Bahamas up 4-2.
Thompson got the scoring underway for The Bahamas as he connected on a well-placed bicycle kick to the right side of the goal at the 4:51 mark of the first third. That goal gave The Bahamas a 1-0 lead. Thompson's second goal came on a free kick after being fouled on a bicycle kick with 9:56 left in the second period. McKenzie had no chance to stop Thompson's bullet shot off his left foot as he gave The Bahamas a 3-1 lead. He was looking for a hat-trick and was unable to get it but said that the team's victory was most important.
"It was a surreal experience," Thompson said about getting on the scoresheet. "I'm glad I was able to display one of the many things that we worked on in training with one being my responsibility to score goals. It is good to know that the hard work is paying off."
Francois pushed a ball past McKenzie's left side to score The Bahamas' second goal on the night on an assist from Thompson at the 2:59 mark of the first period. That put The Bahamas up 2-0.
Both of Belize's goals came from Kenyon Martinez. He scored in the first and second periods.
Thompson said that they are looking to dominate tonight and head into the knockout stage looking to qualify for the FIFA (International Association Football Federation) Beach Soccer World Cup, set for November in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
In the match before The Bahamas and Belize game, Group B leader Mexico came away with a 6-3 victory over Guatemala. El Salvador won a lopsided match against Guadeloupe with a 10-1 margin. Cost Rica got a 10-2 victory over the Turks and Caicos Islands. The United States of America (USA) won 6-2 over Trinidad and Tobago. In the opening game of the day, Panama won 8-1 over the Dominican Republic.
The slate of games for today will be the final set of the group stage. It will open with Trinidad and Tobago going up against the Dominican Republic. The Bahamas will play the final game of the day against Mexico at 7:30 p.m. this evening. This is a key game for The Bahamas as the winner will win Group B.
This is the third time in 10 years The Bahamas is hosting the CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championships.
Following group stage play, the first and second place finishers in each group, plus the two best third-place finishers, will advance to the quarterfinals. That will be followed by the semifinals, third-place match and the final.
Admission is free for the entire tournament.
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