Liga_Puerto_Rico
Liga Puerto Rico
Professional association football team based in 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]
| Organizing body | Puerto Rican Football Federation |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2018 |
| Country |  Puerto Rico |
| Confederation | CONCACAF |
| Number of teams | 8 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | none |
| Domestic cup(s) | Copa Luis Villarejo |
| International cup(s) | CFU Club Championship |
| Current champion(s) | Metropolitan FA (2nd title) (2022) |
| Most championships | Metropolitan FA (2 titles) |
| Website | ligapuertorico |
| Current: 2023 Liga Puerto Rico | |
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]
Like much of Latin America, Liga Puerto Rico is split into an Apertura and Clausura. Due to the instability of the league, often teams will participate in one half of the season but not the other. Each phase of the season teams play each other twice. After a playoff phase the winner qualifies for the CFU Club Championship.
Current clubs
A total of eight clubs currently compete in Liga Puerto Rico.
| 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 |
| Don Bosco FC | San Juan | Parque de Fútbol San Juan Bosco | 1,000 | 1952 | 2023 | Lionel Simonetti |
| 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 |
| Guaynabo Gol SC | Guaynabo | Estadio Charlie Fuentes | 1,000 | 2023 | 2023 | Jose Lubary |
| Guayama FC | Guayama | Cancha de Balompié de Guayama | 1,500 | 1959 | 2023 | Milton Ortiz |
Former clubs
| Team | City | Stadium | Capacity | Founded | Joined | Left |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ramey SC | Aguadilla | Pista Atlética Ana Beltrán | 1,500 | 1949 | 2018 | 2020 |
| Club de Balompie Junqueño | Juncos | Parque de Fútbol Colegio Corazón de María | 1,000 | 2004 | 2019 | 2020 |
| Leal Arecibo FC | Arecibo | UPR Arecibo | 1,000 | 2006 | 2019 | 2020 |
| Mirabelli SA | Carolina | Parque de Fútbol Colegio Corazón de María | 1,000 | 2010 | 2018 | 2020 |
| FC Mayagüez | Mayagüez | Pista Atletica Aguadilla | 1,000 | 2003 | 2018 | 2022 |
Below is a list of Liga Puerto Rico Champions.[9]
| Season | Champions | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| 2018–2019 | Metropolitan FA | [6] |
| 2019–2020 | Canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic in Puerto Rico | [10] |
| 2020–2021 | [11] | |
| 2021 | Bayamon FC | [12] |
| 2022 | Metropolitan FA | |
| 2022 Apertura | Metropolitan | |
| 2023 Clausura | Metropolitan | |
| 2023 Apertura | Academia Quintana | |
| Season | Player | Team | Goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 |  Josep Becerra | Bayamón | 32 |
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 |
Caribbean Club Shield | Group stage | ||||
 Santiago de Cuba |
Cancelled[13] | ||||||
 Scholars International | |||||||
 Inter Moengotapoe | |||||||
| 2021 | Caribbean Club Championship[Note 2] | Group stage |  Delfines del Este |
3–0[14] | |||
 Real Rincon |
4–0[15] | ||||||
| Semi-finals | Inter Moengotapoe |
1–3[16] | |||||
| 2021 | CONCACAF League | Preliminary round |  Santa Lucía |
0–3[17] | 1–2[18] | 1–5 | |
| 2022 | Bayamón |
Caribbean Club Shield | Group stage |  Junior Stars |
3–3[19] | ||
 South East |
6–0[20] | ||||||
| Semi-final |  Jong Holland |
2–1[21] | |||||
| Final | Inter Moengotapoe |
2–1[22] | |||||
| 2022 | Caribbean Club Championship | CONCACAF League playoff |  Waterhouse |
0–4[23] | |||
- ^ GPS Puerto Rico began playing in the league in 2018 but merged with the newly formed Puerto Rico Surf SC in July 2020.
- ^ 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.[24]
- Andino, Jessica Rosa. "FPF estrena reglamento para la Concesión de Licencias de Clubes" (in Spanish). Puerto Rican Football Federation. Archived from the original on 27 April 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
- "La Federación lanza su liga elite superior amateur llamada Liga Puerto Rico" (in Spanish). futbolboricua.co. Archived from the original on 10 January 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- "La FPF Anuncia Lanzamiento de la Liga Puerto Rico". www.facebook.com. Archived from the original on 2019-12-07. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
- Jusino, Edwin. "Comienza el Torneo Preparatorio de la Federación" (in Spanish). Futbol Boricua. Archived from the original on 6 July 2018. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
- "Bayamón se Corona Campeón del Torneo Preparatorio - Ciudad de Bayamón". 11 June 2018. Archived from the original on 16 June 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
- Schöggl, Hans; Stokkermans, Karel. "Puerto Rico 2018/19". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 4 November 2022. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
- Rosa Andino, Jessica. "Cancelados los Torneos de Futbol" (in Spanish). Liga Puerto Rico. Archived from the original on 13 April 2021. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
- Andino, Jessica Rosa. "LPR Presenta Nuevo Trofeo Para el 2021" (in Spanish). Liga Puerto Rico. Archived from the original on 13 April 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- Schöggl, Hans. "Puerto Rico - List of Champions". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 25 July 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
- Stokkermans, Karel. "Puerto Rico 2019/20". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 25 July 2022. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
- "En compas de esper la FPF para reiniciar la Liga Puerto Rico" (in Spanish). Liga Puerto Rico. Archived from the original on 13 April 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
- "Bayamon FC es el nuevo monarca del futbol local" (in Spanish). Liga Puerto Rico. Archived from the original on 25 January 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
- "Update on Concacaf Caribbean Club Shield and Flow Concacaf Caribbean Club Championship". CONCACAF. 25 August 2020. Archived from the original on 13 September 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- "Delfines Del Este FC 1 Metropolitan FA 1". CONCACAF. Archived from the original on 5 May 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- "Metropolitan FA 4 SV Real Rincon 0". CONCACAF. Archived from the original on 5 May 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- "Inter Moengo 3 Metropolitan FA 1". CONCACAF. Archived from the original on 5 May 2021. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
- "Santa Lucia 3 Metropolitan 0". CONCACAF. Archived from the original on 26 April 2022. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
- "Metropolitan 1 Santa Lucia 2". CONCACAF. Archived from the original on 26 April 2022. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
- "Bayamon FC, Junior Stars play to thrilling draw to open CCCS". CONCACAF. Archived from the original on 27 April 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
- "Golden Lion, Bayamon attacks take flight as CCCS continues". CONCACAF. Archived from the original on 27 April 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
- "Inter Moengo Tapoe, Bayamon punch CCCS Final tickets". CONCACAF. Archived from the original on 27 April 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
- "Ranera's last-second goal lifts Bayamon FC to CCCS title". CONCACAF. Archived from the original on 27 April 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
- "Waterhouse 4 Bayamon 0". CONCACAF. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
- "Update on 2021 Concacaf Caribbean Club Competitions". CONCACAF. Archived from the original on 21 November 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
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