Óscar Ramírez, coach of Alajuelense, gave a short press conference on April 24 following his team’s 5-2 victory against Puntarenas. Ramírez avoided discussing his future with the club and focused on the team’s efforts to stay in contention until the final matchday.
The outcome keeps Alajuelense’s hopes alive as they approach the last game of the season. The significance of this result lies in maintaining momentum and morale for both players and supporters.
When asked about the message from such a decisive win, Ramírez said, “The message is to fight until the end. We wanted to win to keep hope alive until the finish.” Regarding his future as head coach, he responded, “It’s a topic I don’t want to touch yet. I’ll pass.” He added that he told his players simply to “fight until the end, only that.”
Ramírez commented on defensive choices during the match: “With Piñar it’s the second time we’ve used him in that position and, with only Salazar available, we decided to use him.” Addressing questions about refereeing and concentration among teams ahead of the final round, he said: “It shouldn’t be now; it should be from the start. We’re one of those teams with more problems regarding that issue but there’s nothing we can do now.”
On fan support for his continuation as coach, Ramírez stated: “The affection is mutual; it’s appreciated but let’s wait and see what happens.” When asked if uncertainty about his role affects planning for next season he replied: “It’s an internal matter; I don’t know about timing at this moment.” Regarding satisfaction with such a strong win he concluded: “It’s important. Ronaldo gets an opportunity and scores three goals. I feel like Puntarenas has always been tough for us; they’re a very lively team who play offensively.”
Alajuelense will look ahead to their final match hoping their recent performance can carry them forward.
