FC Motagua out to defend lead against LD Alajuelense | OneFootball

MIAMI – The 2025 Concacaf Central American Cup continues as FC Motagua hosts Liga Deportiva Alajuelense in the Second Leg of their Quarter Finals series on Tuesday at Estadio José de la Paz Herrera Uclés in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

FC Motagua holds a 1-nil lead after earning an away win in Costa Rica over the back-to-back defending champions. Mathías Vázquez struck the lone goal of the First Leg in the 90’+2’ to become the youngest Honduran player to score in tournament history at 18 years, 9 months, and 8 days.

With its first win in the Quarter Finals stage, El Ciclón Azul extended its unbeaten run in the Central American Cup to 12 games (6 wins, 6 draws). Additionally, the first leg victory saw Motagua earn its first win over Alajuelense after seven previous meetings in Concacaf competitions.

LD Alajuelense will aim to rewrite history by turning the series around. No team has ever advanced in the competition after losing the First Leg at home in any round in the Knockout Stage. The Costa Rican side seeks to avoid elimination after winning the first two editions.

The away goals rule will be used as the first tiebreaker for a draw on aggregate. A 1-nil win for LD Alajuelense would trigger Extra Time and a penalty shootout, if necessary, to decide a winner.

The winner of the series will book a spot in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup and advance to the Semifinals.

Milestones & Records from the First Leg

Mathías Vázquez becomes youngest Honduran to score in CCAC history

With his stoppage-time goal that sealed the first-leg Quarterfinal win against LD Alajuelense, Mathías Vázquez became the youngest Honduran player ever to score in the history of the Concacaf Central American Cup, at 18 years, 9 months, and 8 days. He broke the previous record set by Nixon Cruz of Real España, who scored against San Miguelito on August 28, 2025, at 19 years and 25 days old.

Celso Borges becomes all-time appearance leader in CCAC

Alajuelense midfielder and captain Celso Borges made his 24th appearance in the Concacaf Central American Cup, becoming the player with the most matches played in tournament history, surpassing Byron Bonilla of Real Estelí, who remains at 23.

Historic first-ever Motagua win over Alajuelense

FC Motagua recorded its first-ever victory over LD Alajuelense after seven previous meetings, including a 1-5 loss in the Group Stage of the 2023 edition and two defeats in the Concacaf Champions Cup.

With the result, Motagua also became the second team with the most away wins in CCAC history. The leader in that category remains LD Alajuelense.

Alajuelense shut out at home for the first time ever

Motagua became the first club in Central American Cup history to keep Alajuelense scoreless at home, ending the Costa Rican side’s streak of 12 consecutive home matches scoring goals—the longest such run by any team in the tournament’s history.

Just the fourth road win in Costa Rica in 41 matches

Motagua’s win marked only the fourth time an away team has won on Costa Rican soil in 41 matches played in the Central American Cup.

FC Motagua Head Coach Javier López made history as the only manager with two victories in Costa Rica in the tournament. His first was a 3-0 win with Antigua GFC over Deportivo Saprissa on October 1, 2024.

LD Alajuelense seeks to rewrite history in the second leg

History is not on Alajuelense’s side. In the Concacaf Central American Cup, no team has ever advanced after losing the first leg at home in any knockout stage. LD Alajuelense now becomes the fourth club in this position—and notably, all previous cases also involved the Costa Rican giants falling at home:

Alajuelense: Kings of the road in first-leg wins

Despite this unfavorable stat, LD Alajuelense holds a unique distinction: they are the team with the most away wins in first-leg matches, and in every instance, they advanced to the next round.

Here are the three series in which Alajuelense won away in the first leg and went on to qualify:

The upcoming second leg against Motagua offers a new opportunity: to defy tournament history while relying on their proven record of away success.

Ronald Matarrita receives fastest red card in CCAC knockout match

Defender Ronald Matarrita was sent off in the 15th minute of the first-leg Quarterfinal, earning the second-fastest red card in Central American Cup history. The only quicker ejection came from Rodrigo Saravia of Comunicaciones FC, who was shown red in the 5th minute against CS Herediano on August 30, 2024.

However, Matarrita’s dismissal stands as the earliest red card in any knockout stage match (Quarterfinals, Semifinals, or Final) in the tournament’s history—leaving Alajuelense with 10 men for more than 75 minutes of the contest.