LAFC survived an early setback and produced a composed second-half comeback to defeat Alajuelense 2-1 on Tuesday night at Alejandro Morera Soto, sealing a 3-2 aggregate victory and booking their place in the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals.
The second leg began in ideal fashion for the Costa Rican side. Alajuelense took the lead in the 4th minute when Santiago van der Putten rose to head home, instantly flipping the pressure onto the visitors and igniting the home crowd in Alajuela.
For much of the first half, Alajuelense protected that advantage with discipline and intensity, while LAFC had plenty of the ball without yet finding the cutting edge. The MLS side finished the night with 63 percent possession and won 10 corners, but in the opening 45 minutes they were forced to probe patiently against a compact defensive block. The tension in the fixture showed up in the book as well, with yellow cards issued to Eddie Segura in the 32nd minute and Denis Bouanga in the 45th minute for LAFC, while Guillermo Villalobos, Creichel Pérez and Aarón Salazar were cautioned for the hosts.
Whatever was said at the interval by the LAFC manager had the desired effect, because the visitors emerged with far greater purpose. Their breakthrough arrived quickly in the 51st minute, when Nathan Ordaz found the equalizer and pulled LAFC level on the night. It was the goal the visitors desperately needed, both to settle themselves and to swing the aggregate momentum back in their favor.
From there, LAFC increasingly controlled the rhythm of the match. They outshot Alajuelense 13-8 and forced the issue in the attacking third, even if clear openings remained at a premium. Alajuelense still threatened in moments and put four shots on target across the evening, but the home side could not find the second goal that would have changed the complexion of the tie once more.
Instead, the decisive moment came deep into stoppage time. In the 90’+2′ minute, David Martínez delivered the knockout blow, striking the late winner to complete the turnaround and silence the home support. It was a ruthless finish to a hard-fought cup tie and the goal that finally ended Alajuelense’s resistance.
On the night, LAFC’s territorial dominance told: more possession, more shots, and a significant edge in corners. But this was hardly straightforward. Alajuelense made them earn every bit of it, and for long stretches the hosts looked capable of pushing the fixture beyond LAFC’s comfort zone.
In the end, though, LAFC showed the composure and resilience required in two-legged knockout soccer. After falling behind early, they stayed alive, found their equalizer through Ordaz in the 51st minute, and then relied on Martínez’s dramatic 90’+2′ winner to finish the job. The final whistle confirmed both the 2-1 result on the night and LAFC’s 3-2 aggregate advancement from the Round of 16.
