ALAJUELA, Costa Rica - Newly crowned Costa Rican champion Alajuelense announced Monday that it will commence preseason training on January 3 to prepare for defense of its title.

Two days after winning the Torneo Invierno crown over Herediano, the players underwent physical evaluations before leaving for vacation.

"The goal is that our players return to training with the same measures prior to the holidays," said Norton Cassol, the Alajuelense physical trainer. "In January, we will have 10 days of preseason where there will be a combination of physical and technical work."

The squad returns to training on January 3 at the Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto Scotiabank and will meet Belen in the season opener 10 days later.