After all the controversies surrounding player suspensions and team protests, and after having to resort to competition rules when both teams won home victories in the playoffs, both in the semifinals and in the championship finals yesterday in Corozal, the boys from the south, Ilagulei, once again emerged the series winner, and this time they claimed the RF&G Insurance Cup over runners-up Nizhee Corozal.
In the semifinals against F.C. Belize a few weeks ago, Ilagulei had lost 3-2 to F.C. Belize at the MCC in Belize City, then returned the favor the next week with a 2-1 victory on their home turf at the Carl Ramos Stadium. This resulted in an equal aggregate score of 4 goals for and 4 against, but Ilagulei won the series on the “away goal” rule, having scored 2 goals on their opponents’ turf, while F.C. Belize had only scored 1 at the Carl Ramos. Meanwhile, F.C. Belize’s protest of the game had been rejected by the FFB/BPFL.
In the finals, which culminated yesterday at the Ricalde Stadium in Corozal Town, it was a similar situation. A protest by Nizhee Corozal following their game last week in Dangriga had been rejected by the BPFL. Ilagulei had shut out Nizhee in Dangriga by a 1-nil score; and yesterday, although they lost to Nizhee, 2-1, in Corozal, giving an equal aggregate of 2 goals for and 2 goals against, Ilagulei again won the series on the “away goal” rule, having scored in Corozal, while Nizhee had failed to score in Dangriga.
In yesterday’s game, Nizhee Corozal drew first blood in front of their home fans when Sergio Villanueva hit the target at the 29th minute, but 4 minutes later it was a tied game as Ilagulei’s Lisbey Castillo responded at the 33rd minute. The game winner came for Nizhee at the 71st minute through Antonio Castillo, but the 2-1 home victory wasn’t enough to claim the series and the championship, which went to the visitors, Ilagulei from Dangriga.
Both Ilagulei and Nizhee Corozal are first year BPFL franchises, though some of their players are former members of other active or inactive clubs from the previous season. Revolutionary Conquerors, Santels and Wagiya, all clubs from the previous season, failed to make an appearance in this last BPFL competition, which ended under a cloud of controversy.