Two of El Salvador’s top soccer clubs, Alianza and Firpo, will get another shot at reaching the Concacaf Champions Cup after being eliminated from this year’s Central American Cup. Both teams fell in the quarterfinals to Honduran powerhouses Motagua and Olimpia, ending their direct path to the region’s premier club tournament, which brings together the best teams from Central America, the Caribbean, and North America.
Instead of going home empty-handed, Alianza and Firpo will get a second chance through a play-in round set for late October. Alianza will face Honduran club Marathón, while Firpo will take on Costa Rica’s Saprissa. The winners of these matchups will earn a coveted spot in the Concacaf Champions Cup, joining the continent’s elite clubs in pursuit of continental glory.
For Salvadoran soccer fans, the stakes are high: a win would keep alive hopes of seeing a national club compete on one of the region’s biggest stages, following disappointing exits from the Central American Cup itself. Exact dates and venues for the play-in matches have yet to be finalized, but both teams are expected to begin preparations soon.
Want the full story, including more on the bracket and what’s next for Salvadoran soccer? Check out the original report from El Diario de Hoy.
Source: Definen fechas y rivales del play-in para Firpo y Alianza en Copa Centroamericana (El Diario de Hoy).
Image: pbkwee, BY 2.0 (via Openverse).