Liga Deportiva Alajuelense facts for kids
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| Full name | Association Liga Deportiva Alajuelense | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Los Leones (The Lions), La Liga (The League) Manudos (Big-Handed) |
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| Founded | June 18, 1919 | ||
| Ground | Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto | ||
| Capacity | 17,895 | ||
| President | Joseph Joseph Saidy | ||
| Head coach | Alexandre Guimaraes | ||
| League | Liga Promerica | ||
| Clausura 2023 | 1° | ||
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Liga Deportiva Alajuelense (often called LDA or just Alajuelense) is a famous sports club from Costa Rica. It's best known for its amazing association football (soccer) team. The club is based in Alajuela and plays in the top football league in Costa Rica, called Primera División de Costa Rica.
Alajuelense is one of only two clubs in Costa Rica that has never been moved down to a lower league. This shows how strong and consistent they have been throughout their history.
The club was started on June 18, 1919. A group of former players wanted to bring all the sports lovers in Alajuela together. They won their first national championship in 1928. This was thanks to a star player named Alejandro Morera Soto. He later played for FC Barcelona and is considered one of Costa Rica's best players ever. Morera Soto even coached Alajuelense to more titles in 1939, 1941, and 1945.
Alajuelense is one of the most successful football teams in Costa Rica and Central America. They have won many national championships and important international titles. They were the first Costa Rican club to win an official international competition in 1986.
Contents
Club History: A Journey of Success
The team began in 1919 when friends from a team called "Once de Abril" decided to create a new club. They wanted a team that could represent their city on a national level. Their first official game was on August 2, 1919, where they beat C.S. Cartaginés 3–1.
Alajuelense was one of the seven teams that helped create the National League in Costa Rica in 1921. They won their first championship in 1928. In 1941, they made history by winning the championship with a perfect record, winning all six of their games!
In 1960, the team went on a world tour. They played 24 games in 78 days, winning 12 of them. This tour showed the world the talent of Costa Rican football.
Alajuelense has produced many great players over the years. They are known as one of the best teams in Central America. The 1990s were a fantastic time for the club. They won four championships and were runners-up four times.
From the late 1990s to the mid-2000s, they won five more local championships, including four in a row! They also won two UNCAF Interclub Cup trophies and a CONCACAF Club Championship. Many of their players were part of the Costa Rican national team in the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
In 2000, Alajuelense was ranked 27th in the world by IFFHS. This was the highest rank any Central American club had ever reached.
After some tough financial times, the club focused on developing young players. Today, they are debt-free and still one of the top teams in Costa Rica. On June 10, 2019, the club celebrated its 100th anniversary.
In 2023, Alajuelense won the first-ever 2023 CONCACAF Central American Cup. They beat Real Estelí 4–1 in the final. This win also qualified them for the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup.
Home Ground: Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto
The Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto is where Alajuelense plays its home matches. The club owns and operates this stadium. It is located in the El Llano neighborhood of Alajuela.
On July 20, 1966, the stadium was renamed to honor Alejandro Morera Soto. He was nicknamed el mago del balón, which means the magician of the ball. He was a famous former player for Alajuelense and other big clubs like FC Barcelona.
The idea to buy land for a permanent home started in 1938. The land was bought in 1940, and the first game was played there on January 18, 1942. At first, it only had a simple wooden stand.
In 1949, a local teacher started "The March of Bricks." Students donated bricks to help build the stadium's walls and stands. The first stands were built around the north, west, and east sides of the field.
The stadium saw its first night game on March 19, 1970. Alajuelense played against a Honduran club and won 4–1. The stadium was expanded and improved in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It was fully completed in 1984 with new lighting, which was very advanced at the time.
In 2021, the team announced plans for a new stadium, hoping to open it by January 2025.
Club Mascot: The Lion
Alajuelense's mascot is a Lion. It wears the team's uniform and cleats, ready to play!
At every home game, the mascot comes out before the game. It plays with fans, jokes with rival fans, and cheers on the team with a huge flag. The Lion also walks through the crowd during halftime, taking pictures with children.
The club's first mascot was a Mango. This was because Alajuela is known as "The Mangoes' City" due to its many mango trees. But in the early 1980s, the mascot was changed to a Lion.
The Lion was chosen because it represents four important qualities: Courage, Strength, Dynamism, and Fidelity. These are qualities the team wants to show in its games.
Club Achievements: Trophies and Titles
Alajuelense has won many important championships, both in Costa Rica and internationally.
National Titles
- Costa Rican National Championship
- Champions (30 times): They have won this title many times, showing their long history of success. Some of their wins include 1928, 1939, 1941, 1945, 1949, 1950, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1970, 1971, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1991, 1992, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05, Invierno 2010–11, Verano 2010–11, Invierno 2011–12, Invierno 2012–13, Invierno 2013–14, and Invierno 2020–21.
- Costa Rican Cup
- Champions (11 times): They have also won the national cup multiple times, including in 1926, 1928, 1937, 1941, 1944, 1948, 1953, 1949, 1974, 1977, and 2023.
International Titles
- CONCACAF Champions Cup
- Champions (2 times): 1986, 2004. This is a very important tournament for clubs in North and Central America.
- CONCACAF League
- Champions (1 time): 2020.
- CONCACAF Central American Cup
- Champions (1 time): 2023. They were the first champions of this new tournament.
- UNCAF Club Championship
- Champions (3 times): 1996, 2002, 2005. This tournament is for clubs in Central America.
Famous Players and Coaches
Many talented players have worn the Alajuelense jersey. Some of them have also played for the Costa Rica national team in the FIFA World Cup. These include players like José Carlos Chaves, Óscar Ramírez, Mauricio Montero, Wilmer López, Luis Marín, Jhonny Acosta, and Patrick Pemberton.
Retired Numbers
Some players have been so important to the club that their jersey numbers have been retired. This means no other player will wear that number again.
- 20 –
Mauricio Montero, a defender who played from 1987 to 1998.
Historical Coaches
The club has been led by many coaches over the years, including:
- Carlos Watson
- Luis Diego Arnaez
Andrés Carevic
Images for kids
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The official logo of Liga Deportiva Alajuelense.
See also
In Spanish: Liga Deportiva Alajuelense para niños
