Motagua adn Alajuelense Clash Tonight for Central American Cup Semifinal berth
tegucigalpa, Honduras – Motagua and Alajuelense will battle tonight at the Estadio Nacional José de la Paz Herrera in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, with a spot in the semifinals of the 2025 Central American Cup on the line. The match, slated for an 8:00 PM local time kickoff, will be broadcast on ESPN/Disney+ (subscription required).
A draw will be sufficient for Motagua to advance to the semifinals, building on their recent form under coach Javier López, where they are currently undefeated in seven games across all competitions – five wins and two draws in the honduran opening tournament. Alajuelense, however, needs a win by at least a 2-0 margin to avoid elimination. Should Alajuelense win 1-0, the tie will be decided in a 30-minute extra time period.
Both teams will be playing shorthanded. Alajuelense is without Ronald Matarrita, who received a direct red card in the first leg, and Celso Borges due to injury. Motagua will be missing their captain, Marcelo Santos, also sent off in the first leg.
The winner of this contest will face the victor of the matchup between Costa Rican side Cartaginés and Honduran team Olimpia in the semifinals.
probable Lineups:
* Motagua: Luis Ortiz; Carlos Argueta, Sebastián Cardozo, Luis vega, Clever Portillo; luis Meléndez, Jorge Serrano, Rodrigo Gómez, Carlos Mejía, John Kleber, maicol Cabrera. Coach: Javier López.
* Alajuelense: Washington Ortega; Isaac Badilla, Fernando Piñar, Kenyel Michel, Alexis Gamboa; Guillermo Villalobos, Rachir Parkins, Aaron Salazar, Anthony Hernández, Alejandro Bran, ronaldo Cisneros. Coach: Óscar Ramírez.
