Photo: Port Layola FC team
BELIZE CITY, Mon. Oct. 23, 2O23
With 4 weeks remaining in the Premier League of Belize (PLB) 2023-2024 Opening Season, the league leaders clashed yesterday at the Marion Jones Sports Complex, and a 3-1 victory by Port Layola FC over Orange Walk’s Progresso FC pushed Port Layola to the top of the standings at Week 10 of the tournament. Progresso FC drops to third place behind surging defending champions Verdes FC whose 6-1 win over Wagiya SC put them in second place, one point behind Port Layola. (See Week 10 standings below.)
Two games each were played on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon in Week 10 of the PLB Opening Season, and it is shaping up to be a toss-up for the Top-4 playoff positions.
On Saturday night at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium, an early second half strike by Jonard Castillo (50’) proved enough to give Bandits Sport the 1-nil victory over Benque United FC. Meanwhile, it was a 1-1 stalemate at the Marshalleck Stadium where home standing Police United FC got a very early goal from Sebastian Valencia (3’), but visiting Altitude FC got the equalizer in second half from Andres Orozco (67’).
Sunday afternoon down at the Carl Ramos Stadium in Dangriga saw home team Wagiya SC being demolished, 6-1, by Verdes FC who led 4-1 at the intermission and added 2 more goals in second half. Wagiya avoided the shutout through Felix Martinez (40’); while Verdes’ goals were by Krisean Lopez (22’), Christian Ramirez (27’), Nicolas Rocha (36’ & 41’), Zion Ramos (52’) and Michael Palacio (62’). And here at the Marion Jones Sports Complex, it was Port Layola FC and coach Charlie Slusher prevailing 3-1 over his former team, Progresso FC, now coached by Jorge Nunez, former coach of San Pedro Pirates FC (who are sitting out this tournament). Gilroy “Bredda” Thurton (24’) opened the scoring for Port Layola, cementing his lead in the goal-scoring column with 9 coals, and teammate Latrell Middleton added two more (25’ & 90+2’); while Andir Chi (78’) scored for Progresso.
Down the stretch, in the remaining 4 weeks of jostling for playoff positions, much attention will be directed to the play of the current top goal scorers in this competition, on whose shoulders will lie much of their teams’ chances of making the playoffs. (See goal scoring leaders list below.)
The monster match-up this coming weekend has to be the clash of the top two ranked teams, Port Layola FC and Verdes FC, featuring the league’s two leading goal scorers, Gilroy “Bredda” Thurton of Port Layola and Nicolas Rocha of Verdes.
Upcoming Week 11 schedule:
Saturday, October 28
Sunday, October 29