Premier League of Belize: Altitude captain Dellon ‘Dee Breezy’ Torres to miss Opening Season Finals against Port Layola, barring a miraculous recovery

Dellon ‘Dee Breezy’ Torres (#10) against Port Layola – Photo Credit: Altitude/ @moralez_arts

By Rubén Morales Iglesias: Altitude defeated the defending champions Verdes 1-0 twice to gain their ticket to the big dance, but unless he recovers miraculously, their captain Dellon ‘Dee Breezy’ Torres will be missing out on the Premier League of Belize 2023-24 Opening Season Finals against Port Layola.

His absence will be a huge blow for Altitude, who are aiming for their second national title.

Torres reinjured his left knee in the first semifinal match against Verdes at the Michael Ashcroft Stadium in Independence on Saturday December 2.

The 29 year-old midfielder had to sit out the return leg at the Norman Broaster Stadium in San Ignacio this past Sunday, December 10.

“I reinjured one of my old injuries, I sprained my left knee. I hyperextended the knee in the first game against Verdes,” Torres told Breaking Belize News (BBN), saying he figured he was out for the rest of the season.

“I’m taking it day by day, but so far right now I don’t think I’ll play. It’s really rough but I’ve been here before.”

Dellon ‘Dee Breezy’ Torres against Police Benque on October 7, 2023 – (Photo Credit: Altitude FC?@moralez_arts)

On December 28, 2022, Torres underwent exploratory laparoscopic surgery to his right knee anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), which was believed to have been torn in the first Premier League of Belize Opening Championship semifinal against Progresso on Sunday, November 13, 2022, at the People’s Stadium in Orange Walk.

On scoring the opening goal in the 54^th minute of Altitude’s 2-1 win, Torres twisted his right knee. The surgery proved his ligament was intact but he was sidelined for the rest of the championship, including the Finals in which Altitude defeated Verdes, to capture the national championship.

Now he is about to miss his team’s second PLB Championship Finals.

The only consolation might be that Port’s main striker Gilroy ‘Bredda’ Thurton will also miss the Finals because of an injury he suffered against Progresso last Sunday in the second semifinal game between the two clubs. Thurton’s absence should even things out between the two finalists.

“It’s tough that we don’t get to see the top players in the Finals after working so hard but it’s part of the game,” Torres said.

The Altitude captain is in his prime but has been around for quite a while now. In fact, he was a member of the historic Belize Men’s National Team (BMNT) in 2013 that qualified for Belize’s first and only Concacaf Gold Cup in the Central American Nations Cup in Costa Rica under the guidance of the late Costa Rican coach LeRoy Sherrier Lewis. Torres was the youngest member of the national squad. However, he did not make the final cut for the Gold Cup, as the new coach, American Ian Mork, favoured more experienced players that he had worked with before during a previous stint with the BMNT.

Recently, Torres refused a BMNT callup due to the politics of the sport under the present BMNT management which had previously ignored him and only called him after a public outcry for him to be included.

Torres started his PLB career with the Placencia Assassins, who won the league title in 2012. He later joined Altitude, who he now captains. He also played for various teams in the Mid-South’s Banana League and won several trophies there.