MIAMI, Florida – The highly anticipated 2023 Concacaf Central American Cup Final is nearing its climax as Real Esteli of Nicaragua prepares to host Costa Rica’s Alajuelense in the first leg of the Final on Tuesday night at the Estadio Independencia in Esteli, Nicaragua.
Both teams have faced formidable challenges to reach this point. Real Esteli displayed their strength by winning their first three matches of the group stage, including a victory against 2022 Concacaf League champions Olimpia of Honduras. They then defeated another Central American powerhouse, Saprissa of Costa Rica, in the quarterfinals, followed by a semifinal triumph over CA Independiente of Panama to secure their place in the Final.
Game Notes Real Esteli vs Alajulense
Real Esteli’s journey has been marked by standout performances from different players, with Harold Medina and Juan Barrera combining for three goals in the group stage, Bancy Hernandez scoring a crucial goal in the quarterfinal, and Abel Mendez tallying a goal and supplying two assists in the semifinals.
Alajuelense has also seen outstanding contributions, with Aaron Suarez and Johan Venegas scoring four and three goals, respectively.
The Costa Rican team was the only club to achieve a perfect four wins from four matches in the group stage. After defeating fellow Costa Rican club Cartagines in the quarterfinals, they secured a spot in the semifinals with a last-minute goal from veteran playmaker Joel Campbell, ultimately winning 5-4 in a penalty shootout against another Costa Rican side, Herediano.
Notably, while this marks Real Esteli’s first ever Concacaf Final, Alajuelense is playing in a Concacaf final for the second consecutive year after narrowly falling to Olimpia in the 2022 Concacaf League Final.
A strong result on Tuesday for either side means that they are one step closer to Concacaf glory.
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