2022–23 Premier League of Belize explained

Competition:Premier League of Belize
Season:2022–23
Dates:30 July 2022 – 28 May 2023
Winners:Opening:
Altitude
Closing:
Verdes
Continentalcup1:CONCACAF Central American Cup
Continentalcup1 Qualifiers:Verdes
Matches:124
Total Goals:346
League Topscorer:Opening:
Andres Orozco
(11 goals)
Closing:
Horace Avila
(9 goals)
Biggest Home Win:Opening:
Verdes 5–0 Belmopan Bandits

Port Layola 5–0 Belmopan Bandits

Closing:
Verdes 5–0 Internacional FC
Biggest Away Win:Opening:
Belmopan Bandits 0–4 Verdes

Closing:
Wagiya 0–8 Progresso
Highest Scoring:Opening:
Belmopan Bandits 4–2 Wagiya

Closing:
Port Layola 6–2 Wagiya

Wagiya 0–8 Progresso
Longest Wins:Opening:
3 matches
Altitude
San Pedro Pirates
Verdes
Wagiya
Closing:
4 matches
Progresso
Longest Unbeaten:Opening:
9 matches
Verdes
Closing:
11 matches
Progresso
Longest Winless:Opening:
8 matches
Belmopan Bandits
Closing:
14 matches
Internacional FC
Longest Losses:Opening:
4 matches
Belmopan Bandits
Port Layola
Wagiya
Closing:
10 matches
Internacional FC
Prevseason:2019–20
Nextseason:2023–24

The 2022–23 Premier League of Belize is the tenth season of the Premier League of Belize, the highest competitive football league in Belize, after it was founded in 2011. The league commenced in July 2022 and is scheduled to end in mid 2023. The season is divided into two halves (opening and closing), each crowning one champion.

Teams

There were eight teams that participated in the 2022–23 season. From the 2021–22 FFB Top League, administered by the Football Federation of Belize, four teams returned to the league. These were Altitude, San Pedro Pirates, Verdes and Wagiya. After a brief hiatus from top level football, Belmopan Bandits also returned to the league. The three other teams were made up of Benque Viejo United, who played under the license of Police United, Progresso from Orange Walk, who previously competed in amateur level competitions in the country, and Port Layola, a newly formed team from Belize City.[1]

TeamCityStadiumCapacity
AltitudeIndependenceMichael Ashcroft Stadium2,000
Benque Viejo UnitedMarshalleck Stadium2,000
Internacional FCIsidoro Beaton Stadium2,500
Port LayolaBelize CityMCC Grounds
Marion Jones Sports Complex
2,000
7,500
ProgressoOrange Walk People's Stadium4,500
San Pedro PiratesSan PedroAmbergris Stadium1,500
VerdesSan IgnacioNorman Broaster Stadium2,000
WagiyaDangrigaCarl Ramos Stadium3,500

Opening season

The General Manager of the league, Wіlhеlm Міguеl ѕtated that thе format of the oреnіng sеаѕоn wіll initially fеаturе а dоublе rоund rоbіn рhаѕе. The top fоur ranked tеаmѕ will then quаlіfу for a hоmе аnd аwау ѕеmіfіnаls, with thе wіnnеrѕ mееting іn a twо-gаmе fіnаlѕ.[2] The opening season commenced on 30 July 2022.[3]

League table

Playoffs

Semifinals

----Game One[4]

Game Two[5]

Finals

----Game One[6]

Game Two[7]

Season statistics

Top scorers

RankPlayerTeamGoals
1 Andres OrozcoAltitude11
2 Luis IbarraVerdes9
3 Horace AvilaSan Pedro Pirates7
Sean YoungPort Layola
5 Trimayne HarrisVerdes6
Erick IzquierdoSan Pedro Pirates
7 Cion AugustineWagiya5
Zamir BonillaProgresso
Desmond WadeVerdes

Includes playoff goals.

Hat-tricks

PlayerFor !Against Result Date
Jaren Lambey 4–2 (H)
Ayrton Sisa 3–1 (A)
Desmond Wade 4–0 (A)

Closing season

All eight teams that participated in the opening season participated in the closing season.[8]

The format will be the same as the opening season with one league consisting of the eight teams, who will play each other twice, with the top four teams advancing to the end of season playoffs. The closing season commenced on 14 January 2023.[9]

In February 2023, part way through the closing season, Belmopan Bandits changed their name to Internacional Futbol Club, after striking a sponsorship deal with a team from Mexico.[10]

Also in February 2023, the Football Federation of Belize Арреаlѕ Соmmіttее ruled thаt Port Layola fіеldеd аn іnеlіgіblе рlауеr in their 2–1 away win аgаіnѕt Verdes оn 29 January 2023. A 3–0 victory was subsequently awarded to Verdes. In addition, the goals scored from this game were annulled, meaning Michael Palacio and Gilroy Thurton from Port Layola and Marco Zavala from Verdes lose a goal each.[11]

Internacional FC forfeited their game against San Pedro Pirates, scheduled for 18 March 2023 at the Ambergris Stadium. The Pirates were awarded a 3–0 victory.[12]

Verdes were also originally awarded a 3–0 victory for their away game against San Pedro Pirates, scheduled for 8 April 2023. This was due to the Pirates failing to provide post-game accommodation to the Belize City based referees, even though the Pirates advised earlier in the week that accommodation was not available.[13] San Pedro Pirates subsequently threatened to withdraw from the league, however a few days later decided to continue participating for the remainder of the closing season, as their prospective withdrawal would affect other teams financially.[14] After a successful appeal by the Pirates, this game was played on 14 May 2023.[15]

League table

Playoffs

Semifinals

----Game One[16]

Game Two[16]

Finals

----Game One[17]

Game Two[18]

Season statistics

Top scorers

RankPlayerTeamGoals
1 Horace AvilaSan Pedro Pirates9
2 Jonard CastilloProgresso8
Michael PalacioPort Layola
4 Daniel JimenezBenque Viejo United7
Latrelle MiddletonPort Layola
Andres OrozcoAltitude
7 Ander ChiSan Pedro Pirates6
Gilroy ThurtonPort Layola
Luis ValdezSan Pedro Pirates
10 Leston GarciaWagiya5
Facundo GarnierSan Pedro Pirates
Nicolas Rocha GomezVerdes
Sean YoungPort Layola

Includes playoff goals.

Hat-tricks

PlayerFor !Against Result Date
Horace Avila 4–2 (A)
Jonard Castillo4 8–0 (A)
Andres Orozco 6–0 (A)
Notes4 Player scored 4 goals

Notes and References

  1. News: New Premier League of Belize, featuring three new clubs, delayed one week; to play three pre-season games this weekend. 26 July 2022. Breaking Belize News. 21 July 2022.
  2. News: Premier League of Belize Opening Season kicks off this coming weekend. 26 July 2022. Breaking Belize News. 25 July 2022.
  3. News: Port Layola holds Verdes to 0-0 draw in Premier League of Belize Opener in Benque. 31 July 2022. Breaking Belize News. 30 July 2022.
  4. News: Tight scores in Leg 1 of PLB semi-finals. 17 November 2022. Amandala. 16 November 2022.
  5. News: Altitude versus Verdes in PLB Finals. 28 November 2022. Amandala. 26 November 2022.
  6. News: 1-1 in San Ignacio; Altitude vs Verdes on Saturday in Independence for PLB championship. 30 November 2022. Amandala. 30 November 2022.
  7. News: Altitude are national football champs, defeated Verdes in penalty shootout. 16 December 2022. Amandala. 14 December 2022.
  8. News: Champions Altitude, Benque Viejo United kick off 2022-2023 Premier League of Belize Closing Championship on Saturday, January 14. 5 January 2023. Breaking Belize News. 31 December 2022.
  9. News: Premier League Closing Season kicks off. 24 January 2023. Amandala. 21 January 2023.
  10. News: Bandits strike sponsorship deal with Mexican football club, change name to Internacional Fútbol Club. 20 February 2023. Breaking Belize News. 17 February 2023.
  11. News: Fооtbаll соntrоvеrѕу – Роrt Lауоlа lоѕе tор ѕроt іn Рrеmіеr Lеаguе оf Веlіzе аftеr FFВ Арреаlѕ Соmmіttее rulеѕ thеу uѕеd іnеlіgіblе рlауеr аgаіnѕt Vеrdеѕ. 23 February 2023. Breaking Belize News. 21 February 2023.
  12. News: San Pedro Pirates awarded 3 points after Internacional’s no-show last Saturday, Pirates take PLB leadership. 4 April 2023. Breaking Belize News. 22 March 2023.
  13. News: Premier League of Belize awards 3 points to Verdes, San Pedro Pirates withdraw from PLB Championship. 21 April 2023. Breaking Belize News. 14 April 2023.
  14. News: San Pedro Pirates backtrack on threat to abandon Premier League of Belize, will play against Port Layola on Sunday. 21 April 2023. Breaking Belize News. 16 April 2023.
  15. News: PLB reschedules San Pedro-Verdes for Sunday, will attempt to finish Closing Championship by Concacaf League deadline of May 28. 16 May 2023. Breaking Belize News. 13 May 2023.
  16. News: Verdes FC vs San Pedro Pirates FC in PLB Finals. 25 May 2023. Amandala. 24 May 2023.
  17. News: Verdes edge San Pedro 1-0 in 1st leg of PLB Finals. 6 June 2023. Breaking Belize News. 24 May 2023.
  18. News: Verdes are national champions again. 6 June 2023. Amandala. 31 May 2023.