Israel Vasquez Jr.

I have been a silent spectator of the BPFL Insurance Cup this season.  I watched as Verdes started the season in dismal fashion, losing against Newcomers Nizhee Corozal and several others.  I watched as they lost against Cruz Azul 12-0 in agregate.  And i knew something was wrong, this wasn’t the Hankook Verdes of last year, the verdes that fought to the last in the championship, something was wrong.

Apparently a lot was wrong. Amongst it all: dissent among the players and manager Sergio Chuc.  It started with the return game at Guatemala. Apparently some of the players decided not to travel with the team, claiming sickness among other excuses.  This did not appease the manager and he Suspended them, for the entire season it seems.  The problem is that the players suspended were not any players, but their star players: Orlando “Leech” Jimenez, his younger brother Danny Jiminez and National Team Player Trevor “Burger” Lennon.

Apparently the excuses were false, and they just decided to boycott the game in Guatemala for patriotic reasons.  A move that angered the manager citing that “They don’t have the team as their first priority”.  This spat went public when Sergio, wrote back to the Amandala sports desk in response to an article congratulating Orlando & the other players for not going.  And now Leech, the captain has spoken back by writing to the sports desk. He’s told his side of the story, he didn’t want to play not because of money, but because of other reasons.

What does this mean for our/my beloved team this season, simply that if Leech & the others don’t return by the next game, Verdes is doomed for the season, not being able to make it to the playoff’s and therefore finishing the season in dismall form.  If Leech and the others do come back, which he’s hinted he will, it will still be a very difficult task for them to qualify to the play offs and more than likely all of this will affect the players and i honestly don’t think they will be able to defend their title this season.

As for me, I’m sitting this season out. I havn’t been to a single game this season, partially because of other duties, especially with my company and also because of Verdes’ dismall form and because of the Absence of Leech & Danny.  I am a Verdes die hard fan as anybody who knows me can tell you, and will support the team in hard times and good times.. .but i hope the empty seats & the dismal result tell Sergio something, Verdes needs its star players, and yes the Club is bigger than any player, but as you have heard Leech say “Their blood runs Green”… swallow the pride and save the club some embarrasment.