With Costa Rican side Alajuelense visiting Montreal for the first time ever this Wednesday in what is the one of the biggest matchups in the history of both organizations, let’s take an in depth look at the club from the city of Alajuela and get more info on the opponent from Central America.
Here is a top 10 on the things you need to know about Liga Deportiva Alajuelense:
1. Established in 1919, Alajuelense is one of the founding members of the Costa Rican first division.
2. LDA is one of the country’s most successful clubs, having never been relegated in 95 years of existence, winning 29 titles over that span and eight Copa Costa Rica tournaments. The club won three UNCAF Club Championships and two CONCACAF Champions' Cups (the name of the tournament before adopting the Champions League format). Alajuelense is the only Central American football team who took part in CONMEBOL competitions such as Copa Merconorte in 2000 and the Copa Sudamericana in 2006.
3. Head Coach Oscar Ramirez played over 300 games for the club from 1983-1993 and is considered a legend in Costa Rica, earning the nickname El Machille (The Blonde), playing 75 games for the national team.
4. The club’s home stadium was renamed to honour one of its legends Alejandro Morera Soto, and seats 17,895.
5. Alajuelense is making its second straight CONCACAF Champions League semifinal appearance, falling to Mexican side Toluca 3-0 on aggregate last year.
6. LDA was the eighth and final seed in the quarterfinal round of the CONCACAF Champions League this year, having qualified as the top seed in group 6, but winning only one game and tying the other three. The Costa Rican side then defeated the top seed in D.C. United 6-4 on aggregate, thanks to a lopsided 5-2 win at home.
7. Its 32-man roster is mostly made up of local players, with just three foreign base players in Brazilian Yvanilton de Ameida, as well as Argentines Leonel Peralta and Pablo Antonio Gabas.
8. LDA qualified for this edition of the Champions League by being the top team in Costa Rica’s Invierno season, winning 17 of 22 games played during the season.
9. Alajuelense is currently in fourth spot in the table for the 2015 Verano season, but haven’t been able to find a win in its last six regular season matches.
10. Jonathan McDonald is leading the team in scoring with six goals in the regular season, good for second in the entire league, while Johan Venegas has chipped in with five goals and one assist.
