ALAJUELA, Costa Rica — Liga Deportiva Alajuelense extended its women’s football dynasty in Costa Rica with a seventh consecutive league championship following its conquest of the Apertura 2024 title.
LD Alajuelense defeated Sporting FC in the finals, 7-1 on aggregate, over two legs for the club’s latest trophy.
Las Leonas won the first leg by a score of 4-nil on Saturday, June 29, at the Ernesto Rohrmoser Stadium in San Jose. Gabriella Guillen scored the opening goal in the 13’ to give her team the advantage. Keylin Gomez struck a header from a corner kick in the 22’ to extend the lead.
Kenia Rangel shot in the box in the 53’ to keep the tally going in the second half. Anyela Mesen added a fourth goal in the 87’ to seal an excellent advantage for the return leg. Sheika Scott took the player of the match honors while the defense conserved the clean sheet.
The defending champions sealed the championship with a 3-1 victory in the second leg last Saturday at the Alejandro Morera Soto Stadium in Alajuela. Natalia Mills continued the Rojinegras’ good form with a goal in the 17’ to extend the lead on aggregate. Sporting FC got their first goal in the series when Hilary Corrales won the ball in the area to pull one back in the 52’.
𝙇𝙀𝙊𝙉𝘼𝙎: 𝙃𝙀𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙎 𝙋𝘼𝙍𝘼 𝙃𝘼𝘾𝙀𝙍 𝙃𝙄𝙎𝙏𝙊𝙍𝙄𝘼. 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/1M7gKVB521
— Alajuelense Oficial (@ldacr) July 7, 2024
The hosts retook the momentum in the 65’ from an own goal when Jeimy Umaña failed to clear the ball close to the net. Keylin Gomez added a third goal in the 84’, pushing the ball with her back heel right in the goal line. Natalia Mills was named the player of the match for the second leg.
Anyela Mesen finished the tournament as the league’s top scorer with 13 goals. Noelia Bermudez Valverde was named the best goalkeeper of the campaign.
Wilmer Lopez also collected his seventh league title as a manager, all with Alajuelense’s women’s side since his appointment in 2020.
LD Alajuelense will face a new challenge as they challenge for a continental championship in the upcoming 2024/25 Concacaf W Champions Cup. The Costa Rican club will participate in Group A alongside NWSL champions NJ/NY Gotham FC, Liga MX Femenil giants Tigres UANL and Rayadas, and Jamaica Women’s Premier League champions Frazsiers Whip Football Limited.
