Óscar Ramírez said on April 6 that Liga Deportiva Alajuelense’s margin for error continues to shrink after the team drew 1-1 with Guadalupe at Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto. The result was not what the club wanted, and Ramírez discussed several aspects of the match and the team’s current situation.
The draw leaves Alajuelense exposing their fourth-place position in the standings, which is a concern as they approach the end of the semester. Ramírez said, “Very unfortunate, I think a draw was not at all what we wanted; we had many chances to score more goals and secure the match. We were permissive in letting Guadalupe grow into the game and it became an end-to-end contest that was not what we needed. I told them at halftime it was a deceptive game and as long as we didn’t capitalize on our chances, it would be dangerous.” He also mentioned defensive issues leading to yellow cards due to poor positioning.
Regarding player management decisions, specifically about Alejandro Bran, Ramírez explained: “I think it’s been handled according to procedure in these situations; we don’t want them repeated. I was critical with both boys (Bran and Kenneth Vargas), we can’t sabotage ourselves. The separation process was followed along with financial penalties.” He added that Bran played because he was physically fit for this match.
Ramírez addressed how injuries have affected his decision-making: “It’s understandable and I completely understand our fans’ concerns… It worries me, of course it does, but when key players get injured ten minutes into a game while things are flowing well—it’s tough.” He noted that managing these challenges is part of football: “What can I do? Look for solutions… Unfortunately this happens at an inconvenient time but that’s something I have to deal with.”
Looking ahead to closing out the semester strongly, Ramírez said he expects some players like Lucumí and Vargas to return soon: “We talked about these last matches being crucial for getting into the top four… This week Lucumí joins us again along with Vargas.” Despite recent setbacks, he remains focused on adapting strategies as needed.
