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News · SportsAlajuelense knocks out Motagua and will play an all-Costa Rican final against Cartaginés in the Central American Cup
La Liga beat the Honduran side 2-1 in Alajuela and will go for its fourth straight title. Its opponent will be Cartaginés, who reach the final for the first time after knocking out Olimpia.
Translated from the original Spanish article. Read in Spanish
News published on October 30, 2026. The situation may have changed since then.
The final of the Concacaf Central American Cup will be 100% Costa Rican. Alajuelense beat Motagua of Honduras 2-1 on Thursday, October 29 and will face Cartaginés.
How the match went
The first leg in Tegucigalpa had ended 0-0, so everything was decided at the Alejandro Morera Soto stadium in Alajuela.
- Minute 19: Juan Añor opened the scoring for La Liga. - Minute 43: Creichel Pérez made it 2-0 before half-time. - Minute 74: an own goal by Alexis Gamboa brought Motagua closer, but it was not enough.
Alajuelense finished with ten men after Saldívar was sent off. The aggregate score was 2-1.
Alajuelense is the reigning three-time Central American Cup champion and will play its fourth final in a row.
Cartaginés makes history
The other finalist is Cartaginés, who reach the final for the first time. They beat Olimpia 1-0 in Costa Rica and drew 2-2 in Tegucigalpa on Wednesday, October 28, with a goal in stoppage time.
That means the two giants of Honduras, Olimpia and Motagua, were both knocked out in the same week.
What is at stake
Alajuelense, coached by Óscar Ramírez, is chasing its fourth consecutive title. Cartaginés wants its first crown in this tournament.
The final will pit two clubs that already know each other well from the Costa Rican league.
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Sources (in Spanish)
- Resultado, goles, expulsión, entrenadores y cuarta final seguida: Infobae / EFE (30 de octubre de 2026).
- Cartaginés llega por primera vez a la final: Infobae (29 de octubre de 2026).
- Marcadores de la serie Olimpia-Cartaginés: La Prensa (28 de octubre de 2026).
Photos are from Wikimedia Commons under free licenses; the author and license are shown under each image.
