ALAJUELA – Two-time Concacaf Champions Cup winners Alajuelense of Costa Rica got a goal from Aaron Suarez to pocket a 1-0 victory over Honduran side Olancho in their opening match of Group D of the 2023 Concacaf Central American Cup on Tuesday night at the Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto in Alajuela, Costa Rica.
The first two chances of the match came for Olancho, who came out strong in their first ever international match, playing a very direct style of football to put pressure on the Alajuelense back line. Home GK Leonel Moreira had to be alert in making a pair of saves in the first 20 minutes.
Margins stayed razor-thin going into the second half as the Olancho attack kept Alajuelense on their heels, while the home side’s attack with the likes of veterans Joel Campbell, Michael Barrantes and Celso Borges tried to find a spark.
A goal for Alajuelense would finally arrive just after the hour mark when an Olancho giveaway led to a break, with Campbell and Ian Lawrence playing a slick one-two combination that saw Campbell’s shot parried by Olancho GK Harold Fonseca, but Suarez was there to pounce on the rebound and score for a 1-0 Alajuelense lead.
The goal loosened up what had been a compact Olancho defense and Borges nearly made it two in the 67’ on a long-range blast that Fonseca blocked. Josimar Alcocer then looked set to double the Alajuelense lead on 75 minutes, only to be turned away by Fonseca.
Alajuelense still had work to do at the defensive end and got a reminder in the 82’ from Olancho’s Carlos Fernandez, who volleyed just wide of net.
In the end, though, the spoils belonged to Alajuelense, who saw things out to nail down the three precious points.
