Players and fans braved the rain on Saturday to witness Boston International take home the MIAA boys soccer Division 5 state championship with a 2-0 victory over Hopedale. This makes the school the first Boston City League team to win a boys soccer title. “Means a lot,” said Boston International head coach Edmar Varela. “I don’t think any other team earned it more than we did.” Boston International pushed Hopedale all game, staying in control and keeping its opponents on their toes. Despite working hard to keep the Lions at bay, Hopedale couldn’t seem to match up offensively. Both teams started strong in the first half. While Boston International moved the ball several yards at a time, Hopedale responded with a strong defense that kept the Lions at bay for the majority of the first half. However, the Lions delivered just before the end of the first half, with Syberto Brevil scoring the game’s first goal with an assist from Xavier Arriola. “(Xavier) is a team player. His vision is second to none,” said Varela. “These guys, you can never be surprised at what they do. We have a group of athletes . and Syberto’s one of them. He has an incredible shot.” The defensive battle continued through the first 33 minutes of the second half, but Boston International’s Henrich Saint delivered a key insurance goal to double the lead with just about seven minutes remaining. As Hopedale raced against the clock to recover, time just wasn’t on its side. BINCA held onto their 2-0 lead and carried it to victory. Coach Varela is proud of his team’s growth and teamwork this season, something that’s led them to this win. “It’s amazing to see the progress,” he said. “Individually, they’ve always been very solid but playing as a team is the hardest thing. I’ve been doing a lot of preaching about that, and we’ve been doing it all season long.” When asked about his proudest moment this season, Coach Varela didn’t hesitate. “Proudest moment has to be today,” he said. “Winning state champs, this is history. This is for [the players], this is for their families, their school, communities. This is for Boston.”.
https://www.bostonherald.com/2025/11/22/boston-international-shuts-out-hopedale-to-win-div-5-title-make-history/