Óscar “Macho” Ramírez, coach of Liga Deportiva Alajuelense, addressed the media after his team lost 0-1 at home in the first leg of the Concacaf Central American Cup quarterfinals. The match was marked by the early sending off of Rónald Matarrita, which left Alajuelense playing with ten men.
“These are the things that happen in football; you never plan to be down a player so early. It’s football. The situation is frustrating, and after the expulsion we played better in the first half but struggled more in the second. They changed their approach and we took our chances,” said Ramírez during his post-match comments.
He continued: “We wanted more than just holding a five-man back line; we went for counterattacks and it was difficult. Unfortunately, we lost control of the match in the final minutes. I can’t reproach my players for anything; there’s still time left and the series is open.”
When asked about his substitutions during a high-intensity game, Ramírez explained: “Making decisions is hard with that level of intensity. If we talk about individual performances, some players had setbacks. In a more physical match like this one, we needed to stay compact rather than press high up. Building a block and controlling possession helped us keep hold of the game.”
He added: “Our option was to play 40 or 50 meters from goal and stick with it. With Anthony Hernández we had two chances and opted for Jeison Lucumí along with Isaac Badilla’s strong start—maybe we didn’t take advantage by targeting his area.”
Addressing Matarrita’s red card incident, Ramírez said: “It’s tough for those who have been on the field—it happens sometimes. I used to get fouled often but rarely reacted; maybe once a year I did. For Rónald, I know how much he cares—his desire may have betrayed him this time. He didn’t do it intentionally; it was an error driven by passion for his team.”
On Elián Quesada’s absence from the squad, Ramírez clarified: “He was called up to join Costa Rica’s U-20 national team camp—we released him along with three or four others but they were sent back early due to something happening with their training schedule.”
Asked about Motagua’s coach suggesting Alajuelense could turn around the tie in Honduras next week, Ramírez acknowledged: “It’s tough balancing league play and this tournament—it’s complicated work managing both fronts given how frequently matches come around. Everyone needs to contribute because it’s not sustainable otherwise.”
Regarding motivation within his squad following defeat despite being considered superior by many observers, he said: “How you transmit that message matters—we made clear it hurts because we knew our quality was higher overall despite human errors on our part. It wasn’t for lack of effort or desire.”
“Their recovery process is tough—the first day after stings most as you replay situations overnight before getting back into training,” he concluded.
The return leg will be held next Tuesday as Alajuelense looks to overturn their deficit away from home.
