On Saturday, November 9th, the San Pedro Pirates played a 1-1 draw against Verdes Football Club in the first round of the Premier League of Belize (PLB) semi-finals. The match was intense and competitive as the PLB regular season nears its conclusion.
The match occurred at Ambergris Stadium, with kick-off at 7:30 PM. San Pedro football fans turned out in large numbers to support their island team. In the early minutes of the first half, both teams pushed hard to break the deadlock, with Verdes making several close attempts but failing to score.
Defending their home turf, the San Pedro Pirates launched an offense against their opponents from the start of the match. The island team took an early lead when Aldin Forman scored in the 27th minute. The goal elicited loud cheers from the stands as San Pedro fans erupted in celebration. The remainder of the match passed without any additional goals, and the Pirates retreated to the locker rooms with a 1-0 lead.
In the second half, Verdes came back stronger, dominating the game and making several close attempts on the Pirates’ goal. Most of these efforts were successfully defended by the Pirates. The home team also sought to widen their lead, but Verdes’ defense was resilient and challenging to breach. The visiting team continued their counterattacks, adjusting their gameplay to equalize the match. In the 67th minute, Desmond Wade from Verdes finally broke through, scoring a powerful shot that tied the game. Both teams made several more attempts to take the lead, but no additional goals were scored, and the match ended in a 1-1 draw.
The draw puts the San Pedro Pirates in a hopeful position to reach the PLB finals. The second leg of the semi-final will take place at the Norman Broaster Stadium in San Ignacio Town, Cayo District, on November 17th. This crucial match will provide a clearer picture of which teams will advance to the national tournament finals.
