Costa Rica’s Top Soccer Side Narrowly Loses to Atlante

Written by Thomas

Atlante tops Saprissa 2-1.
Atlante topped Saprissa last night 2-1.

Last night the Mexican club Atlante came out on top of the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinals against Costa Rica’s top side Deportivo Saprissa, 2-1, as the two teams both hoped to make their mark on the tournament and take the advantage to the return leg next Thursday.

Atlante on the home turf clearly looked like a stronger team from the beginning, more comfortable in their own familiar surroundings with their energetic fans chanting and cheering from the outset. A few dangerous runs down the flanks and through the middle of the park were dealt with relatively calmly by the Saprissa defense, but the evidence was there that there was more to come from the Mexicans.

And indeed there was, as the Saprissa defense succumbed to their first mistake of the night which led Bermudez through on goal who managed to chip his shot over Navas only for the bar to be at his savior.

Minutes later the Costa Rica team was awarded a dubious free kick midway inside Atlante’s half after a storming run from Centeno ended with the veteran throwing himself at an Atlante player and claiming a free kick. The free kick was taken short and after some intelligent play down the right wing Try Bennett crossed the ball to the edge of the area where an unmarked Centeno stood free to volley home Saprissa’s first chance of the match.

The lead only lasted 15 minutes though as Atlante finally broke through the Costa Rican defense after some intricate passing outside the box led to a cut back from the byline to Argentine Gabriel Bermudez who fired home to the roar of the Mexican crowd.

Eager to take the lead and take advantage of the home leg Atlante was again the first out the starting blocks coming close on many occasions including a free kick from the Atlante goalkeeper Federico Vilar.

Atlante continued to dominate the game more and more as Saprissa started to sit back on the stalemate score line until the 71st minute when a superb cross from the right by Mauricio Romero found Christian Bermudez in the center who finished excellently to finally give the home side their deserved advantage.

The game’s pace slowed down a bit with both teams seemingly happy to settle with scores as they were despite a few close efforts again from the home side.

The second leg will be played next week, Thursday 20th March, at the Ricardo Saprissa Stadium in Tibas, Costa Rica. A must-win game for Saprissa if they want to continue their season’s good form and progress to the semi-finals of the tournament to possibly face either Houston Dynamo (United States) or Municipal (Guatemala).

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