Alianza bow out on high note vs. Alajuelense

PANAMA CITY – Alianza of Panama have been eliminated from the 2022 Scotiabank Concacaf League, but they did so with their heads held high after a 1-1 draw against Costa Rica’s Alajuelense in the second leg of their Round of 16 series on Thursday night at the Estadio Universitario in Penonome, Panama.

The Canalero club scored their first ever SCL goal and earned their first SCL point with the draw. Alajuelense advance to the quarterfinals with a 6-1 win on aggregate and will face Alianza of El Salvador in the final eight.

With the five-goal cushion on aggregate entering the match, Alajuelense could play to their liking from the start, but that did not keep them from going forward and after a first half with little in the way of chances, the Ticos struck in the 37’ when Alianza’s Jesus Cano deflected an Alajuelense free kick into his own net to hand the visitors a 1-0 lead.

Alianza were keen to find their first SCL goal and it almost arrived just after the restart when a ball across found the charging John Asprilla, but the shot sailed wide.

Alvin Mendoza was next to launch an effort goalward, as his stinging shot from distance required Alajuelense GK Miguel Aju to make a save.

The moment for Alianza finally arrived in the 68’ when a ball played in was headed in by John Jairo Alvarado, who split a pair of defenders and smacked the ball into the net to even the score 1-1.

Alvarado nearly got another one just minutes later with Aju way off his line, but the shot from the Alianza attacker struck the crossbar. It was the same story again in the 76’ when an acrobatic overhead kick from Alvaro rang off the post, keeping things level.

In the end, there would be no winner, as each defense kept things clean the rest of the way to earn the result for their respective side.