Olimpia and Alajuelense Battle to 1-1 Draw in Semifinals Clash

ALAJUELA, Costa Rica — Olimpia of Honduras and Club Deportivo Alajuelense played to a tense 1-1 draw in the first leg of the 2025 Copa Centroamericana semifinals on Tuesday at Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto.

Both teams entered the match with high expectations. Alajuelense aimed for a win at home, while Olimpia sought to secure a crucial away goal. Early on, the match showcased both teams’ abilities, but it was a disallowed goal for Olimpia that stole the spotlight.

In the 10th minute, José Mario Pinto seemed to have opened the scoring for Olimpia. However, after a VAR review, referee Jesús Rafael López ruled out the goal due to a handball by Michaell Chirinos in the buildup, maintaining the score at 0-0.

The match saw a flurry of substitutions and tactical adjustments as both sides strived for an advantage. Alajuelense’s relentless pressure nearly bore fruit two times before the first half concluded, but they could not capitalize.

The second half saw a surge in action. Marcos Montiel, newly substituted into the game, finally put Olimpia ahead in the 74th minute, capitalizing from close range after a corner kick.

Alajuelense showed resilience and equalized in dramatic fashion with just two minutes to spare. In the 88th minute, Anthony Hernández unleashed a powerful shot from outside the box that found the net, restoring parity for the home side.

Despite a few more attempts from both teams after the equalizer, the match ended in a draw, leaving the series wide open for the return leg in Tegucigalpa. The result illustrates the evenly matched competition as both teams prepare for a thrilling conclusion to the semifinal matchup.