2017–18 Premier League Of Belize
The 2017–18 Premier League of Belize was the seventh season of the highest competitive football league in Belize, after it was founded in 2011.
There were two seasons which were spread over two years. The opening was played towards the end of 2017 and the closing was played at the beginning of 2018.
| Season | 2017–18 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 12 August 2017 – 21 May 2018 |
| Champions | Opening: Verdes Closing: Belmopan Bandits |
| CONCACAF League | Belmopan Bandits |
| Matches played | 123 |
| Goals scored | 445 (3.62 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Opening: Georgie Welcome (18) Closing: Trimayne Harris (13) |
| Biggest home win | Belmopan Bandits 7-0 Freedom Fighters (4 November 2017) Belize Defence Force 7-0 Freedom Fighters (12 November 2017) |
| Biggest away win | Belize Defence Force 1-7 Verdes (18 November 2017) San Pedro Pirates 0-6 Belmopan Bandits (19 November 2017) |
| Highest scoring | Police United 6-3 Wagiya (8 October 2017) |
| Longest winning run | Belmopan Bandits (8) |
| Longest unbeaten run | Belmopan Bandits (13) |
| Longest winless run | Wagiya (13) |
| Longest losing run | Freedom Fighters (10) |
← 2016–17 2018–19 → | |
Team information
Opening season
From the 2016–17 Premier League of Belize closing season, 7 teams continued to play in the opening season of 2017–18. FC Belize were replaced by a newly formed team, San Pedro Pirates, making 8 teams in total.
There would be one league consisting of the 8 teams, who will play each other twice, with the top 4 teams advancing to the end of season playoffs. The opening season commenced on 12 August 2017.
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belmopan Bandits | 14 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 38 | 12 | +26 | 35 | Qualification to the Playoffs |
| 2 | Verdes (C) | 14 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 26 | 11 | +15 | 30 | |
| 3 | Belize Defence Force | 14 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 23 | 16 | +7 | 21 | |
| 4 | San Pedro Pirates | 14 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 26 | 21 | +5 | 20 | |
| 5 | Police United | 14 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 27 | 25 | +2 | 20 | |
| 6 | Placencia Assassins | 14 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 22 | 27 | −5 | 16 | |
| 7 | Wagiya | 14 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 26 | 46 | −20 | 11 | |
| 8 | Freedom Fighters | 14 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 16 | 46 | −30 | 6 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions
Results
Playoffs
| Semi-Finals | Finals | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Belmopan Bandits | 6 | 3 | 9 | |||||||||
| 4 | San Pedro Pirates | 0 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| 1 | Belmopan Bandits | 0 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||
| 2 | Verdes (a) | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||
| 2 | Verdes | 7 | 2 | 9 | |||||||||
| 3 | Belize Defence Force | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||||||||
Semi-finals
Game One
| 18 November 2017 | Belize Defence Force | 1–7 | Verdes | MCC Grounds, Belize City |
| 16:00 | Vallan Symms  30' (pen.) | Alcides Thomas 15', 46', 73' Roberto Silva de Lima 51' Gilroy Thurton 68' Elroy Kuylen 69' Richard Jimenez 89' |
| 19 November 2017 | San Pedro Pirates | 0–6 | Belmopan Bandits | Ambergris Stadium, San Pedro |
| 18:30 | Darwin Bermudez 18' Elroy Smith 20' Jeromy James 33' Georgie Welcome 42', 74' Kervin Johnson 86' |
Game Two
| 25 November 2017 | Belmopan Bandits | 3–1 (9 – 1 agg.) | San Pedro Pirates | Isidoro Beaton Stadium, Belmopan |
| 20:00 | Georgie Welcome 3', 34' Jeromy James 51' | Jesse Smith 47' |
| 26 November 2017 | Verdes | 2–2 (9 – 3 agg.) | Belize Defence Force | Norman Broaster Stadium, San Ignacio |
| 16:00 | Alcides Thomas 17' Gilroy Thurton 36' | Shane Flores 67' Trimayne Harris 81' (pen.) |
Finals
Game One
| 3 December 2017 | Verdes | 1–0 | Belmopan Bandits | Norman Broaster Stadium, San Ignacio |
| 16:00 | Roberto Silva de Lima 84' | Referee: Christopher Reid |
Game Two
| 9 December 2017 | Belmopan Bandits | 2–1 (2 – 2 (a) agg.) | Verdes | Isidoro Beaton Stadium, Belmopan |
| 20:00 | Darwin Bermudez 22' Jeromy James 43' | Kervin Johnson 5' (o.g.) |
| 2017–18 Opening Season champions |
|---|
| Verdes 2nd title |
Season statistics
Top scorers
| Rank | Player | Team | Goals* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Georgie Welcome | Belmopan Bandits | 18 |
| 2 |  Alcides Thomas | Verdes | 14 |
| 3 |  Daniel Jimenez | Police United | 10 |
| Krisean Lopez | Wagiya | ||
| 5 | Jaren Lambey | Belize Defence Force | 9 |
 Hector Martinez | San Pedro Pirates | ||
| 7 | Darwin Bermudez | Belmopan Bandits | 7 |
| Jeromy James | Belmopan Bandits | ||
| Elroy Kuylen | Verdes | ||
| Luis Torres | Placencia Assassins | ||
| 11 | Shane Flores | Belize Defence Force | 6 |
| Elroy Smith | Belmopan Bandits |
* Includes playoff goals.
Hat-tricks
| Player | For | Against | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alcides Thomas | Verdes | Belize Defence Force | 3–1 (H) | 3 September 2017 |
| Daniel Jimenez | Police United | Wagiya | 6–3 (H) | 8 October 2017 |
| Krisean Lopez | Wagiya | Freedom Fighters | 6–2 (H) | 15 October 2017 |
| Georgie Welcome5 | Belmopan Bandits | Freedom Fighters | 7–0 (H) | 4 November 2017 |
| Georgie Welcome | Belmopan Bandits | Wagiya | 7–2 (H) | 11 November 2017 |
| Jaren Lambey4 | Belize Defence Force | Freedom Fighters | 7–0 (H) | 12 November 2017 |
| Alcides Thomas | Verdes | Belize Defence Force | 7–1 (A) | 18 November 2017 |
4 Player scored 4 goals
5 Player scored 5 goals
Awards
In the post-game ceremonies of the final game of the season, the individual awards were announced.
| Award | Recipient | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Boot | Georgie Welcome | Belmopan Bandits |
| MVP (Regular Season) | Georgie Welcome | Belmopan Bandits |
| MVP (Playoff) | Roberto Silva de Lima | Verdes |
| Best Young Player | Krisean Lopez | Wagiya |
| Best Forward | Georgie Welcome | Belmopan Bandits |
| Best Midfielder | Denmark Casey Jr. | Verdes |
| Best Defender | Elroy Smith | Belmopan Bandits |
| Golden Glove | Selvin Zeron Sagastume | Verdes |
| Best Coach | Marvin Ottley | Verdes |
| Best Manager | Lorin Frazer | Verdes |
Closing season
All 8 teams that participated in the opening season will participate in the closing season.
The format will be the same as the opening season with one league consisting of the 8 teams, who will play each other twice, with the top 4 teams advancing to the end of season playoffs. The closing season commenced on 13 January 2018.
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belmopan Bandits (C) | 14 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 33 | 19 | +14 | 31 | Qualification to the Playoffs |
| 2 | Verdes | 14 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 32 | 14 | +18 | 29 | |
| 3 | Belize Defence Force | 14 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 26 | 18 | +8 | 20 | |
| 4 | Police United | 14 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 26 | 28 | −2 | 20 | |
| 5 | Freedom Fighters | 14 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 25 | 31 | −6 | 16 | |
| 6 | San Pedro Pirates | 13 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 21 | 28 | −7 | 15 | |
| 7 | Wagiya | 13 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 17 | 28 | −11 | 14 | |
| 8 | Placencia Assassins | 14 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 15 | 29 | −14 | 11 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions
Results
Playoffs
| Semi-Finals | Finals | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Belmopan Bandits (a) | 2 | 1 | 3 | |||||||||
| 4 | Police United | 2 | 1 | 3 | |||||||||
| 1 | Belmopan Bandits | 3 | 5 | 8 | |||||||||
| 3 | Belize Defence Force | 1 | 3 | 4 | |||||||||
| 2 | Verdes | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 3 | Belize Defence Force | 2 | 0 | 2 | |||||||||
Semi-finals
Game One
| 21 April 2018 | Police United | 2–2 | Belmopan Bandits | Isidoro Beaton Stadium, Belmopan |
| 20:00 | Marlon Meza 49' Harrison Roches 79' | Jeromy James 26' Tyrone Pandy 90+2' |
| 22 April 2018 | Belize Defence Force | 2–0 | Verdes | MCC Grounds, Belize City |
| 16:00 | Trimayne Harris 43', 83' |
Game Two
| 28 April 2018 | Belmopan Bandits | 1–1 (3 – 3 (a) agg.) | Police United | Isidoro Beaton Stadium, Belmopan |
| 20:00 | Jeromy James 82' | Devon Makin 27' |
| 16 May 2018 | Verdes | 0–0 (0 – 2 agg.) | Belize Defence Force | Norman Broaster Stadium, San Ignacio |
| 19:30 |
Finals
Game One
| 19 May 2018 | Belize Defence Force | 1–3 | Belmopan Bandits | MCC Grounds, Belize City |
| 16:00 | Trimayne Harris 90+2' | Tyrone Pandy 10' Rony Flores 42' Jeromy James 74' | Referee: Juan Alas |
Game Two
| 21 May 2018 | Belmopan Bandits | 5–3 (8–4 agg.) | Belize Defence Force | Isidoro Beaton Stadium, Belmopan |
| 20:00 | Rony Flores 22' Georgie Welcome 29', 37', 54' (pen.) Darwin Bermudez 88' | Trimayne Harris 25', 73' (pen.) Tarell Flores 62' |
| 2017–18 Closing Season champions |
|---|
| Belmopan Bandits 8th title |
Season statistics
Top scorers
| Rank | Player | Team | Goals* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trimayne Harris | Belize Defence Force | 13 |
| 2 | Jonard Castillo | Wagiya | 10 |
| Rony Flores | Belmopan Bandits | ||
| 4 | Hector Martinez | Belmopan Bandits | 8 |
| Elroy Smith | Belmopan Bandits | ||
| Alcides Thomas | Verdes | ||
| 7 | Jarret Davis | Verdes | 6 |
| Alexander Peters | Freedom Fighters | ||
| Luis Torres | Placencia Assassins | ||
| Georgie Welcome | Belmopan Bandits | ||
| 11 | Inri Gonzaga | San Pedro Pirates | 5 |
| Daniel Jimenez | Police United | ||
| Krisean Lopez | Verdes |
* Includes playoff goals.
Hat-tricks
| Player | For | Against | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Byron Usher | Police United | San Pedro Pirates | 6–1 (A) | 14 January 2018 |
| Luis Torres | Placencia Assassins | Police United | 3–3 (A) | 21 January 2018 |
| Luis Mencia | San Pedro Pirates | Freedom Fighters | 4–1 (H) | 18 February 2018 |
| Hector Martinez | Belmopan Bandits | San Pedro Pirates | 4–3 (A) | 11 March 2018 |
| Georgie Welcome | Belmopan Bandits | Belize Defence Force | 5–3 (H) | 21 May 2018 |
Awards
In the post-game ceremonies of the final game of the season, the individual awards were announced.
| Award | Recipient | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Boot (Regular Season) | Jonard Castillo | Wagiya |
| Golden Boot (Overall) | Trimayne Harris | Belize Defence Force |
| MVP (Regular Season) | Trimayne Harris | Belize Defence Force |
| MVP (Playoff) | Georgie Welcome | Belmopan Bandits |
| Best Young Player | Jonard Castillo | Wagiya |
| Best Midfielder | Denmark Casey Jr. | Verdes |
| Best Defender | Dalton Eiley | Belmopan Bandits |
| Golden Glove | Selvin Zeron Sagastume | Verdes |
| Best Coach | Kent Gabourel | Belmopan Bandits |
| Best Manager | Captain Kenrick Martinez | Belize Defence Force |
Aggregate table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belmopan Bandits | 28 | 20 | 6 | 2 | 71 | 31 | +40 | 66 | 2018 CONCACAF League |
| 2 | Verdes | 28 | 18 | 5 | 5 | 58 | 25 | +33 | 59 | |
| 3 | Belize Defence Force | 28 | 12 | 5 | 11 | 49 | 36 | +13 | 41 | |
| 4 | Police United | 28 | 12 | 4 | 12 | 43 | 53 | −10 | 40 | |
| 5 | San Pedro Pirates | 27 | 11 | 2 | 14 | 47 | 49 | −2 | 35 | |
| 6 | Placencia Assassins | 28 | 6 | 9 | 13 | 37 | 56 | −19 | 27 | |
| 7 | Wagiya | 27 | 7 | 4 | 16 | 43 | 74 | −31 | 25 | |
| 8 | Freedom Fighters | 28 | 7 | 1 | 20 | 31 | 77 | −46 | 22 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
References
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