Friday, March 29, 2024

PLB’s San Pedro Pirates fall short to Verdes; settle for Sub-Championship

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After several delays and even withdrawing from the Premier League of Belize (PLB) due to what the club perceived as unfair committee arbitration, The San Pedro Pirates Football Club took to the pitch for the final game of the season on Sunday, May 28th. Facing bitter rivals Verdes FC for the last of two game finales, and down 1 point, The San Pedro Pirates fell short 2-1 and settled for the title of sub-champions. In an exciting final championship match, Verdes proved to be the top team in the country, securing their spot as champions with a 2-1 game point and a 3-1 aggregate score.
The first game of the PLB’s championship finals took place at San Pedro’s Ambergris Stadium on Wednesday, May 24th. It was a 90-minute scoreless match, and standing room only as football fanatics roared throughout the game. During injury time, Verdes’ Cristian Ramirez netted the only goal via a spot kick. That 1-0 score put Verdes ahead of the San Pedro Pirates, leading up to the final match.
In the last faceoff, the island team traveled to San Ignacio Town to play at the Norman Broaster Stadium. A pre-game show opened the match at 3:30PM and shortly after, it was time to get the ball rolling. Early in the first half of the match, Verdes’ Marco Antonio Zavala put his team ahead with a header. The San Pedro Pirates tightened their defense, managing to end the first 45+ minutes of the match trailing only 1-0.
In the second half, San Pedro led an aggressive offensive. The efforts paid off, as Horace Avila tied the match shortly after. The Pirates saw hope and sought the opportunity to score again, the championship seemingly within reach. However, Verdes’ Jeromy James sealed his team’s fate with a second goal. At the sound of the long whistle, Verdes emerged victorious, winning the game 2-1. With their title as champions secured, Verdes has the ticket to represent Belize at the upcoming 2023 CONCACAF Central American Cup, scheduled to start in August.
The San Pedro Pirates will now prepare for the next season, aiming to fight for both the PLB championship and a ticket to the CONCACAF tournament. In 2019, The San Pedro Pirates became the youngest club in the country to conquer the tournament’s closing season. While they have yet to make it to a CONCACAF tournament, the Pirates continue to chase this dream.

The San Pedro Sun joins the island community in congratulating the home team for an excellent season. We look forward to many more matches and championships in the future!

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