Alajuela Gets Past Real España
by Rod Hughes
So half of the UNCAF soccer tournament semifinals will be fought out on Costa Rican soil, since Alajuela got by Real España of Honduras on goal kicks, 5-4 after ending regulations play in a 2-2 tie. The first semifinal game will be in Tibas’s Ricardo Saprissa Stadium Oct. 23, followed by the windup at Alajuela Oct. 31. the winner will play the winner of the Municpal vs. Motagua series in the finals.
In the kind of shootout that ended the latest game, one goalie is the hero and one the goat. In this case, Alajuela’s Wardy Alfaro wears the laurels. Briefly, scoring went like this: Real España’s Everaldo Ferreira drew first blood on a pass by Elder Valladares only to find it evened up by Victor Nuñez. Roy Mayrie put Alajuela ahead on Nuñez’s pass but forward Melvin Valladares tied it.
This left it up to Alfaro who blocked a penalty kick by Jose Carlos Díaz. The warriors from La Liga, as Alajuela is called in its official title, did not miss at all.
This means that the traditional rivals will square off in a two-game series that is sure to pack the stands, a classico of classicos. You can be certain that Saprissa is going to keep an eye on Alajuela’s Victor El mambo Nuñez who lead UNCAF with three goals. Saprissa midfielder Walter Centeno has two in the tourney.