LD Alajuelense, Sporting FC meet again for the Costa Rica league title | OneFootball

MIAMI – After weeks of hard work to reach the most important game of the season, old rivals meet again as defending champions LD Alajuelense and Sporting FC face off to crown as the winner of the Apertura 2024 of the women’s top flight in Costa Rica.

The Final's first leg for the Apertura 2024 season will see Sporting FC welcome LD Alajuelense on Saturday evening at the Ernesto Rohrmoser Stadium. The second leg will occur at the Alejandro Morera Soto Stadium, where fans can see who will lift the trophy and become Costa Rica league Champions.

This is the fourth consecutive time these teams share the biggest stage, with LD Alajuelense having seven championships and winning those four finals in a row. Sporting FC will look to lift the first title of their history.

The path to the final for the reigning champions was not easy. The semifinals featured the Clasico Nacional against Saprissa on Thursday evening. Alajuelense was surprised as Carolina Vanegas gave Saprissa the advantage in the 14’.

Las Leonas fought back, with Sheika Scott finding the back of the net in the 33’. Anyela Mesen put Alajuelense in front in the 53’. The team then extended that lead in the match's dying minutes, as Kenya Rangel scored the victory goal in the 84’.

On Sunday afternoon, they finished the job. Costa Rica international Fabiola Villalobos scored in the 51’, and Yoanka Villanueva sealed the deal in the 73’. LD Alajuelense won the semifinal with a global score of 5-1.

On the other side of the bracket, Dimas Escazu welcomed Sporting FC for a thrilling first leg on Wednesday, where the Albinegras took a 2-3 win. Katrina Wetherell scored the first goal of the night in the 8’. After pushing for an equalizer, Jimena Rodriguez found one for Sporting FC in the 32’, closely followed by Monserrat Diaz, who saw the back of the net and gave a temporal advantage to her team.

The Albinegras added one more goal to their scoresheet in the 86’ thanks to the services of Maria Fernanda Figueroa. Dimas Escazu pulled one back through Diana Vallejos in the 89’, leaving everything to play in the second leg.

On Saturday evening, Sporting FC sealed a spot in the final with a 2-nil win, 5-2 on aggregate. The home side scored the first goal of the evening as Tanisha Fonseca found the back of the net in the 36’. They kept pushing to clinch their participation in the biggest game of the season and scored a second in the 65’, thanks to the services of Emily Flores.