The Alajuelense defender can be crowned today. Take advantage of the Grand Final of Costa Rican football against Saprissa
Erik Cabalceta of Salvador, who plays for Aleguelense, dreams of becoming a Tico soccer champion. Today they will face defending champions Saprissa in the second leg of the final for that country.
The match between the country’s two most popular teams will kick off at 6 p.m. at the Ricardo Saprissa Stadium, full of its 21,000 seats, where the cabalceta could begin.
Alajuelas, led by the Argentine coach Andres Kerevic, reaches the final match with his entire squad and takes a 1–0 lead in the first leg, thanks to a goal scored by Carlos Mora, his main offensive figure.
The defensive solidity that Alajuelense has shown throughout the tournament is another strength for it to face the second leg and keep a clean sheet in rival territory.
The central defender duo of Giancarlo González and Alexis Gamboa have been a stronghold of the Alajuelense team, with quality in midfield from Celso Borges and Honduran Alexander López, as well as pace in attack from Carlos Mora, Josimar Alcosar. and Johan Venegas.
On the other hand, coach Vladimir Quesada’s Saprissa comes with an obligation to win in front of its fans for its second consecutive title and thirty-eighth for its showcase.
Tall defender Kendall Waston and his Panamanian partner Fidel Escobar will be in charge of supporting the defense of the Purple Monster, while the attack will be led by Argentine midfielder Mariano Torres and forwards such as Cuban Luis Paredella and young Warren Madrigal.
The only notable absence for the “Purple Monsters” is midfielder David Guzmán, who is suspended due to expulsion.
In this grand final, Saprissa, the winner of the first stage of the 22-round tournament, and Alajuelense, the winner of the second stage composed of semifinals and finals, face each other.
That second round final was won by Alajuelense 3–1 on aggregate against Saprissa and forced them to play the Grand Final. Had Saprissa won the second round final, they would have been crowned champions without the need for a Grand Final.
Saprissa is the most successful team in Costa Rica with 37 titles, while Alajuelense is second with 30 and is looking to close the gap.
See also: photo. Is Enrico Dueñas considering a career change?
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