We were informed by officials earlier this week that game 1 of the Premier League of Belize semifinal home-and-away series will be at the MCC Grounds and Placencia Football Field.
According to the playoff format, the North Zone first place team (Belize Defence Force) meets the South Zone second place team (Placencia Assassins); while the South Zone first place (Police United FC) clashes with the North Zone second place team (F.C. Belize).
In some years past, it had become the tradition that the top seeded team would utilize its option to play game 1 at home; but that has not always been the case. In this year’s semifinals, both Zone winners have opted to play on the road first.
In fact, in the last completed Belize Premier Football League (BPFL) tournament in January of 2011, the two top seeded teams in the semifinals, then BDF and F.C. Belize, had made different choices on where to play their game 1 against their lower seeded opponents. BDF chose to play on the road in game 1 against San Felipe Barcelona, and BDF won that game by a 2-1 score, then crushed San Felipe in the home match at the Norman Broaster by a 6-2 score. F.C. Belize, on the other hand, had chosen to play at home first, and they were held to a 1-1 draw by Toledo Ambassadors at the MCC Grounds. And in the return match at Toledo Union Field, F.C. Belize was beaten 3-0. So the choice of home field first did not work out for F.C. Belize. And in the championship finals, BDF again chose to play on the road first, and drew 2-2 with the Ambassadors in Toledo; then they won 2-0 and took the championship on their home field at the Norman Broaster Stadium.
It is interesting that both top seeded teams in this year’s playoff – Police United FC and Belize Defence Force – include a number of players who were on that 2010-2011 BDF championship squad. And both Police United and BDF have opted to play their semifinal game 1 on the road this Sunday.
Sunday, April 22
4:00 p.m. – (North #2) F.C. Belize vs (South #1) Police United FC – MCC Grounds
4:00 p.m. – (South #2) Placencia Assassins vs (North #1) Belize Defence Force – Placencia Football Field
Next weekend, BDF will be at home at the Norman Broaster Stadium for game 2; while reports are that Police United will take their game 2 to FFB Stadium in Belmopan.