by Rod Hughes

Saprissa’s Armando Alonso kicked a winning goal past Alajuela’s goal keeper in the waning minutes of the second half to allow the big purple “S” to squeak by to a 1-0 goal advantage in the next stanza of the national championship finals. But no one on Jeaustin Campos’s club is crowing yet.

“La Liga,” as Alajuela is called by the conoscenti, is prone to react vigorously with its back to the wall. Historically, in 18 championship classics between the two clubs, Alajuela leads in wins. So Saprissa reacted to the win with cautious satisfaction.

Perhaps it was Alonso himself, asked about his 13th goal of the season, who summed up Saprissa’s realistic wariness. “We’re 11 on the pitch, but really we’re 30 players who fervently desire to go out there and give our all,” he told the daily La Nacion sportswriters, “Here (in Tibas, seat of the club) we all want to be champions.”

But he’s not promising the championship cup to the Tibas fans yet. Teammate Andres Nunez agreed, observing that “there is still 90 minutes to play” and that they were facing an opponent that had earned it’s way into the finals.