by Rod Hughes

A listless Alajuela made its path to the championship of the Uncaf Cup for regional soccer clubs more difficult last night by a scoreless tie with Real Espana of Honduras. This puts Real Espana in good shape with the next game in its home stadium.

The game in Alajuela did not live up to its international stature. It was a further disappointment for Alajuela fans that the home team played with one more man after Luis Guifaro was expelled early in the second half. The Liga’s attack on the goal was stillborn, unlike the fast, active play we expect of the last century’s winningest Tico 11.

One disappointment came at minute 20 when visiting goalie Marcello Masias stopped a free kick by Alajuela’s Mario Viquez. At that, Viquez was one of the few in red and black uniform who deigned to try to score. It seemed that when Cristian Montero left the game due to an injury that all the life drained from Alajuela.

To make life even more difficult for the red and the black, Alajuela has a killer schedule for the next two weeks, playing in the Costa Rican First Division and in the Cup tourney.