“We’ve been in this place for two years now and we’re happy,” said Miguel Machado, the Honduran president of New Bedford’s Liga Latina, the community soccer league that has put down roots at Dias Field in the city’s North End after spending years shifting between neighborhoods, New Bedford Light reported.
The league, which plays indoor championships during the winter and an outdoor tournament once the weather improves, has drawn players and their families to the historic park for the past two seasons. Its next final is set for November 8.
From the South End to Dias Field
Machado said the league began in New Bedford’s South End before relocating to Dias Field, a venue long associated with the city’s youth baseball league and with Hispanic baseball players who have taken the field there every weekend for years.
“We thank the city for giving us the opportunity to settle here,” Machado added.
The move has given the league stability it lacked during its earlier years of moving between different parts of the city.
Ten Teams, a Cape Verdean Title to Defend on November 8
Ten teams currently compete in the league, and Benjamín García, a member of one of the participating teams, said the rosters draw players from countries around the world. García singled out the Cape Verdean team as the best of the ten — and it enters the final as the reigning champion, needing to defend its title on November 8.
The new tournament carries a prize of $3,400 for the winner and $1,600 for the runner-up, New Bedford Light reported.
What Readers Want to Know
When is the Liga Latina final? The championship game is scheduled for November 8 at Dias Field.
How much is the prize money? The winner of the new tournament takes home $3,400, while the runner-up receives $1,600.
Where does the league play? After starting in the South End and moving around the city for years, the Liga Latina has played at Dias Field in New Bedford’s North End for the past two years.
García put the league’s international makeup plainly: “In this league we have teams with players from all countries.”
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