Real Estelí and LD Alajuelense meet in the final of the Central American Cup | OneFootball

MIAMI – Real Estelí hosts LD Alajuelense in the first leg of the 2024 Concacaf Central American Cup Final on Wednesday at Estadio Independencia in Estelí, Nicaragua.

The matchup presents a repeat of last year’s final, which was won 4-1 on aggregate by LD Alajuelense. LD Alajuelense will aim to defend its crown and win the title for a second consecutive year.

Real Estelí is looking to secure its first international trophy. The runners-up of the 2023 edition started this year’s competition in Group D with a record of two wins, a draw, and a loss. They eliminated CD Águila of El Salvador in the quarterfinals before advancing past CS Herediano on away goals after a comeback to tie 2-2 on aggregate in the semifinals.

Iván Ochoa will be a player to watch for the Nicaraguan side after bagging a brace in just 11 minutes late in the second leg against Herediano. Byron Bonilla, meanwhile, has been the team’s top contributor in attack, scoring three goals and an assist.

LD Alajuelense enters the final with unbeaten all-time in the CCAC, boasting 13 wins and five draws. The Costa Rican side is focused on winning a second consecutive Central American Cup title and eighth overall international trophy.

The Costa Rican club started its title defense by topping Group B with a perfect record of four wins. Alajuelense then won its series against Comunicaciones in the quarterfinals. The defending champions advanced to the final with a 1-nil aggregate win against Guatemalan side Antigua GFC in the semifinals.

Diego Campos has scored six goals and leads the scoring charts in this year’s edition, while also tallying an assist. Team leaders such as Celso Borges, the Alajuelense all-time appearance leader in the competition with 17, and goalkeeper Leonel Moreira will also be essential for the reigning champions.

The meeting marks the third-ever encounter between the sides in the Central American Cup and the 10th all-time between them across all competitions. Alajuelense leads the series with eight wins, while the other match resulted in a draw.