Liga Puerto Rico

The Liga Puerto Rico (LPR) is an amateur football competition organized by the Puerto Rican Football Federation. It is the top division football league on the island. The champion qualifies to participate in the Caribbean Club Shield each season.[1] [2]

This article is about the men's league. For the women's league, see Superior Femenino de la Liga Puerto Rico.
Liga Puerto Rico
Organizing bodyPuerto Rican Football Federation
Founded2018
Country Puerto Rico
ConfederationCONCACAF
Number of teams10
Level on pyramid1
Domestic cup(s)Copa Luis Villarejo
International cup(s)CFU Club Championship
Current champion(s)Metropolitan FA
Most championshipsMetropolitan FA (1)
Websiteligapuertorico.com
Current: 2018–19 Liga Puerto Rico

History

Following the absence of a football league in Puerto Rico for the 2017-18 season, the new Liga Puerto Rico was announced via Facebook by the Puerto Rico Football Federation in August 2018.[3] Prior to the announcement, the federation organized a Preparatory Tournament that ran from March until June 2018.[4] Ten teams participated in the tournament which was eventually won by Bayamón FC.[5] The league's official launch event attended by FIFA and CONCACAF delegates was held on August 23, 2018 with the league set to begin play the following month.[2]

The inaugural season saw Metropolitan FA beat Bayamón Fútbol Club in the championship match. The match went to penalty kicks which Metropolitan won 4–1 after a 0–0 draw in regulation time.[6] The second season of the league began but was abandoned because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The league did not name a champion.[7]

Prior to the 2021–22 season the league unveiled a new championship trophy designed by local artist Milton G. Rodriguez. A replica of the trophy, which is almost three feet tall and over one and a half feet wide, will be given to the champions each season while the original will remain with the Puerto Rican Football Federation.[8]

Competition

The league's ten teams face each other two times. The first six teams of the league table will qualify for the playoffs with the first two getting a direct pass to the semifinals. The championship final will be contested as a single match. The champion each season will qualify for the CFU Club Championship.[9]

Clubs
Locations of current Liga Puerto Rico clubs

Current clubs

Thirteen clubs currently participate in the Liga Puerto Rico[10][11]

Team City Stadium Capacity Founded Joined Head Coach
Academia Quintana San Juan Hiram Bithorn Stadium 18,000 1969 2019 Geymon Fuentes
Bayamón Fútbol Club Bayamón Bayamón Soccer Complex 1,000 1999 2018 Delfin Ferreres
Caguas Sporting FC Caguas Parque Villa del Rey 1,200 2016 2018 Jorge Ariel Caraballo
Club de Balompie Junqueño Juncos Parque de Fútbol Colegio Corazón de María 1,000 2004 2019 Angel Bautista
Don Bosco FC San Juan Parque de Fútbol San Juan Bosco 1,000 1952 2018 Lionel Simonetti
FC Mayagüez Mayagüez Pista Atletica Aguadilla 1,000 2003 2018 Gladys Rivera
Guaynabo Gol SC Guaynabo Bayamón Soccer Complex 1,000 2007 2018 Jose Lubary
Leal Arecibo FC Arecibo UPR Arecibo 1,000 2006 2019 Antonio Lopez
Mirabelli SA Carolina Parque de Fútbol Colegio Corazón de María 1,000 2010 2018 Daniel Ramos
Metropolitan FA San Juan Parque Reparto Metropolitano 1,000 2012 2018 Jorge Silveti
Puerto Rico Sol FC Mayagüez Mayagüez Athletics Stadium 12,175 2016 2018 Craig Roberts
Puerto Rico Surf SC Guaynabo Complejo Deportivo Torrimar 1,000 2020 2019[Note 1] Sergio Castro
Ramey SC Aguadilla Pista Atletica Aguadilla 1,000 2004 2019 Edgar Rivadeneyra

Former clubs
Team City Stadium Capacity Founded Joined Left
Guayama FC Guayama Cancha de Balompié de Guayama 1,500 1949 2018 2019

Champions

Below is a list of Liga Puerto Rico Champions.[12]

Season Champions Ref.
2018–2019 Metropolitan FA
[6]
2019–2020 Canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic in Puerto Rico
[13]
2020–2021
[14]
2021–2022

International competition

The following is a list of results for Liga Puerto Rico clubs in international competitions. LPR club scores are listed first.

Year Club Tournament Round Opponent Home Away Agg.
2020 Metropolitan FA Caribbean Club Shield Group Stage
Santiago de Cuba
Cancelled[15]
Scholars International
Inter Moengotapoe
2021 Metropolitan FA Caribbean Club Championship[Note 2] Group Stage Delfines del Este
3–0[16]
Real Rincon 4–0 [17]
Semi-finals Inter Moengotapoe
1–3[18]
2021 Metropolitan FA CONCACAF League Preliminary Round Santa Lucía

Footnotes
  1. ^
    GPS Puerto Rico began playing in the league in 2018 but merged with the newly formed Puerto Rico Surf SC in July 2020.
  2. ^
    As the most recent Puerto Rico champions, Metropolitan FA were automatically entered into the expanded 2021 Caribbean Club Championship after the 2021 Caribbean Club Shield was cancelled because of a COVID-19 breakout in Curaçao.[19]

References
  1. Andino, Jessica Rosa. "FPF estrena reglamento para la Concesión de Licencias de Clubes" (in Spanish). Puerto Rican Football Federation. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  2. "La Federación lanza su liga elite superior amateur llamada Liga Puerto Rico" (in Spanish). futbolboricua.co. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  3. "La FPF Anuncia Lanzamiento de la Liga Puerto Rico". www.facebook.com.
  4. Jusino, Edwin. "Comienza el Torneo Preparatorio de la Federación" (in Spanish). Futbol Boricua. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  5. "Bayamón se Corona Campeón del Torneo Preparatorio - Ciudad de Bayamón". 11 June 2018.
  6. Schöggl, Hans; Stokkermans, Karel. "Puerto Rico 2018/19". RSSSF. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  7. Rosa Andino, Jessica. "Cancelados los Torneos de Futbol" (in Spanish). Liga Puerto Rico. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  8. Andino, Jessica Rosa. "LPR Presenta Nuevo Trofeo Para el 2021" (in Spanish). Liga Puerto Rico. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  9. "Federación Puertorriqueña de Fútbol presenta su nueva liga". 24 August 2018.
  10. "Clubes" (in Spanish). Liga Puerto Rico. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  11. "FPF anuncia la Liga Puerto Rico". noticias.elhuracanazulpr.com.
  12. Schöggl, Hans. "Puerto Rico - List of Champions". RSSSF. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  13. Stokkermans, Karel. "Puerto Rico 2019/20". RSSSF. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  14. "En compas de esper la FPF para reiniciar la Liga Puerto Rico" (in Spanish). Liga Puerto Rico. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  15. "Update on Concacaf Caribbean Club Shield and Flow Concacaf Caribbean Club Championship". CONCACAF. 25 August 2020.
  16. "Delfines Del Este FC 1 Metropolitan FA 1". CONCACAF. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  17. "Metropolitan FA 4 SV Real Rincon 0". CONCACAF. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  18. "Inter Moengo 3 Metropolitan FA 1". CONCACAF. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  19. "Update on 2021 Concacaf Caribbean Club Competitions". CONCACAF. Retrieved 24 April 2021.


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